When Mars meets Beehive Cluster (M44)
Mars nowadays is only best observed using the naked eye. With an angular size of a mere 5.8″, it is not at all impressive through telescope.
However, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pay attention to it…
Mars will be meeting up with the Beehive Cluster (or M44) in Cancer. It lies on the northwestern edge of the cluster on May 22. It will pass through northern M44 the following night.
This is definitely going to be a beautiful sight through binoculars or low-power telescope. If you have a dark enough sky, you do not even need any equipment to see them. Mars is shining at magnitude 1 whereas M44 is about magnitude 3.
This “meeting” also offers great opportunity to shoot some nice astrophotographs.
My Dark Sky 