Taurus (constellation)
Taurus constellation |
|
---|---|
Latin name | Taurus |
Latin genitive | Tauri |
Abbreviation | dew |
Right ascension | 03 h 23 m 21 s to 06 h 00 m 55 s |
declination | −1 ° 20 ′ 46 ″ to + 31 ° 06 ′ 01 ″ |
surface | 797.249 deg² rank 17th |
Completely visible | 89.2 ° N to 58.9 ° S |
Observation time for Central Europe | winter |
Number of stars brighter than 3 mag | 4th |
Brightest star (size) | Aldebaran (0.85) |
Meteor streams | |
Neighboring constellations ( clockwise from north ) |
|
swell | IAU , |
The Taurus ( Latin Taurus ; astronomical sign ♉) is a constellation in the northern winter sky . It lies on either side of the ecliptic ; the sun passes through it in late May and early June. The zodiac sign Taurus goes back to this constellation, but has shifted by about 30 ° since ancient times because of the precession .
description
The bull is visible in the evening from November to April and in the morning from August to December. He stands in the sky north of the conspicuous Orion , who, according to mythology, conquered him.
The head of the bull is the V-shaped open star cluster of the Hyades , the "rain star ". The conspicuous reddish star Aldebaran represents the eye facing Orion. Some distance east of the Hyades are the stars β Tauri ( Elnath , Arabic horn) and ζ Tauri, which represent the tips of the horns. A hand's breadth north-west of the Hyades is the open star cluster of the Pleiades - also known as the seven stars . The body of Taurus in the southern half of the constellation, on the other hand, is inconspicuous.
The ecliptic runs through the constellation, so the sun , moon and planets move through it. The Taurus is one of the signs of the zodiac . The moon can sometimes cover the main star Aldebaran and stars of the Pleiades . Due to the precession movement of the earth's axis, the time of the passage of the sun has shifted compared to ancient times. The sun is currently in Taurus from May 14th to June 21st. Since 1990 the sun has been in the constellation Taurus during the summer solstice , previously it was in Gemini at this time . In ancient times the summer point was in the constellation Cancer , hence the name "Tropic of Cancer" for the northern tropic , which is still used today .
history
The Taurus is one of the oldest constellations and was already known to the earlier advanced civilizations . A constellation of Taurus (Taurus or Centaurus) is first mentioned in the 3rd millennium BC. BC with the Sumerians , where a mythological heavenly bull also appears in the Gilgamesh epic .
The constellation Taurus is one of the 48 classic constellations described in Ptolemy's astronomical work . The bull's head is formed by the bright, triangular star cluster of the Hyades , from which two long horns extend towards the constellation Orion . In Mesopotamia, however, Orion was associated with the legendary King Gilgamesh , who defeated the heavenly bull in battle.
The Hyades are also called Regengestirn , as their evening rise in autumn heralded a rainy season. In early Greece, the Hyades were considered a separate constellation. Together with the Pleiades, they form the so-called Golden Gate of the Ecliptic .
In 1054 a supernova lit Taurus , the event was recorded by Chinese astronomers . The remnant of the star explosion is visible today as the Crab Nebula . The French astronomer and comet hunter Charles Messier included this faintly glowing cloud as the first object M1 in his nebula catalog .
mythology
There are two original myths about the constellation Taurus :
The Sumerians gave the constellation the name Heavenly Bull / Taurus of Heaven (Gu 4 -an-na / Gud anna), against which the legendary King Gilgamesh (around 2700 BC) had to fight. Researchers also associate it with "Taurus", the adversary of the hunter Orion . However, some historians refer to the second Taurus constellation Centaurus and therefore do not make a clear assignment.
The Greek mythology after took Zeus in the form of a bull to the beautiful Europe to approach and put them on his back across the sea to Crete to kidnap. It is therefore called the Cretan bull .
According to other sources, Zeus did not change but sent a bull to bring Europe to Crete. There the bull later fell in love with Queen Pasiphae . From this connection, the monster Minotaur emerged. The sea god Poseidon punished the bull for the sacrilege and from now on he had to walk around the island breathing fire. Heracles captured the bull and brought it to Greece , where however it ravaged the mainland. Eventually he was killed by the hero Theseus at Marathon .
According to Greek mythology, the Hyades were daughters of the titan Atlas . Unable to stop crying for their brother's death, they were exiled to heaven.
The Pleiades represent Atlas, his wife Pleione and other of his beautiful daughters. To protect Pleione and her daughters from the stalking of Orion, Zeus took them to heaven. Orion still runs after them there night after night without ever catching up with them.
Celestial objects
Stars
B. | F. | Names or other designations | m | Lj | Spectral class |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
α | 87 | Aldebaran , Aldabaran, Cor Tauri, Parilicium | 0.87 | 66 | K5 III |
β | 112 | Elnath , Nath | 1.65 | 134 | B7 III |
η | 25th | Alkiones , alcyones | 2.87 | 410 | B5 IIIe |
ζ | 123 | Tien Kuan | 3.03 | 400 | B2 IIIpe |
θ 2 | 78 | Theta2 Tauri | 3.40 | 157 | A7 III |
λ | 35 | Lambda Tauri | 3.41 | 400 | B3 V + A IV |
ε | 74 | Ain | 3.53 | 160 | K0 III |
ο | 3.61 | 212 | G8 III | ||
27 | Atlas | 3.62 | 387 | B8 III + B8 V | |
γ | 54 | Hyadum I | 3.65 | 144 | G8 III |
17th | Elektra , Electra | 3.70 | 375 | B6 IIIe | |
ξ | 3.73 | 222 | B9 Vn | ||
δ 1 | 61 | Secunda Hyadum | 3.76 | 171 | K0 III |
θ 1 | 77 | Theta1 Tauri | 3.84 | 154 | K0 IIIb |
20th | Maia , Maja | 3.87 | 360 | B8 III | |
ν | 3.91 | 129 | A1 V | ||
5 | 4.14 | 360 | K0 II-III | ||
23 | Merope | 4.18 | 380 | B6 IVe | |
κ 1 | 4.21 | 153 | A7 IV-V | ||
88 | 4.25 | 150 | A5m | ||
9 | 4.27 | 150 | A6 V | ||
τ | 4.27 | 401 | B3 V | ||
μ | 4.27 | 435 | B3 IV | ||
υ | 4.28 | 155 | A8 Vn | ||
10 | 10 tauri | 4.28 | 45.5 | F9 IV-V | |
δ 3 | 4.30 | 148 | A2 IV | ||
19th | Taygeta , Tayeta | 4.30 | 364 | B6 IV | |
119 | 119 Tauri , CE Tauri | 4.37 | 1800 | M2 Ia-Ib | |
37 | 4.36 | 181 | K0 III | ||
V777 | 4.48 | 156 | F0V | ||
136 | 4.56 | 438 | A0 V | ||
ι | 4.62 | 163 | A7 V | ||
ρ | 4.65 | 153 | A8 V | ||
σ 2 | 4.67 | 159 | A5 Vn | ||
π | 4.69 | 455 | G8 III | ||
HR 1427 | 4.78 | 145 | A6 IV | ||
δ 2 | 4.80 | 146 | A7 V | ||
139 | 4.81 | 2100 | B1 Ib | ||
28 | Pleione , BU Tauri | 4.83-5.38 | 422 | B8 Vne | |
47 | 4.84 | 372 | G5 III | ||
126 | 4.84 | 748 | B3 IV | ||
132 | 4.88 | 522 | G8 IIIvar | ||
114 | 4.88 | 696 | B2.5 IV | ||
134 | 4.89 | 272 | B9 IV | ||
104 | 4.91 | 52 | G4 V | ||
ω 2 | 4.93 | 94 | A3m | ||
109 | 4.96 | 206 | G8 III | ||
75 | 4.96 | 194 | K2 IIIvar | ||
φ | 4.97 | 342 | K1 III | ||
111 | 5.00 | 48 | F8 V SB | ||
79 | 5.02 | 160 | A7 V | ||
30th | 5.08 | 565 | B3 V | ||
σ 1 | 5.08 | 152 | A4m | ||
V480 | 5.08 | 189 | A7 IV-V | ||
66 | 5.10 | 396 | A3 V | ||
PPM119132 | 5.12 | 417 | A0 | ||
4th | 5.14 | 417 | A0 Vn | ||
125 | 5.18 | 496 | B3 IV | ||
GS | 5.18 | 494 | B0p Si | ||
ψ | 5.21 | 90 | F1 V | ||
HR 1315 | 5.22 | 474 | B9 Vn | ||
HR 1188 | 5.24 | 192 | A2 V | ||
V696 | 5.26 | 154 | F0 V | ||
κ 2 | 5.27 | 144 | A7 V | ||
133 | 5.28 | 800 | B2 IV-V | ||
106 | 5.28 | 174 | A5 V | ||
46 | 5.29 | 121 | F3V | ||
40 | 5.32 | 1050 | B3 V | ||
29 | 5.34 | 589 | B3 V | ||
V724 | 5.34 | 316 | A0p Si | ||
HR 1257 | 5.36 | 113 | F6 IV | ||
121 | 5.37 | 600 | B2.5 IV | ||
χ | 5.38 | 268 | B9 V | ||
HR 1480 | 5.38 | 168 | A5m | ||
IN THE | 5.39 | 195 | F2 IV-V | ||
83 | 5.40 | 149 | F0 V | ||
115 | 5.40 | 668 | B5 V | ||
HR 1172 | 5.44 | 338 | B8 V | ||
16 | Celaeno | 5.46 | 434 | B7 IV | |
HR 1254 | 5.45 | 117 | F2 V | ||
93 | 5.45 | 345 | B8 IV | ||
36 | 5.46 | 954 | G0 III | ||
118 | 5.47 | 434 | B9 Vn | ||
81 | 5.47 | 145 | At the | ||
130 | 5.47 | 1270 | F0 III | ||
HR 1847 | 5.50 | 1120 | B7 III | ||
53 | 5.50 | 267 | B9 IV | ||
103 | 5.50 | 3230 | B2 V |
The brightest star in Taurus is the reddish Aldebaran . It is a red giant 65 light years away with 40 times the diameter and 125 times the luminosity of our sun. Aldebaran is located near the ecliptic , so he is regularly the Moon and rarely by the planets covered . It does not belong to the Hyades , although seen from Earth it stands in the middle of the star cluster.
The name Aldebaran is derived from Altarabic and means "the next one" (the Pleiades).
Double stars
system | m | distance |
---|---|---|
θ | 3.40 / 3.84 | 337 " |
σ | 4.8 / 5.1 | 429 " |
τ | 4.3 / 7.2 | 63 " |
φ | 5.1 / 8.7 | 52.1 " |
δ³ | 4.3 / 7.6 | 1.6 " |
47 | 4.9 / 3.7 | 1.2 " |
88 | 4.3 / 7.8 | 70 " |
118 | 5.8 / 6.6 | 4.8 " |
The binary star systems θ and σ Tauri can be observed with the naked eye due to their wide angular distance of 337 and 429 arc seconds respectively. The systems are about 150 light-years away and belong to the Hyades star cluster.
Variable stars
star | m | period | Type |
---|---|---|---|
ζ Tauri | 2.80 to 3.17 | 132.97 days | Eclipsing star + Be star |
θ 2 Tauri | 3.35 to 3.42 | 108.92 minutes | Eclipsing Star + Delta Scuti Star |
λ Tauri | 3.37 to 3.91 | 3.95 days | Algolstern |
γ Tauri | 3.6 to 3.67 | ||
119 Tauri | 4.23 to 4.54 | 165 days | semi-regularly variable (μ Cep) |
28 ( Pleione ) | 4.8 to 5.38 | 12630 days | Be star + Lambda Eridani star |
HD 283750 | 8.02 to 8.4 | 1.79 days | BY-Draconis star |
T Tauri | 9.3 to 13.5 | 2.81 days | T-tauri star |
Messier and NGC objects
Messier | NGC | other | m | Type | Surname |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
M 1 | 1952 | 9 | Gas mist | Crab Nebula , Crab Nebula | |
M 45 | 2.8 to 8.5 | Open star cluster | Pleiades | ||
3.4 | Open star cluster | Hyades | |||
1514 | 10.9 | Planetary nebula | |||
1647 | 6.5 | Open star cluster | |||
1746 | 6.1 | Open star cluster | |||
1807 | 7.0 | Asterism | |||
1817 | 7.7 | Open star cluster |
Above the "Horn Star" ζ Tauri is located approximately 6,300 light years away Crab Nebula or Crab Nebula, the remnant of the supernova explosion in 1054. In a telescope it appears as a diffuse nebula. Complex structures become visible in photographs that have been exposed for a longer period of time.
The Pleiades are an open star cluster with about 3,000 stars at a distance of 410 light years . It is a relatively young star cluster, estimated to be around 80 million years old. The Pleiades are easy to see with the naked eye. Depending on the visibility, you can see six or nine stars. In the prism binoculars they are a magnificent sight. A bluish reflection fog becomes visible on photographs that have been exposed for a longer period of time .
The Hyades are an open star cluster around 150 light years away that contains several hundred stars. The brightest stars are arranged in a V-shape. The stars of the Hyades are much more developed than the members of the Pleiades, some have already turned into red giants. The age of the Hyades is estimated to be around 900 million years.
See also
Web links
- Constellation Taurus A photographic journey through the signs of the zodiac