The Cancer Constellation in the Zodiac!
The Constellation Cancer
The Egyptians saw Cancer as the sacred scarab, a beetle which rolls its dung in the dust, making pellets in which its eggs are laid. The scarab was a symbol of resurrection and immortality; mummies often had a carving of the scarab in place of the heart. The Greek word for scarab is karabos.
In Greek myth, the second labor of Hercules was to slay the many-headed monster Hydra. Hera (Juno) sent a crab to bite the heel of Hercules while he struggled with Hydra. Hercules crushed the crab underfoot; this explains why the crab is the hardest constellation to see, with no bright stars.
Cancer Constellation Stars
If not for the fact that it lies on the Ecliptic, and is therefore part of the zodiac, Cancer would be a rather inconspicuous group of stars. It is home to the relatively nearby Beehive/Praesepe complex of star clusters.
Clearly noted by stargazers as an open cluster of stars, home of Praesepe, also known as the “Beehive Cluster” this is the constellation of Cancer. The cluster is 577 light years away and approximately 730 million years old. The cluster has at least 250 stars and possibly up to as much as 350.
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