Taurus Constellation: Facts About the Bull

[Judi Lynn]

By Kim Ann Zimmermann, Space.com Contributor | November 8, 2018 10:45am ET

The constellation Taurus is hard to miss as he charges through the northern winter sky. "The bull" is one of the most noticeable constellations and one of the oldest documented constellations, with descriptions of Taurus going as far back as the early Bronze Age. Taurus is most famous for its red giant star, Aldebaran, as well as a star cluster known as the Pleiades.

Locating Taurus, the bull
In the Northern Hemisphere, the bull passes through the sky from November to March, but the constellation's at its most visible in January. Taurus covers 797 square degrees.

Right ascension: 4 hours

Declination: 15 degrees

Best visible between latitudes 90 degrees and minus 65 degrees

Bull's eye
The red giant star Aldebaran is 65 light-years from Earth. It is the brightest star in the constellation and the 14th brightest star in the sky, according to EarthSky.org. Aldebaran also forms part of a V-shaped asterism, or group of stars, that is called the Hyades; this shape makes up the bull's face. Orange-hued Aldebaran is often described as glaring at Orion,the hunter, a constellation that lies just to the star's southwest. The planetary probe Pioneer 10 is moving in the general direction of that star, expected to make its closest pass by Aldebaran in roughly 2 million years, according to NASA.

More:
https://www.space.com/17101-taurus-constellation.html

[calimary]

1. Wow! Very cool, Judi Lynn!