Hyades (star cluster)

Uncommon card · No. 167021

The Hyades (; Greek: Ὑάδες; also known as Caldwell 41, Collinder 50, or Melotte 25) is the nearest open cluster and one of the best-studied star clusters. Located about 153 light-years (47 parsecs) away from the Sun, it consists of a roughly spherical group of hundreds of stars sharing the same age, place of origin, chemical characteristics, and motion through space. From the perspective of observers on Earth, the Hyades Cluster appears in the constellation Taurus, where its brightest stars form a "V" shape along with the still-brighter Aldebaran. However, Aldebaran is unrelated to the Hyades, as it is located much closer to Earth (65 light-years) and merely happens to lie along the same line of sight. The moving group CWNU 1242 also shares the line of sight to the Hyades, but is likewise not associated with the Hyades, being 949 light-years away. The five brightest member stars of the Hyades have consumed the hydrogen fuel at their cores and have evolved into giant stars. Together with...

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