[AZ-Observing] Re: Why Is M44 The Beehive?


Admiral William Henry Smyth has this entry in his 1844 "Cycle of Celestial
Objects", object no. CCCXXXI (no. 331) in his catalog (see p. 200-1,
Willmann-Bell 1986 reprint edition):
"A very wide double star in the well-known cluster called Praesepe, on the
Crab's body, enrolled by Messier on his celebrated List of 103, in 1769.  ...
The Praesepe, metaphorically rendered Bee-Hive, is an aggregation of small
stars which has long borne the name of a nebula, its components not being
separately distinguishable by the naked eye; ..."

So perhaps Smyth was the first to use the name "Bee Hive".  Most other authors
translate "Praesepe" as "Manger", consistent with the two nearby bright stars,
gamma and delta Cancri on either side of M44, known as the Northern and
Southern Asses.

Gene Lucas
(17250)

Brian Skiff wrote:

> >>  I'm wondering if others have older books or magazines
> >>  in which this moniker is used?
>      As noted earlier, it's in Allen's "Star Names" (1890s), and even then
> he was unable to come up with its origin.
> \Brian

--
See message header for info on list archives or unsubscribing, and please 
send personal replies to the author, not the list.

Other related posts: