Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Taurus (Tau)  ·  Contains:  19 Tau)  ·  25 Tau)  ·  Barnard's Merope Nebula  ·  IC 349  ·  Maia Nebula  ·  Merope Nebula  ·  NGC 1432  ·  NGC 1435  ·  Sterope I (21 Tau)  ·  The star 18 Tau  ·  The star Alcyone (η Tau  ·  The star Asterope  ·  The star Atlas (27 Tau)  ·  The star Celaeno (16 Tau)  ·  The star Electra (17 Tau)  ·  The star Merope (23 Tau)  ·  The star Pleione (28 Tau)  ·  The star Sterope II (22 Tau)  ·  The star Taygeta (q Tau
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M45 - Pleiades- LRGB, Valerio Avitabile
M45 - Pleiades- LRGB
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Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
M45 - Pleiades- LRGB, Valerio Avitabile
M45 - Pleiades- LRGB
Powered byPixInsight

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Description

The Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters or M45 in the catalog of Charles Messier, is an open cluster located in the constellation Taurus. This cluster, approximately 440 light-years away, consists of several stars visible to the naked eye, with greater visibility in locations less affected by light pollution.The stars of the Pleiades are closely bound by gravity and share a common origin. Due to their relative proximity, they appear warmer than usual and exhibit predominant colors of blue or white giants. The cluster is young, with an estimated age of about 100 million years and a projected lifespan of another 250 million years.The historical significance of the Pleiades is evident in their mention by ancient authors such as Homer and Ptolemy. The stars are also featured in the Nebra Sky Disk, a bronze artifact dating back to 1600 B.C. found in Germany, representing one of the earliest known depictions of the cosmos.The cluster's position north of the celestial equator makes it visible from all populated areas on Earth, down to the Antarctic Circle. The Pleiades are easily identifiable even in urban environments affected by light pollution, appearing as a group of closely spaced blue stars with a distinctive shape.

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M45 - Pleiades- LRGB, Valerio Avitabile