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Credit & Copyright: Antonio Fernandez-Sanchez
Explanation:
Perhaps the most famous star cluster on the sky, the
Pleiades
can be seen without binoculars from even the depths of a
light-polluted city.
Also known as the Seven Sisters and
M45,
the Pleiades is one of the
brightest and closest open clusters.
The Pleiades
contains over 3000 stars, is about 400 light years away,
and only 13 light years across.
Quite evident in the above photograph
are the blue reflection nebulae
that surround the brighter cluster
stars.
Low mass, faint, brown dwarfs have also
been found in
the
Pleiades.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: M 45 - open cluster
Publications with words: M 45 - open cluster
See also:
- APOD: 2025 March 5 Á Seven Sisters versus California
- Open Star Clusters M35 and NGC 2158
- APOD: 2025 February 25 Á M41: The Little Beehive Star Cluster
- APOD: 2025 February 11 Á The Spider and the Fly
- APOD: 2024 December 9 Á Pleiades: The Seven Sisters Star Cluster
- APOD: 2024 October 29 Á NGC 602: Stars Versus Pillars from Webb
- NGC 7789: Caroline s Rose