Mars and the Beehive Cluster

The beehive cluster is an open star cluster in the constellation of Cancer, located between 520 and 610 light years from earth. It’s one of the nearest open clusters to our solar system and one of the largest, containing over 1,000 stars. The cluster is relatively young, with an estimated age of 600 million years.

In my capture, planet Mars joins the scene, adding a nice contrast. Mars is the fourth planet from the sun and the second smallest planet in our solar system.