The planet Mars is no stranger to buzzing the Beehive Cluster, M44, but the visits are infrequent enough to make them special to look out for.
Mars approaches the Beehive Cluster in early December 2024, with a minimum separation of 2° on 6 December.
On this date, the planet appears to change direction from moving east to moving west.
The reversing direction occurs at what’s known as a stationary point, the apparent movement changing from prograde (eastward) to retrograde (westward).
This Mars retrograde encounter doesn’t see Mars cross the face of the Beehive, but make its closest approach northwest of the cluster’s centre.
The start of Mars’s retrograde motion is the first bend in what’s known as a retrograde loop.
The second bend occurs in Gemini on 24 February 2025, when the planet reverses direction and heads east again.
This brings it on an apparent collision course with the Beehive, passing across the cluster in early May 2025.
Although there’s no real scientific significance to the encounter, it’s an interesting visual target which is also relatively easy to photograph.
A good clear run at the end of November into early December will allow images taken on sequential nights to be combined to show Mars passing its stationary point near this iconic cluster.
If you observe or photograph Mars in retrograde and its meeting with the Beehive Cluster, let us know by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
