Map of the Universe

Pleiades

Open star cluster · Star cluster in the constellation of Taurus

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Pleiades
Picture: NASA, ESA, AURA/Caltech, Palomar Observatory, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

About Pleiades

Pleiades is about 440 light-years from the Sun, so the light we see from it left about 440 years ago.

It is 27,388 light-years from the centre of the Milky Way.

The map lists it as an open star cluster and shows it among the stars around the Sun, drawn on the plane of the Milky Way.

Key numbers

Distance440 light-years (135 pc)
Distance from the Galactic centre27,388 light-years
Galactic coordinatesl = 166.52°, b = -23.57°
Member stars (Gaia)1,721
Age122 million years
Mass (observed)985 solar masses
Half-member radius8.8 light-years

Data: Hunt & Reffert 2024.

Where it is

Its place in the universe, from the inside out: Local Bubble › Orion–Cygnus Arm (Local Arm) › Milky Way › Local Group › Virgo Supercluster › Laniakea Supercluster › Observable universe.

Zoom out to see it in context: 1,000 light-years, a view about 2,400 light-years across.

From Wikipedia

The Pleiades, also known as Seven Sisters and Messier 45 (M45), is an asterism of an open star cluster containing young B-type stars in the northwest of the constellation Taurus.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Pleiades, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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