By Karen Sweeny‑Justice • Updated March 24, 2022
The Pleiades, officially catalogued as Messier 45 (M45), is the brightest open cluster visible to the naked eye. Located in the constellation Taurus, the cluster contains more than 1,400 stars, of which seven are easily seen without optical aid. Its name, derived from the Greek myth of the Seven Sisters, has been referenced in the Bible and many Native American traditions.
Plan your observation for a clear night with minimal moonlight and distance yourself from city lights. The darker the sky, the more stars you’ll see.
Face north and find the Hunter, Orion. The three stars that form Orion’s Belt lie on the celestial equator and are a reliable reference point.
Betelgeuse, Orion’s brightest star, sits just above the first belt star. Aldebaran, the bright orange star in Taurus, is roughly aligned with Betelgeuse but shifted to the right. Extend an imaginary line from Betelgeuse through Aldebaran.
Continue the line twice as far as the distance between Betelgeuse and Aldebaran; it should end near a tight cluster of bright stars about ten degrees above Aldebaran. That cluster is the Pleiades.
With the naked eye you’ll spot six to nine stars; binoculars can reveal up to fourteen. A telescope is not ideal for this cluster, as its wide spread is better viewed with a small aperture.
In the northern hemisphere, the Pleiades is best visible from late fall through early spring.
