ABOUT THE PLEIADES:
The Pleiades are the most distinctive and easily visible open star cluster in the night sky. Most people can see 4-6 stars with the unaided eyes under clear, dark skies. But some people can see more than 15 stars. How many stars can you see? The entire cluster contains about 500 stars. The Pleiades are visible from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and are a magnificent sight when viewed through binoculars.
The cluster of blue-white stars looks like a tiny dipper to the unaided eyes under dark, moonless skies. Through binoculars the cluster is awash with bright starry gems sprinkled on a black velvety sky.
The blue nebulosity is caused by reflection of blue light off tiny grains of dust around the young stars and is usually visible in most long-exposure images of the cluster.
Let each star represent an astronaut, cosmonaut, or one of their vessels of exploration--Challenger, Columbia, etc.
Links containing much more about the Pleiades:
Back to: Astronaut Memorial HOME(Dark Sky Initiative)
troegerj@raccoon.com
Copyrighted background image courtesy of R.M. Sandy and C. Lang, Virginia.