Taurus (constellation)
| Constellation | |
 | |
| Abbreviation | Tau |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Tauri |
| Right ascension | 4 |
| Area | 797 sq. deg. |
| Main stars | 7 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars | 130 |
| Stars with planets | 3 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 4 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 2 |
| Brightest star | Aldebaran (α Tau) (0.9m) |
| 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 (Template:Pron-en, genitive Tauri /ˈtɔːraɪ/) is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for bull, and its symbol is 
(Unicode ♉), a stylized bull's head. Taurus is a large and prominent constellation in the northern hemisphere's winter sky, between Aries to the west and Gemini to the east; to the north lie Perseus and Auriga, to the southeast Orion, to the south Eridanus, and to the southwest Cetus.
Notable features
Behind Aldebaran lie the Hyades, the nearest distinct open star cluster, that with it form a V, or an A, in the sky marking the bull's head.
In the west of the constellation lie the Pleiades, one of the best known open clusters, easily visible to the eye.
Another object, visible in a telescope, is the Crab Nebula (M1), a supernova remnant northwest of ζ Tauri. The explosion, seen on Earth on July 4, 1054, was bright enough to be seen by day. It is mentioned in Chinese history texts.
It is best seen in the winter.
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 BCE), which he believes is accompanied by a depiction of the Pleiades,[1] though his ideas have not been widely accepted.[2].
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".[3] The Akkadian name was In Shũr.[4] 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
- ^ 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
hey what's up?
References
- Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). Stars and Planets Guide, Collins, London. ISBN 978-0007251209. Princeton University Press, Princeton. ISBN 978-0691135564.
External links
- The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Taurus
- BBC article on the possibility of Taurus being represented in Lascaux
- Star Tales – Taurus
