aka NGC 2632, is an open cluster in the constellation Cancer.
One of the nearest open clusters to Earth, it contains a larger population of stars than other nearby bright open clusters.
Under dark skies, the Beehive Cluster looks like a small nebulous object to the naked eye, and has been known since ancient times.
Classical astronomer Ptolemy described it as a "nebulous mass in the breast of Cancer". It was among the first objects that Galileo studied with his telescope.[3]

Distance to M44 is about 182 pc.

At 1.5° across, the cluster easily fits within the field of view of binoculars or low-powered small telescopes.