M 45 Pleiades (Seven Sisters)

Capture

Seestar s50 mosaic 144 stacks

Date

24 January 2025

Location

Camden, NSW

Original

2060 × 2642 px

M 45 Pleiades (Seven Sisters), 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. At a distance of about 444 light-years, it is among the star clusters nearest to Earth and is the Messier object nearest to Earth. The cluster contains middle-aged, hot B-type stars, which are very luminous and blue. It is about 100 million years old. It has a mass of 800 solar masses. Although the cluster consists of over 1000 stars, to the average human eye without optical aid, the cluster usually appears as a faint, blurry patch or a small group of 6 stars (despite the name "Seven Sisters"). Spotting 7 stars clearly was considered the standard mark of good vision. Individuals with exceptional eyesight under dark sky conditions could resolve 8 to 11 stars. Apparent magnitude 1.6.

See it in the star clusters gallery