The more dramatic open star cluster to the upper right of the moon is known as M44, or the Beehive. It was first noticed with the naked eye in ancient Greece by the poet Araros in 260 B.C. and later by the astronomer Hipparchus in 130 B.C. Today, under pristine dark skies far from any light pollution, the 600-light-year-distant Beehive can be glimpsed without any optical aid.

On the moon’s left side, look for a fainter but still pretty open cluster known as Messier 67. It lies just over 3,000 light-years from Earth and spans about the same width as the full moon in the sky, making M67 a perfect target for binoculars and small telescopes. Both clusters will be competing