Hyades for the Holidays . ... Credit Copyright: Jerry Lodriguss ( Catching the Light ) Explanation: Recognized since antiquity and depicted on the shield of Achilles according to Homer, stars of the Hyades cluster form the head of the constellation Taurus the Bull. ... Modern astronomy puts the Hyades cluster 151 light-years away making it the nearest established open star cluster, while Aldebaran lies at less than half that distance, along the same line-of-sight. ... NASA Official: Jay Norris. ...