Cl Melotte 22

Cl Melotte 22

OpC

OpC — SIMBAD verified

Melotte 22, widely known as the Pleiades or the Seven Sisters, is one of the most prominent and beautiful open clusters in the night sky. This brilliant grouping features several hot, young B-type stars enveloped in a subtle veil of reflection nebulosity that glows in long-exposure photographs.

Key Facts

RA (J2000)

3h 46m 24.2s

Dec (J2000)

+24° 6′ 50″

Best Season

Winter (Dec–Feb)

How to Find It

Locate the constellation Taurus and look for the unmistakable miniature dipper-shaped asterism high in the sky. It is easily found by extending a line from Orion's Belt upwards toward the red giant star Aldebaran and continuing past it.

Observing Tip

Because the cluster is quite large and spread out, use low-magnification eyepieces or a wide-field camera lens to capture the entire group and its surrounding nebulosity rather than zooming in too tightly.

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