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> The Pleiades star cluster

The Pleiades star cluster

author: K.A. Lecky Hepburn/Novapix

reference: a-aou90-00025

Image Size 300 DPI: 21 * 14 cm

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. The cluster contains many stars, of which only a handful are commonly visible to the naked eye. The blue haze that accompanies them is due to very fine dust which still remains and preferentially reflects the blue light from the stars. This star cluster lie some 440 light years away from the Earth, in the constellation of Taurus.

Keywords for this photo:

2008 - ASTRONOMY - B STAR - BROWN DWARF - M45 - NEBULA - OPEN CLUSTER - PLEIADES - REFLECTION NEBULA - STAR - STAR CLUSTER - TAURUS - YOUNG STAR -