The Pleiades star cluster, also known as the seven sisters or M45, is a young star cluster in the constellation Taurus. It is no more than 80 million years old and lies at a distance of about 400 light-years from the Sun. The cluster contains thousands of stars, of which 6 are visible with the naked-eye: Alcyone, Maia, Atlas, Electra, Merope and Taygeta.
(Greek mythology) 7 daughters of Atlas and half-sisters of the Hyades; placed among the stars to save them from the pursuit of Orion
diffuse nebula; M 45, Subaru, Seven Sisters
A group of fixed stars in the constellation Taurus. They are called the "Weeping Sisters" because, according to Greek mythology, seven sisters, Alcyone, Merope, Celæno, Taygeta, Maia, Electra and Sterope, daughters of Atlas and the nymph Pleione, killed themselves for grief when Atlas was transformed into a mountain. According to a different version, Jupiter transformed the sisters into stars so they could escape the attentions of Orion. The largest star in the group is Alcyone at about 29° Taurus.
The Pleiades (Ple.ia.des |ˈplēədēz) - also known as M45 or the Seven Sisters - 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 striking 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).
This article is about Greek mythology. For alternate meanings see Pleiades (disambiguation).