The Pleiades Star Cluster
Explanation:
It is the most famous star cluster on the sky. The
Pleiades can be seen
without binoculars from even the depths of a
light-polluted city.
Also known as the
Seven
Sisters and
M45,
the Pleiades
is one of the
brightest and closest
open clusters. The
Pleiades
contains over 3000 stars, is about 400 light years away, and only 13 light
years across. Quite evident in the above photograph are the blue
reflection nebulae that surround the
bright cluster stars. Low mass, faint,
brown dwarfs have
recently been found in the
Pleiades.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
