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Utah designated the Beehive cluster as the state astronomical symbol in 1996. The beehive is also the official emblem of Utah and appears on the state seal. A fact sheet about the bill stated:
"This symbol, composed of a hive of stars, transposes our beehive symbol to a new and grand level as we enter our second century as a group of people living in a place where we can still see, with our own eyes, the beautiful and dim features of the starry universe."
The beehive cluster in the constellation of Cancer: U of Illinois Urbana
Visible to the naked eye as a small cloud in the constellation of Cancer, the Beehive is a very large and bright open cluster of stars. The beehive cluster was known as Praesepe in ancient times and is referred to as M44 (Messier object 44) by modern stargazers.
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