Denis Gorican: “Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters, is an open star cluster located in the constellation Taurus.” It is one of the nearest star clusters to Earth, at a distance of about 440 light-years. Here are some interesting facts about the Pleiades star cluster:

Denis Gorican: 6 Interesting facts about Pleiades

  1. The Pleiades is visible to the naked eye and has been known to many cultures throughout history. In Greek mythology, the Pleiades were the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione.
  2. The Pleiades is composed of young, hot, blue stars that are only about 100 million years old. These stars are still in the process of contracting and will eventually become red giants.
  3. The Pleiades is a gravitationally bound cluster, meaning that the stars within it are held together by their mutual gravitational attraction.
  4. The Pleiades is surrounded by a cloud of dust and gas that is believed to have been created by the cluster’s stars. This cloud is called the “Pleiades Reflection Nebula” because it reflects the light of the stars.
  5. The Pleiades is home to several notable celestial objects, including the “Pleiades Dwarf,” a small galaxy located within the cluster, and the “Pleiades Moving Group,” a group of stars that are thought to have formed together and are now moving through the Milky Way galaxy together.
  6. The Pleiades has been studied by astronomers for centuries and has been the subject of many scientific discoveries. For example, the cluster has been used to measure the distance to other galaxies, and the stars within it have been used to study the life cycles of stars.

Overall, the Pleiades is an exciting and fascinating object that has captured the attention of scientists and stargazers alike for centuries. Check my other Astronomy posts.

I took this photo in November 2022 on Skywatcher 130/650 Explorer 130PDS OTA, Ioptron CEM26/GEM28, Canon 250D.

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by admin