The Hyades is a stunning V-shaped cluster of stars that forms the head of the celestial bull in Taurus. It consists of hundreds of stars sharing the same age, origin, and motion through space. The cluster is easily visible to the naked eye and appears as a distinctive V-shaped pattern, making it a popular target for astrophotographers. With an estimated age of about 625 million years, the Hyades offers a glimpse into the evolution of stars and stellar clusters.
Names and Catalog numbers
– Hyades
– Caldwell 41
– Melotte 25
Position and the cosmic neighborhood
To locate the Hyades, start by finding the constellation Orion. Draw a line through Orion’s belt and extend it to the right. The first bright star you’ll encounter is Aldebaran, the eye of Taurus. The Hyades cluster surrounds Aldebaran, forming a distinct V-shape. However, Aldebaran itself is not part of the cluster and is much closer to Earth. The Hyades are best observed during winter months in the Northern Hemisphere, appearing high in the night sky.
Nice to Know
1. The Hyades cluster has played a crucial role in establishing the cosmic distance ladder due to its proximity and well-measured distance.
2. The cluster is slowly dispersing, with some stars escaping its gravitational influence and forming a stream of stars moving through our galaxy.
3. Epsilon Tauri, one of the brightest stars in the Hyades, is known to host at least one exoplanet.
4. The Hyades and the more distant Pleiades cluster are often mistaken for each other, but they are distinct and unrelated star clusters in Taurus.
Brightness, distance and size
The Hyades cluster has an apparent magnitude of 0.5, making it easily visible to the naked eye. Located approximately 153 light-years from Earth, the cluster’s core has a radius of about 10 light-years, while its tidal radius extends to about 33 light-years. In the night sky, the Hyades appear to cover an area of about 330 arcminutes, which is roughly equivalent to 5.5 degrees or 11 full moon diameters.