The Seven Sisters

M45 or The Pleiades is a prominent object in the night sky. It holds a conspicuous place in ancient mythology across cultures as it is visible from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. They are known under many names, The Pleiades, Matariki and Subaru to name a few. In Greek mythology the seven most prominent stars are named for the seven daughter of the Titan Atlas and the nymph Pleione; Maia, Electra, Taygete, Alcyone, Celaeno, Sterope and Merope. While the cluster is named for the 7 easily naked eye visible stars it contains over 1000 stars, many of which you can see in this image. The beautiful blue reflection nebulosity is caused by the light of the stars scattering through surr...View all