In the second part of the series “Signs of the Zodiac in the Light of Science” with astrophotographer Dietmar Hager we take a look at the cancer.
Cancer, too, originates from Greek mythology: When Hercules was just fighting with the multi-headed snake Hydra, the goddess Hera sent out a crab to attack the hero. Hercules, however, simply crushed him and as a reminder of his efforts, the crab was sent to heaven.
The constellation of Cancer itself is rather inconspicuous, but in its center we find the open star cluster M 44, also called the Nativity, one of the brightest star clusters ever. On a clear and dark night it can also be seen with the naked eye as a nebula. We look at where we find this constellation, which constellations surround the Cancer and set off on a new journey into the depths of space with astrophotographer Dr. Dietmar Hager.
