Saturday, June 28, 2014

PLEIADES - The Seven Sisters Constellation in the Sky

M45map.jpg

"M45map" by NASA, ESA and AURA/Caltech - Hubble Refines Distance to Pleiades Star Cluster (STScI-2004-20). Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Technically speaking the Pleiades are known as (Messier 45 or M45).  The constellation is an open star cluster containing middle-aged hot B-type stars located in the constellation of Taurus. It is among the nearest star clusters to Earth and is the cluster most obvious to the naked eye in the night sky. The celestial entity has several meanings in different cultures and traditionsWiki

IMG 9352 Seven Sisters
The Pleiades are regarded as the seven mythical daughters of Atlas and Pleione. These stars are well known as being the virgin confidantes of Artemis.

Orion, the hunter pursued the sisters and also their mother.   The girls prayed to the Gods to rescue them from Orion. The gods answered their prayers and changed the sisters into birds (doves). Much later the Gods changed them further into stars.
The God Zeus put  the sisters in the sky in a special place in the constellation of Taurus.  There are many myths the world over concerning this constellation.  One of these myths say the sisters committed suicide after the death of their sisters the Hyades. 
The names of the Pleiades stars are as follows:

The Pleiades are  Alcyone, Electra, Celaeno, Maia, Sterope, Merope, Taygete.

From  Encyclopedia Mythica™  deeper information regarding the Greek myths in full can be found here written by various people. 
Electra
Celaeno
Maia
Sterope
Merope
Taygete
Atlas
Pleione
Artemis
Orion 
Zeus
Hyades

Images @ Eminpee Fotography

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