| Constellation | |
 List of stars in Taurus | |
| Abbreviation | Tau |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Tauri |
| Pronunciation | /ˈtɔːrəs/, genitive /ˈtɔːraɪ/ |
| Symbolism | the Bull |
| Right ascension | 4 |
| Declination | 15 |
| Area | 797 sq. deg. |
| Main stars | 7 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars | 130 |
| Stars with known planets | 3 |
| Bright stars | 4 |
| Nearby stars | 2 |
| Brightest star | Aldebaran (α Tau) (0.9m) |
| Nearest star | 10 Tau (44.7 ly) |
| Messier objects | 2 |
| Meteor showers | Taurids Beta Taurids |
| Bordering constellations | Auriga Perseus Aries Cetus Eridanus Orion Gemini |
| Visible at latitudes between +90° and −65°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of January. | |
Taurus is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for bull, and its symbol is 
Notable features
The brightest member of this constellation is Aldebaran, an orange-hued, spectral class K5 III giant star[1] named after the Arabic phrase for "the Follower".[2] Forming the profile of a Bull's face is a V or A-shaped asterism of stars. This outline is created by prominent members of the Hyades,[3] the nearest distinct open star cluster after the Ursa Major Moving Group.[4] In this profile, Aldebaran forms the bull's bloodshot eye, which has been described as "glaring menacingly at the hunter Orion",[5] a constellation that lies just to the southwest.
In the northeastern quadrant of the Taurus constellation lie the Pleiades, one of the best known open clusters, easily visible to the naked eye. The seven most prominent stars in this cluster are at least visual magnitude six, and so the cluster is also named the "Seven Sisters". However, many more stars are visible with even a modest telescope.[6] The name of the star Aldebaran most likely comes from the fact that it follows the Pleiades during the nightly motion of the celestial sphere across the sky.[2]
To the west, the two horns of the bull are formed by Beta (β) Tauri and Zeta (ζ) Tauri; two star systems that are separated by 8°. Beta is a white, spectral class B7 III giant star known as El Nath, which comes from the Arabic phrase "the butting", as in butting by the horns of the bull. It is the second brightest star in the constellation, and shares the border with the neighboring constellation of Auriga. Zeta Tauri is an eclipsing binary star that completes an orbit every 133 days.[1]
Located about a degree to the northwest of ζ Tau is the Crab Nebula (M1), a supernova remnant. This expanding nebula was created by a Type II supernova explosion, which was seen on Earth, July 4, 1054. It was bright enough to be observed during the day, and is mentioned in Chinese historical texts. At its peak the supernova reached magnitude −4, but the nebula is currently magnitude 8.4 and requires a telescope to observe.[7][8]
Taurus is best seen in the evening sky from November to March.
History and mythology
The identification of the constellation of Taurus with a bull is very old, certainly dating to the Chalcolithic, and perhaps even to the Upper Paleolithic. Michael Rappenglück of the University of Munich believes that Taurus is represented in a cave painting at the Hall of the Bulls in the caves at Lascaux (dated to roughly 15,000 BC), which he believes is accompanied by a depiction of the Pleiades,[9] though his ideas have not been widely accepted.[10].
Taurus marked the point of vernal equinox in the Chalcolithic and the Early Bronze Age (the "Age of Taurus"). The Pleiades were closest to the Sun at vernal equinox around the 23rd century BC. In Babylonian astronomy, the constellation was listed in the MUL.APIN as GU4.AN.NA, "The Heavenly Bull".[11] The Akkadian name was In Shũr.[12] In Greek mythology, Taurus was identified with Zeus, who assumed the form of a magnificent white bull to abduct Europa, a legendary Phoenician princess. The tale informs the names of constellations since it is necessary to traverse the area of sky known as the Sea to reach it. When passing through the Zodiac, it forms the origin of the myth of the Cretan Bull, one of The Twelve Labors of Heracles.[original research?]
Astrology
As of 2002[update], the Sun appears in the constellation Taurus from May 14 to June 19. In tropical astrology, the Sun is considered to be in the sign Taurus from April 21 to May 21, and in sidereal astrology, from May 16 to June 15.
Citations
- ^ a b Burnham, Robert (1978). Burnham's Celestial Handbook: An Observer's Guide to the Universe Beyond the Solar System. Three (revised ed.). Courier Dover Publications. pp. 1807–1830. ISBN 0486236730.
- ^ a b Schaaf, Fred (2008). The Brightest Stars: Discovering the Universe Through the Sky's Most Brilliant Stars. John Wiley and Sons. p. 197. ISBN 0471704105.
- ^ Olcott, William Tyler (1907). A Field Book of the Stars. New York and London: G.P. Putnam's sons. p. 96. http://books.google.com/books?id=47IAAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA96. Retrieved on 2009-06-30.
- ^ Inglis, Michael D. (2004). The Observer's Guide to the Northern Milky Way.. Springer. p. 184. ISBN 1852337095.
- ^ Sasaki, Chris; Boddy, Joe (2003). Constellations: The Stars and Stories. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. p. 106. ISBN 1402708009.
- ^ Marx, Siegfried; Pfau, Werner; Lamble, P. (1992). Astrophotography with the Schmidt telescope. Cambridge University Press. p. 80. ISBN 0521395496.
- ^ Hawkins, Gerald S. (2002). Mindsteps to the cosmos. World Scientific. p. 231. ISBN 9812381236.
- ^ Covington, Michael A. (2002). Celestial Objects for Modern Telescopes. Cambridge University Press. p. 240. ISBN 0521524199.
- ^ Institute for Interdisciplinary Science
- ^ BBC News | Ice Age star map discovered
- ^ John H. Rogers, "Origins of the ancient contellations: I. The Mesopotamian traditions", Journal of the British Astronomical Association 108 (1998) 9–28
- ^ Allen, Richard Hinckley, "STAR NAMES Their Lore and Meaning", pg 382, Dover Publications, 1899 (1963) ISBN 0-486-21079-0
References
- Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). Stars and Planets Guide, Collins, London. ISBN 978-0007251209. Princeton University Press, Princeton. ISBN 978-0691135564.
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