Pleiades

A Hubble Space Telescope (HST) image of the Pleiades . Credit: HST/NASA/ESA. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (4877x3515, 2034 KB) The Pleiades. ... The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a telescope in orbit around the Earth, named after astronomer Edwin Hubble. ... This article is about the American space agency. ... This article is about the European Space Agency. ...
Observation data: J2000 epoch
Constellation:	Taurus
Right ascension:	3h 47m 24s[1]
Declination:	+24° 7′[1]
Distance:	440 ly (135 pec[2][3])
Apparent magnitude (V):
Apparent dimensions (V):
Notable features:
Other designations:	M45,[1] Seven Sisters[1]
See also: Open cluster, List of open clusters

A shorter exposure shows less nebulosity.

The Pleiades (Ple.ia.des |[ˈpli.ə.diz]) - also known as M45, the Seven Sisters, SED, or Subaru (in Japan) - is the name of an open cluster in the constellation of Taurus. It is among the nearest to the Earth of all open clusters, probably the best known and certainly the most obvious to the naked eye. This asterism is sometimes referred to as the Maia Nebula, perhaps erroneously considering that the reflection nebulosity surrounding Maia is extrinsic (see below). The J2000. ... In astronomy, an epoch is a moment in time for which celestial coordinates or orbital elements are specified. ... This article is about the star grouping. ... Taurus (IPA: , Latin: , symbol , ) is one of the constellations of the zodiac. ... Equatorial Coordinates Right ascension (abbrev. ... In astronomy, declination (abbrev. ... A light year, abbreviated ly, is the distance light travels in one year: roughly 9. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... The apparent magnitude (m) of a star, planet or other celestial body is a measure of its apparent brightness as seen by an observer on Earth. ... The Pleiades is one of the most famous open clusters. ... Image File history File links Pleiades_Lanoue. ... Image File history File links Pleiades_Lanoue. ... Pleiades can refer to: Pleiades (star cluster) - an open cluster of stars in the constellation Taurus; Pleiades (mythology) - the seven sisters of Greek mythology; Pleiades (volcano group) - a group of volcanoes in Antarctica; La Pléiade - a group of 16th-century French poets. ... The Pleiades is one of the most famous open clusters. ... Taurus (IPA: , Latin: , symbol , ) is one of the constellations of the zodiac. ... This article is about Earth as a planet. ... The naked eye is a figure of speech referring to human visual perception that is unaided by enhancing equipment, such as a telescope or binoculars. ...

The cluster is dominated by hot blue stars, which have formed within the last 100 million years. Dust that forms faint reflection nebulosity around the brightest stars was thought at first to be left over from the formation of the cluster but is now known to be an unrelated dust cloud that the stars are currently passing through. Astronomers estimate that the cluster will survive for about another 250 million years, when it will have dispersed due to gravitational interactions with the spiral arms of the galaxy and giant molecular clouds. In astronomy, stellar classification is a classification of stars based initially on photospheric temperature and its associated spectral characteristics, and subsequently refined in terms of other characteristics. ... The Witch Head reflection nebula (IC2118), about 1000 light years from earth, is associated with the bright star Rigel in the constellation Orion. ... A spiral galaxy presents a face-on view of its spiral arms. ... For other uses, see Milky Way (disambiguation). ... A dark nebula is a large cloud which appears as star-poor regions where the dust of interstellar medium seems to be concentrated. ...

Observational history

Comet Machholz passes near the Pleiades in early 2005

The Pleiades are a prominent sight in winter in the Northern Hemisphere and in summer in the Southern Hemisphere, and have been known since antiquity to cultures all around the world, including the Māori and Australian Aborigines, the Chinese, the Maya (who called them Tzab-ek), the Aztec and the Sioux of North America. Some Greek astronomers considered them to be a distinct constellation, and they are mentioned by Hesiod, and in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. They are also mentioned three times in the Bible (Job 9:9, 38:31; Amos 5:8). The Pleiades (Krittika) are particularly revered in Hindu mythology as the six mothers of the war god Skanda, who developed six faces, one for each of them. Some scholars of Islam suggested that the Pleiades (At-thuraiya) are the Star in Najm which is mentioned in the Quran. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (950x405, 84 KB) Description: Mosaic photo of comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) next to the Pleiades taken in Sommerholz (Austria) using the following equipement: telescope: 90/500mm Russentonne piggyback on a 10 inch Newton camera: Canon EOS 300D exposure: Pleiades 3... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (950x405, 84 KB) Description: Mosaic photo of comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) next to the Pleiades taken in Sommerholz (Austria) using the following equipement: telescope: 90/500mm Russentonne piggyback on a 10 inch Newton camera: Canon EOS 300D exposure: Pleiades 3... Comet Machholz, formally designated C/2004 Q2, was a comet discovered by Donald Machholz on August 27, 2004. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Winter is one of the four seasons of temperate zones. ... Northern hemisphere highlighted in yellow. ... For other uses, see Summer (disambiguation). ... southern hemisphere highlighted in yellow (Antarctica not depicted). ... This article is about the Māori people of New Zealand. ... Australian Aborigines are the main indigenous people of Australia. ... Maya may refer to: // The Maya, Native American peoples of southern Mexico and northern Central America Maya peoples, the contemporary indigenous peoples Maya civilization, their historical pre-Columbian civilization Mayan languages, the family of languages spoken by the Maya Yucatec Maya language, specific and most widespread Mayan language, frequently referred... Aztec is a term used to refer to certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who achieved political and military dominance over large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the Late post-Classic... The Sioux (IPA ) are a Native American and First Nations people. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... This article is about the star grouping. ... Roman bronze bust, the so-called Pseudo-Seneca, now identified by some as possibly Hesiod Hesiod (Hesiodos, ) was an early Greek poet and rhapsode, who presumably lived around 700 BC. Hesiod and Homer, with whom Hesiod is often paired, have been considered the earliest Greek poets whose work has survived... For other uses, see Homer (disambiguation). ... title page of the Rihel edition of ca. ... Beginning of the Odyssey For other uses, see Odyssey (disambiguation). ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library. ... The Book of Job (איוב) is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible. ... The Book of Amos is one of the books of the Neviim and of the Old Testament. ... The nakshatra corresponding to the open star cluster Pleiades is known as Krittika in Indian Astrology. ... Hindu mythology is a term used by modern scholarship for a large body of Indian literature that details the lives and times of legendary personalities, deities and divine incarnations on earth interspersed with often large sections of philosophical and ethical discourse. ... Skanda is a name of a deity that is popular amongst practicing Hindus and Buddhists Skanda is a Hindu deity also known as Kartikeya and Murugan. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ...

A Spitzer image of the Pleiades in infrared light, showing the associated dust. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

They have long been known to be a physically related group of stars rather than any chance alignment. The Reverend John Michell calculated in 1767 that the probability of a chance alignment of so many bright stars was only 1 in 500,000, and so correctly surmised that the Pleiades and many other clusters of stars must be physically related.^[4] When studies were first made of the stars' proper motions, it was found that they are all moving in the same direction across the sky, at the same rate, further demonstrating that they were related. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 600 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2855 × 2855 pixel, file size: 301 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 600 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2855 × 2855 pixel, file size: 301 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The Spitzer Space Telescope (formerly the Space Infrared Telescope Facility [SIRTF]) is an infrared space observatory, the fourth and final of NASAs Great Observatories. ... For other uses, see Infrared (disambiguation). ... This article is about the American space agency. ... The JPL complex in Pasadena, Ca. ... California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (commonly known as Caltech) is a private, coeducational university located in Pasadena, California, in the United States. ... John Michell (1724 – April 29, 1793) was an English natural philosopher and geologist, whose work was rediscovered in the 1970s. ... Year 1767 (MDCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... The proper motion of a star is the motion of the position of the star in the sky (the change in direction in which we see it, as opposed to the radial velocity) after eliminating the improper motions of the stars, which affect their measured coordinates but are not real...

Charles Messier measured the position of the cluster and included it as M45 in his catalogue of comet-like objects, published in 1771. Along with the Orion Nebula and the Praesepe cluster, Messier's inclusion of the Pleiades has been noted as curious, as most of Messier's objects were much fainter and more easily confused with comets—something which seems scarcely possible for the Pleiades. One possibility is that Messier simply wanted to have a larger catalogue than his scientific rival Lacaille, whose 1755 catalogue contained 42 objects, and so he added some bright, well-known objects to boost his list.^[5] Charles Messier Charles Messier (June 26, 1730 – April 12, 1817) was a French astronomer who in 1774 published a catalogue of 45 deep sky objects such as nebulae and star clusters. ... Table of all 110 Messier objects. ... Comet Hale-Bopp Comet West For other uses, see Comet (disambiguation). ... 1771 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Orion Nebula (also known as Messier 42, M42, or NGC 1976) is a diffuse nebula situated south of Orions Belt. ... The Beehive Cluster (also known as The Beehive, Praesepe, Open Cluster M44, Messier Object 44, Messier 44, M44, or NGC 2632) is an open cluster in the Cancer constellation. ... Abbé Nicolas Louis de Lacaille (March 15, 1713 – March 21, 1762) was a French astronomer. ... 1755 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Distance

The distance to the Pleiades is an important first step in the so-called cosmic distance ladder, a sequence of distance scales for the whole universe. The size of this first step calibrates the whole ladder, and the scale of this first step has been estimated by many methods. As the cluster is so close to the Earth, its distance is relatively easy to measure. Accurate knowledge of the distance allows astronomers to plot a Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram for the cluster which, when compared to those plotted for clusters whose distance is not known, allows their distances to be estimated. Other methods can then extend the distance scale from open clusters to galaxies and clusters of galaxies, and a cosmic distance ladder can be constructed. Ultimately astronomers' understanding of the age and future evolution of the universe is influenced by their knowledge of the distance to the Pleiades. The cosmic distance ladder is the succession of methods by which astronomers determine the distances to celestial objects. ... The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (usually referred to by the abbreviation H-R diagram or HRD, also known as a Colour-Magnitude diagram, or CMD) shows the relationship between absolute magnitude, luminosity, classification, and effective temperature of stars. ... The cosmic distance ladder is the succession of methods by which astronomers determine the distances to celestial objects. ...

Results prior to the launch of the Hipparcos satellite generally found that the Pleiades were about 135 parsecs away from Earth. Hipparcos caused consternation among astronomers by finding a distance of only 118 parsecs by measuring the parallax of stars in the cluster—a technique which should yield the most direct and accurate results. Later work has consistently found that the Hipparcos distance measurement for the Pleiades was in error, but it is not yet known why the error occurred.^[6] The distance to the Pleiades is currently thought to be the higher value of about 135 parsecs, about 440 light years.^[2][3] Hipparcos (for High Precision Parallax Collecting Satellite) was an astrometry mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) dedicated to the measurement of stellar parallax and the proper motions of stars. ... A parsec is the distance from the Earth to an astronomical object which has a parallax angle of one arcsecond. ... For other uses, see Parallax (disambiguation). ...

Composition

X-ray images of the Pleiades reveal the stars with the hottest atmospheres. Green squares indicate the seven optically brightest stars.

The cluster core radius is about 8 light years and tidal radius is about 43 light years. The cluster contains over 1000 statistically confirmed members, although this figure excludes unresolved binary stars.^[7] It is dominated by young, hot blue stars, up to 14 of which can be seen with the naked eye depending on local observing conditions. The arrangement of the brightest stars is somewhat similar to Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. The total mass contained in the cluster is estimated to be about 800 solar masses.^[8] Image File history File links X-ray_image_of_the_Pleiades. ... Image File history File links X-ray_image_of_the_Pleiades. ... A light-year or lightyear (symbol: ly) is a unit of measurement of length, specifically the distance light travels in vacuum in one year. ... For the band of the same name, see: Binary Star (band) Hubble image of the Sirius binary system, in which Sirius B can be clearly distinguished (lower left). ... In astronomy, stellar classification is a classification of stars based initially on photospheric temperature and its associated spectral characteristics, and subsequently refined in terms of other characteristics. ... This article is about the constellation. ... Ursa Minor (IPA: ) is a constellation in the northern sky, the name of which means Smaller Bear in Latin. ... In astronomy, the solar mass is a unit of mass used to express the mass of stars and larger objects such as galaxies. ...

The cluster contains many brown dwarfs, which are objects with less than about 8% of the Sun's mass, not heavy enough for nuclear fusion reactions to start in their cores and become proper stars. They may constitute up to 25% of the total population of the cluster, although they contribute less than 2% of the total mass.^[9] Astronomers have made great efforts to find and analyse brown dwarfs in the Pleiades and other young clusters, because they are still relatively bright and observable, while brown dwarfs in older clusters have faded and are much more difficult to study. This brown dwarf (smaller object) orbits the star Gliese 229, which is located in the constellation Lepus about 19 light years from Earth. ... Sol redirects here. ... The deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion reaction is considered the most promising for producing fusion power. ...

Also present in the cluster are several white dwarfs. Given the young age of the cluster normal stars are not expected to have had time to evolve into white dwarfs, a process which normally takes several billion years. It is believed that, rather than being individual low- to intermediate-mass stars, the progenitors of the white dwarfs must have been high-mass stars in binary systems. Transfer of mass from the higher-mass star to its companion during its rapid evolution would result in a much quicker route to the formation of a white dwarf, although the details of this supposed transfer from a deeper gravity well to a lesser are unexplained. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A binary system is an astronomy term referring to two objects in space, usually stars, which are so close that their gravitational forces attract one another into a mutual orbit. ...

Age and future evolution

Ages for star clusters can be estimated by comparing the H-R diagram for the cluster with theoretical models of stellar evolution, and using this technique, ages for the Pleiades of between 75 and 150 million years have been estimated. The spread in estimated ages is a result of uncertainties in stellar evolution models. In particular, models including a phenomenon known as convective overshoot, in which a convective zone within a star penetrates an otherwise non-convective zone, result in higher apparent ages. In stellar astronomy, the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (usually referred to by the abbreviation H-R diagram or HRD) shows the relationship between absolute magnitude, luminosity, stellar classification, and surface temperature. ... Projected timeline of the Suns life In astronomy, stellar evolution is the process by which a star undergoes a sequence of radical changes during its lifetime. ... Convective overshoot is the phenomenon of convection carrying material beyond an unstable region of convection, into a stratified, stable region. ... Convection in the most general terms refers to the movement of currents within fluids (i. ...

Another way of estimating the age of the cluster is by looking at the lowest-mass objects. In normal main sequence stars, lithium is rapidly destroyed in nuclear fusion reactions, but brown dwarfs can retain their lithium. Due to lithium's very low ignition temperature of 2.5 million kelvins, the highest-mass brown dwarfs will burn it eventually, and so determining the highest mass of brown dwarfs still containing lithium in the cluster can give an idea of its age. Applying this technique to the Pleiades gives an age of about 115 million years.^[10][11] Hertzsprung-Russell diagram The main sequence of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram is the curve where the majority of stars are located in this diagram. ... This article is about the chemical element named Lithium. ... The deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion reaction is considered the most promising for producing fusion power. ... For other uses, see Kelvin (disambiguation). ...

The cluster's relative motion will eventually lead it to be located, as seen from Earth many millennia in the future, passing below the feet of what is currently the constellation of Orion. Also, like most open clusters, the Pleiades will not stay gravitationally bound forever, as some component stars will be ejected after close encounters and others will be stripped by tidal gravitational fields. Calculations suggest that the cluster will take about 250 million years to disperse, with gravitational interactions with giant molecular clouds and the spiral arms of the galaxy also hastening its demise. Look up kinematics in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A dark nebula is a large cloud which appears as star-poor regions where the dust of interstellar medium seems to be concentrated. ...

Reflection nebulosity

Hubble Space Telescope image of reflection nebulosity near Merope

Under ideal observing conditions, some hint of nebulosity may be seen around the cluster, and this shows up in long-exposure photographs. It is a reflection nebula, caused by dust reflecting the blue light of the hot, young stars. Download high resolution version (645x724, 72 KB)Reflection nebula IC 349 near Merope in the Pleiades. ... Download high resolution version (645x724, 72 KB)Reflection nebula IC 349 near Merope in the Pleiades. ... The Witch Head reflection nebula (IC2118), about 1000 light years from earth, is associated with the bright star Rigel in the constellation Orion. ...

It was formerly thought that the dust was left over from the formation of the cluster, but at the age of about 100 million years generally accepted for the cluster, almost all the dust originally present would have been dispersed by radiation pressure. Instead, it seems that the cluster is simply passing through a particularly dusty region of the interstellar medium. Star formation is the process by which dense parts of molecular clouds collapse into a ball of plasma to form a star. ... Radiation pressure is the pressure exerted upon any surface exposed to electromagnetic radiation. ... The interstellar medium (or ISM) is the name astronomers give to the tenuous gas and dust that pervade interstellar space. ...

Studies show that the dust responsible for the nebulosity is not uniformly distributed, but is concentrated mainly in two layers along the line of sight to the cluster. These layers may have been formed by deceleration due to radiation pressure as the dust has moved towards the stars.^[12]

Names and technical information

A map of the Pleiades

The nine brightest stars of the Pleiades are named for the Seven Sisters of Greek mythology: Sterope, Merope, Electra, Maia, Taygete, Celaeno and Alcyone, along with their parents Atlas and Pleione. As daughters of Atlas, the Hyades were sisters of the Pleiades. The English name of the cluster itself is of Greek origin, though of uncertain etymology. Suggested derivations include: from πλεîν plein, to sail, making the Pleiades the "sailing ones"; from pleos, full or many; or from peleiades, flock of doves. The following table gives details of the brightest stars in the cluster: Image File history File links M45map. ... Image File history File links M45map. ... THE TITLE IS WRONG MUST BE = Pleiades (Greek Mythology) Greek myths is not the only or more important for be considered as whole. ... The bust of Zeus found at Otricoli (Sala Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican) Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the Ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. ... In Greek mythology, Sterope (Greek Στεροπη), also called Asterope, was one of the seven Pleiades (the daughters of Atlas and Pleione, born to them at Cyllene in Arcadia) and the wife of Oenomaus (or, according to some accounts, his mother by Ares). ... In Greek mythology, several unrelated women went by the name Merope (bee-mask later reinterpreted as honey-like or eloquent), which may, therefore, have denoted a position in the cult of the Great Mother rather than a mere individuals name: Merope, one of the Heliades Merope, foster mother of... The Pleiade, or Oceanid, Electra of Greek mythology was one of the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione. ... Maia, in Greek mythology, is the eldest of the Pleiades, the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione. ... In Greek mythology, Taygete (Greek: Ταϋγέτη, in Modern Greek Taygeti, Taigeti) was a nymph, one of the Pleiades according to Apollodorus (3. ... In Greek mythology, Celaeno referred to several different beings. ... This article is about one figure of Ancient Greek mythology. ... In Greek mythology, Atlas was one of the primordial Titans. ... In Greek mythology, Pleione was the sea-nymph Oceanid of Mount Cyllene in Arkadia, southern Greece. ... In Greek mythology, two different groups of people were referred to as the Hyades (the rainy ones). Pluvius (he who sends rain) was also used to describe them. ... In ancient Greece, Peleiades (doves) were the sacred women of Zeus and the Mother Goddess, Dione, at the Oracle at Dodona. ...

Articles with similar titles include the NATO phonetic alphabet, which has also informally been called the “International Phonetic Alphabet”. For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words, see IPA chart for English. ... The apparent magnitude (m) of a star, planet or other celestial body is a measure of its apparent brightness as seen by an observer on Earth. ... In astronomy, stellar classification is a classification of stars based initially on photospheric temperature and its associated spectral characteristics, and subsequently refined in terms of other characteristics. ... Alcyone (η Tau / η Tauri / Eta Tauri) is a star system in the constellation Taurus. ... Atlas is a triple star system in the Pleiades open cluster (M45). ... Electra is the name of the star 17 Tauri lain in the pleiads. ... MAIA (20 Tauri). ... Merope is a star in the constellation Taurus and a member of the Pleiades star cluster. ... Taygeta is a triple star system in the constellation Taurus and a member of the Pleiades star cluster. ... Pleione is a star in the constellation Taurus and a member of the Pleiades star cluster. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long or excessively detailed. ... Celaeno is a star in the constellation Taurus and a member of the Pleaides star cluster. ... Asterope is the name of the star 21 Tauri lain in the pleiads. ...

In folklore

The Pleiades' high visibility in the night sky has guaranteed it a special place in many cultures, both ancient and modern. In Greek mythology, they represented the Seven Sisters, while to the Vikings, they were Freyja's hens, and their name in many old European languages compares them to a hen with chicks. The Book of Job (איוב) is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible. ... The bust of Zeus found at Otricoli (Sala Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican) Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the Ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. ... THE TITLE IS WRONG MUST BE = Pleiades (Greek Mythology) Greek myths is not the only or more important for be considered as whole. ... Viking, also called Norseman or Northman, refers to a member of the Scandinavian seafaring traders, warriors and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas of Europe from the 8th to the 11th century[1] and reached east to Russia and Constantinople, referred to as Varangians by the Byzantine sources and... A statue of Freyja at Djurgården, Stockholm, Sweden. ...

To the Bronze Age people of Europe, such as the Celts (and probably considerably earlier), the Pleiades were associated with mourning and with funerals, since at that time in history, on the cross-quarter day between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice (see Samhain, also Halloween or All Souls Day), which was a festival devoted to the remembrance of the dead, the cluster rose in the eastern sky as the sun's light faded in the evening. It was from this acronychal rising that the Pleiades became associated with tears and mourning. As a result of precession over the centuries, the Pleiades no longer marked the festival, but the association has nevertheless persisted, and accounts for the significance of the Pleiades astrologically. The Bronze Age is a period in a civilizations development when the most advanced metalworking has developed the techniques of smelting copper from natural outcroppings and alloys it to cast bronze. ... Celts, normally pronounced // (see article on pronunciation), is widely used to refer to the members of any of the peoples in Europe using the Celtic languages or descended from those who did. ... A cross-quarter day is a day falling halfway between one of the four main solar events (two solstices and two equinoxes) and the next one. ... In astronomy, the autumnal equinox signals the beginning of autumn in the northern hemisphere: the moment when the sun appears to cross the celestial equator, heading southward; the equinox occurs around September 22–September 24, varying slightly each year according to the 400-year cycle of leap years in... Illumination of Earth by Sun on the day of the northern hemisphere winter solstice Illumination of Earth by Sun on the day of the southern hemisphere winter solstice In astronomy, the winter solstice is the moment when the earth is at a point in its orbit where one hemisphere is... Look up Samhain in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about the holiday. ... All Souls Day by William Bouguereau All Souls Day (formally, Commemoratio omnium Fidelium Defunctorum or Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed), also called Defuncts Day in Mexico and Belgium, is the day set apart for the commemoration of the faithful departed. ... The heliacal rising of a star (or other body such as the moon or a planet) occurs when it first becomes visible above the eastern horizon at dawn, after a period where it was hidden below the horizon or when it was just above the horizon but hidden by the... Precession of a gyroscope Precession refers to a change in the direction of the axis of a rotating object. ...

The early Monte Alto Culture and others in Guatemala such as Ujuxte and Takalik Abaj, made its early observatories, using the Pleiades and Eta Draconnis as reference, they were called the seven sisters, and thought to be their original land.^[13] Monte Alto is an ancient site in what is now Guatemala. ... The site of Ujuxte (Ramon tree or breadnut tree) (uh-hush-te) is the largest Pre Classical site to be discovered in Pacific coast, Guatemala. ... Takalik Abaj is an archeological site, formerly a site of the Pre-Columbian Maya civilization. ...

A bronze disk, 1600 BC, from Nebra, Germany, is one of the oldest known representations of the cosmos. The Pleiades are top right. See Nebra sky disk

Heliacal risings very often mark important calendar points for ancient peoples.^[14] The heliacal rising of the Pleiades (around June) also begins the new year for the Māori of New Zealand, who call the Pleiades Matariki. There is an analogous holiday in Hawaiʻi known as Makaliʻi. The ancient Aztecs of Mexico and Central America based their calendar upon the Pleiades. Their calendric year began when priests first remarked the asterism rising heliacally in the east, immediately before the sun's dawn light obliterated the view of the stars. Aztecs called the Pleiades Tianquiztli (meaning "marketplace"). Image File history File links Nebra_sky_disk. ... Image File history File links Nebra_sky_disk. ... Diagram of the disk in its current condition (a star and a part of the full moon was restored). ... This article is about the Māori people of New Zealand. ... In Polynesian mythology (specifically the Maori of New Zealand), the Matariki (small eyes) are the seven gods of the Pleiades, deities of agriculture and patron deities of navigators. ... Image of Hawai‘i (island) taken by NASA. The Island of Hawai‘i is one of the eight main islands that make up the state of Hawai‘i. ... Tianquiztli which in translation means Marketplace. Tianquiztli was the Aztecs name for what we now call the Pleiades. Time was measured by movements of the stars and the sun. ...

Indigenous Australians

Depending on the tribe or clan, some Indigenous Australian peoples believed the Pleiades was a woman who had been nearly raped by Kidili, the man in the moon. Australian Aborigines are the indigenous peoples of Australia. ... In Aboriginal mythology (specifically: Mandjindja), Kidili was an ancient moon-man who attempted to rape some of the first women on Earth. ...

Another version, often painted by Gabriella Possum Nungurayyi as this is her dreaming (or creation story), daughter of the late Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri from the Central desert art movement of Papunya, depicts the story of seven Napaltjarri sisters being chased by a man named Jilbi Tjakamarra. He would practice love magic to seduce the sisters but they had no intention of being with him and ran away. They sat down at Uluru to search for honey ants but when they saw Jilbi, they went to Kurlunyalimpa and with the spirits of Uluru, transformed into stars. Jilbi transforms himself into what is commonly known as the Morning Star in Orion's belt ^{[citation needed]}, thus continuing to chase the seven sisters across the sky. (Source:Aboriginal Fine Art Gallery) Dreaming is a common term among Indigenous Australians for a personal, or group, creation story and for the mythological time of creation, as well as for the places where the creation spirits now lie dormant in the land. ... Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri (1933—21 June 2002) was an Australian painter considered one of the most collected and renowned Australian Aboriginal artists. ... Papunya (23°13′ S 131°54′ E), is a small Indigenous Australian community of about 350 people roughly 240 km northwest of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, Australia. ... For the band, see Ayers Rock (band). ... Wikipedia articles with Morning Star, morning star or morningstar in the title include: Morning star (weapon), a spiked mace Morning Star (chief), a Cheyenne leader, also known as Dull Knife The Morning Star, a newspaper published in the U.K. since 1930 The Morning Star (19th century U.S. newspaper... Orion, a constellation often referred to as The Hunter, is a prominent constellation, perhaps the best-known in the sky. ...

Native Americans

The Sioux of North America had a legend that linked the origin of the Pleiades to Devils Tower. According to the Seris (of northwestern Mexico), these stars are seven women who are giving birth. The constellation is known as Cmaamc, which is apparently an archaic plural of the noun cmaam "woman".^[15] The Sioux (IPA ) are a Native American and First Nations people. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... Devils Tower is a monolith (more technically, an igneous intrusion) or volcanic neck located near Hulett and Sundance in Crook County, northeastern Wyoming, above the Belle Fourche River. ... The Seris are an indigenous group of the Mexican state of Sonora. ...

It was common among the indigenous peoples of the Americas to measure keenness of vision by the number of stars the viewer could see in the Pleiades, a practice which was also used in historical Europe, especially in Greece. Native Americans redirects here. ... In psychology, visual perception is the ability to interpret visible light information reaching the eyes which is then made available for planning and action. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...

The Native American tribe, the Kiowa, had a myth similar to the Sioux that explained the creation of the Pleiades. According to the Kiowa there were seven young maidens that went out to play and were spotted by several giant bears. The bears saw the young women and began to chase them. In an effort to escape the bears the women climbed on top of a rock and prayed to the spirit of the rock to save them. Hearing their prayers the rock began to rise from the ground towards the Heavens so that the bears couldn't reach the maidens. The seven women reached the sky and were then turned into the star constellation we know today. The bears in an effort to climb the rock left deep claw marks in the sides which had become too steep to climb. The rock later became known as Devil's Tower which is located in the state of Wyoming.^{[citation needed]}

In the ancient Andes, the Pleiades were associated with abundance, because they return to the Southern Hemisphere sky each year at harvest-time. In Quechua they are called collca', or storehouse. This article is about the mountain system in South America. ... southern hemisphere highlighted in yellow (Antarctica not depicted). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Quechuan languages. ...

Ukrainian

In Ukrainian traditional folklore the Pleiades are known as Стожари (Stozhary), Волосожари (Volosozhary), or Баби-Звізди (Baby-Zvizdy).

'Stozhary' can be etymologically traced to "стожарня" (stozharnya) meaning a 'granary', 'storehouse for hay and crops', or can also be reduced to the root "сто-жар", (sto-zhar) meaning 'hundred-fold glowing'.^[16]

'Volosozhary' (the ones who's hair is glowing), or 'Baby-Zvizdy' (female-stars) refer to the female tribal deities. Accordingly to the legend, seven maids lived long time ago. They used to dance the traditional round dances and sing the glorious songs to honor the gods. After their death the gods turned them into water nymphs, and, having taken them to the Heavens, settled them upon the seven stars, where they dance their round dances (symbolic for moving the time) till now. (see article in Ukrainian Wikipedia)

In Ukraine this asterism is considered a female talisman until recent times.

Other cultures

In Japan, the Pleiades are known as 昴 Subaru, and have given their name to the car manufacturer whose logo incorporates six stars to represent the five smaller companies that merged into one. Subaru Telescope, located in Mauna Kea Observatory on Hawaii, is named after the Pleiades also. Subaru (In katakana: スバル, in kanji: 昴) is the Japanese name for the Pleiades star cluster. ... For other uses, see Subaru (disambiguation). ... The Subaru at sunset Subaru Telescope (In Japanese: すばる望遠鏡) is the 8. ...

In Chinese constellations, they are 昴 mao, the Hairy Head of the white tiger of the West, while the name of the Hindu God Kartikeya means him of the Pleiades. Chinese constellations are different from the western constellations, due to the independent development of ancient Chinese astronomy. ... The Hairy Head mansion (昴宿, pinyin: MÇŽo Xiù) is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. ... In Hinduism, Kārttikeya (also Skanda, Subrahmanya, Kumara, Arumugan, Shanmugan, Murugan, Guha, Saravana, Swaminatha, Velan,Velavan, Senthil) is a god born out of a magical spark created by Shiva. ...

In the Swahili language of East Africa they are called "kilimia" (Proto-Bantu *ki-dimida in Bantu areas E, F, G, J, L, and S) which comes from the verb -lima meaning "dig" or "cultivate" as their visibility was taken as a sign to prepare digging as the onset of the rain was near. This article is about the language. ...  Eastern Africa (UN subregion)  East African Community  Central African Federation (defunct)  geographic, including above East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easternmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. ... Map showing the approximate distribution of Bantu vs. ...

In the closely related Sesotho language of the Southern Africa's Basotho people the Pleiades is called "Seleme se setshehadi" ("the female planter"). Its disappearance in April (the 10th month) and the appearance of the star Achernar signals the beginning of the cold season. Like many other Southern African cultures, Basotho associate its visibility with agriculture and plenty. Sesotho is a language spoken in southern Africa. ... Categories: Africa geography stubs | Southern Africa ... The position of Achernar Achernar (α Eri / α Eridani / Alpha Eridani) is the brightest star in the constellation Eridanus and the ninth brightest star in the nighttime sky. ...

In Western astrology they represent coping with sorrow^[17] and were considered a single one of the medieval fixed stars. As such, they are associated with quartz and fennel. Hand-coloured version of the anonymous Flammarion woodcut (1888). ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... List of Behenian Stars Caput Algol (Algols head, associated with the head of Gorgona), Pleiades (actually, several stars), Aldebaran, Alhayhoch, Canis Maior (actually, a constellation, like the next one), Canis Minor, Cor Leonis (Hearth of the Lion), Cauda Urse (Tail of the Bear), Ala Corvi (Wing of the crow... For other uses, see Quartz (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Foeniculum vulgare Mill. ...

In Indian astrology the Pleiades were known as the asterism (nakshatra) Kṛttikā (which in Sanskrit is translated as "the cutters.")^[18] The Pleiades are called the star of fire, and their ruling deity is the Vedic god Agni, the god of the sacred fire. It is one of the most prominent of the nakshatras, and is associated with anger and stubbornness. Jyotisha (, in Hindi and English usage Jyotish; sometimes called Hindu astrology, Indian astrology, and/or Vedic astrology) is the Hindu system of astrology, one of the six disciplines of Vedanga, and regarded as one of the oldest schools of ancient astrology to have had an independent origin, affecting all other... A nakshatra (Devanagari: नक्षत्र) or lunar mansion is one of the 27 or 28 divisions of the sky, identified by the prominent star(s) in them, that the Moon passes through during its monthly cycle, as used in Hindu astronomy and astrology. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Sanskrit ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... Chinese (Wu Xing) Japanese (Godai) Earth (地) | Water (æ°´) | Fire (火) | Air / Wind (風) | Void / Sky / Heaven (空) Hinduism (Tattva) and Buddhism (MahābhÅ«ta) Vayu / Pavan — Air / Wind Agni / Tejas — Fire Akasha — Aether Prithvi / Bhumi — Earth Ap / Jala — Water Bön New Zealand Agni is a Hindu and Vedic deity. ...

The word has acquired a meaning of "multitude", inspiring the name of the French literary movement La Pléiade and an earlier group of Alexandrian poets, the Alexandrian Pleiad. The Pléiade was a group of 16th-century French poets whose principal members were Pierre de Ronsard, Joachim du Bellay and Jean-Antoine de Baïf. ... This article is about the city in Egypt. ... The Alexandrian Pleiad is the name given to a group of seven Alexandrian poets and tragedians in the 3rd century B.C. (Alexandria was at that time the literary century of the Mediterranean) working in the court of Ptolemy II Philadelphus. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 110th day of the year (111th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• The Pleiades (M45) At the astro-photography site of Mr. T. Yoshida.
• Photos and information on the Pleiades from the University of Calgary
• Information on the Pleiades from SEDS
• Information and images from the Anglo-Australian Observatory
• WEBDA open cluster database webpage on Pleiades cluster - E. Pauzen (Univ. Vienna)
• NightSkyInfo.com: The Pleiades
• Maya Astronomy45