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Credit & Copyright: Robert Gendler
Explanation:
Perhaps 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 brighter cluster
stars.
Low mass, faint, brown dwarfs have also
been found in
the
Pleiades.
(Editors' note: The prominent
diffraction spikes are caused by the telescope
itself and may be either distracting or provide aesthetic enhancement,
depending on your point of view.)
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: pleiades - star cluster
Publications with words: pleiades - star cluster
See also:
- APOD: 2024 January 29 Á The Pleiades: Seven Dusty Sisters
- APOD: 2024 January 15 Á Star Cluster IC 348 from Webb
- APOD: 2023 December 10 Á Big Dipper over Pyramid Mountain
- Pic du Pleiades
- APOD: 2023 February 19 Á Seven Dusty Sisters in Infrared
- Young Star Cluster NGC 346
- Messier 45: The Daughters of Atlas and Pleione