To the side of Leo is the fainter constellation of Cancer (the Crab).

Inside the boundaries of Cancer is a group of stars neatly tucked together into a beehive shape. The Beehive Cluster (also known as Messier 44) was first described by Galileo, but it has been known since antiquity.

The beehive is easily visible to the unaided eye as a faint round patch of light. Through binoculars, it resembles a swarm of bees.