images

The Pleiades star cluster

by

Sebastian Voltmer/Novapix

Reference

a-aou90-00028

Date

2011-02-21

The Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters and Messier 45 (M45), is one of the brightest and famous star clusters visible in the northern hemisphere. It consists of about 500 bright, hot, young stars that were all born at the same time between 75 and 150 million years ago within a large cloud of dust and gas. This star cluster lie some 440 light years away from the Earth, in the constellation of Taurus.