Constellation of the Pleiades in astronomy and culture

The constellation of the Pleiades (Messier 45) is a scattered cluster of stars. This is one of the objects closest to our planet, which can be seen with the naked eye. The Pleiades are located in the constellation of Taurus and are clearly visible in winter in the northern hemisphere and in summer in the southern hemisphere of the Earth.

This constellation is known since antiquity. This is a physically connected star group, which is 135 parsecs from our planet. The Pleiades is a constellation, which is about 12 light-years in diameter and consists of almost 500 stars. Most of them belong to the hot blue light, of which 14 can be seen without the use of special equipment. The total stellar mass of the cluster is approximately 800 suns. The constellation of the Pleiades includes a large number of brown dwarfs, whose mass does not exceed 8% of the Sun. This is clearly not enough for the emergence of a chain thermonuclear reaction . Such celestial bodies are constantly attracting the attention of astronomers.

The constellation of the Pleiades also includes several white dwarfs. The cluster has a relatively small age. Therefore, his stars could hardly have time to evolve into white dwarfs naturally. This process lasts several billion years. There is a theory that luminaries of large mass in binary systems could transfer part of the stellar matter to their companions, transforming into white dwarfs in a short time.

The constellation of the Pleiades has an approximate age of 75-150 Ma. Over time, the lights will no longer be bound by gravity, because their speed is higher than the speed of the Pleiades cluster itself. The constellation will then simply disintegrate. This should happen within 250 million years. Galactic spiral arms will help accelerate this process.

Under good observation conditions in the photographs, one can see that the constellation of the Pleiades has some features of the nebula. This effect is due to the reflection of the blue light of hot stars from dust. It used to be believed that it is the remains of the substance from which the luminaries of the cluster were formed. However, for the period of its existence such a cluster of particles would be scattered by the pressure of stellar radiation. Therefore, most likely, the Pleiades are currently passing through a dusty area of outer space.

The nine brightest stars in this cluster were named after the Pleiades sisters, as well as their parents: Sterop, Electra, Alcyon, Maya, Keleno, Merop, Tayget, Pleion and Atlant. Due to the fact that the constellation can be seen without special equipment, it is reflected in the cultures of different nationalities.

The ancient Greeks personified him with mythological sisters. The Celts associated the Pleiades with the rites of burial and sorrow. The congestion also entered the ancient calendars of Central America and Mexico. In Japan, the constellation is known as the Turtle (Subaru). The Sioux Indians connected the congregation with the devil's tower. In the Chinese culture, the Pleiades symbolized the head of the mythical western White Tiger. In Hinduism, this cluster of stars is one of the most significant. It symbolizes perseverance and anger. According to the Vedas, the Pleiades rules Agni - the god of flame.