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Taurus



Abbreviation: Tau
Genitive: Tauri
Right Ascension: 4.27 hours
Declination: 18.87 degrees
  Taurus, the Bull, can be seen during the winter and the early spring in the Northern Hemisphere and from November to February from the Southern Hemisphere.

Taurus is another of the earliest known constellations, and so also probably orginated from the Babylonians.

To the Greeks, Taurus was one of the two bulls with brazen feet that were tamed by Jason of the Argonauts.

In Taurean myth, Zeus swam out to Crete as a bull and seduced Eurpopa who bore a son, Minos, father of Minotaur, a half man and half bull monster. Minotaur was locked in a Labyrinth and ate human flesh. Minotaur was killed by Theseus when he was helped by Adiadne's ball of thread.

Taurus was also referred to as being rich in maidens (the Hyades and the Pleiades, all daughters of Atlas).

  Bright Stars | Deep Sky | Other Deep Sky | Variable Stars | Double Stars
 

Best Known Stars

(Yale Bright Star Catalog)
 
Common Name
or Bayer Number 1 		RA DEC Magnitude 2
ALDEBARAN 4.00:35.00:55.23 +16.00:30.00:33.39 0.85
ELNATH 5.00:26.00:17.51 +28.00:36.00:26.67 1.65
ALCYONE 3.00:47.00:29.07 +24.00:6.00:18.38 2.87
ZET TAU 5.00:37.00:38.68 +21.00:8.00:33.06 3.00
LAM TAU 4.00:0.00:40.81 +12.00:29.00:25.24 3.47
EPS TAU 4.00:28.00:36.99 +19.00:10.00:49.46 3.54
OMI TAU 3.00:24.00:48.80 +9.00:1.00:43.87 3.60
ATLAS 3.00:49.00:9.73 +24.00:3.00:12.24 3.63
GAM TAU 4.00:19.00:47.60 +15.00:37.00:39.41 3.65
ELECTRA 3.00:44.00:52.53 +24.00:6.00:48.01 3.70
XI TAU 3.00:27.00:10.15 +9.00:43.00:57.73 3.74
DEL1 TAU 4.00:22.00:56.09 +17.00:32.00:32.98 3.76
NU TAU 4.00:3.00:9.37 +5.00:59.00:21.48 3.91
5 TAU 3.00:30.00:52.38 +12.00:56.00:12.03 4.11
10 TAU 3.00:36.00:52.37 +0.00:24.00:5.89 4.28
TAU TAU 4.00:42.00:14.70 +22.00:57.00:24.89 4.28
MU TAU 4.00:15.00:32.06 +8.00:53.00:32.42 4.29
37 TAU 4.00:4.00:41.71 +22.00:4.00:54.89 4.36
136 TAU 5.00:53.00:19.64 +27.00:36.00:43.94 4.58
IOT TAU 5.00:3.00:5.73 +21.00:35.00:23.79 4.64
RHO TAU 4.00:33.00:50.91 +14.00:50.00:39.82 4.65
97 TAU 4.00:51.00:22.45 +18.00:50.00:23.42 5.13
29 TAU 3.00:45.00:40.43 +6.00:2.00:59.98 5.35
44 TAU 4.00:10.00:49.85 +26.00:28.00:51.36 5.41
115 TAU 5.00:27.00:10.08 +17.00:57.00:43.86 5.42
130 TAU 5.00:47.00:26.18 +17.00:43.00:44.76 5.49
43 TAU 4.00:9.00:9.96 +19.00:36.00:33.13 5.50
11 TAU 3.00:40.00:46.30 +25.00:19.00:46.23 6.11
   
 

Deep Sky Objects

(PAS Catalog)

65/67 Tau

 65/67 Tau These two stars are seen as a wide double star in the viewfinder, but the telescopic view holds a surprise. The two wide stars have two fainter stars directly between them! A very nice view.

M-1

 M-1 The Crab Nebula is a supernova remnant and shows a flame- shaped nebulosity which is about 5'by 3' in extent. It is brighter in the center, an has ragged or fuzzy edges which suggest its name. This is the object which started Charles Messier logging non-cometary objects.

M-45

 M-45 The Pleiades This is another classic open cluster. Easily visible to the naked eye, it yields a beautiful sight in binoculars. It is dipper-shaped, and about 5-7 stars can be seen with the naked eye. The slightest magnification shows about 100 stars in a compact area. Larger instruments show the fine nebulosity surrounding the brighter stars which is often seen in photographs.

NGC-1514

 NGC 1514 A large, almost 2' in diameter, planetary nebula with a rather bright central star. This object exhibits the 'blinking' effect rather well. That is, direct vision shows only the star well, but averted vision causes the fainter nebulosity to pop into view. Switching between the two causes the star to 'blink' on and off.

NGC-1807/1817

 NGC 1807/1817 These two open clusters fit in the same field of view in a low power eyepiece, offering a very pleasing deep sky double. 1807 is about 8' in diameter with about 20 stars in a box or X-shape. 1817 is slightly larger, about 10' in diameter, and composed of about 75 relatively faint stars in a compact grouping reminiscent of NGC 7789 in Cassiopeia.

Phi Tau

 2 (Phi) Tau A very pretty double star which shows a yellow-white primary and a fainter blue companion.

The Hyades

 The Hyades This distinctive star cluster marks the head of Taurus the Bull. It is one of the closest open clusters, and therefore is large, bright, and easily seen. Binoculars or a rich field telescopes show many bright stars, including the brightest star in Taurus (Aldebaran), which not a true cluster member, but rather a foreground star.
   
 

Other Deep Sky Objects

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)
  Only Objects less than 10.0 Mag.
 
Object R.A. Dec. Object Type 3 Mag. Uranometria Tirion
Mel 22 03 47.0 +24 07 CL+NB 01.2 132 11
Mel 25 04 27.0 +16 00 OPNCL 0.5 178 11
NGC 1647 04 46.0 +19 04 OPNCL 06.4 134 11
NGC 1746 05 03.6 +23 49 OPNCL 06.1 134 05
NGC 1807 05 10.7 +16 32 OPNCL 07 180 11
NGC 1817 05 12.1 +16 42 OPNCL 07.7 180 11
NGC 1952 05 34.5 +22 01 SNREM 08.4 135 05
   
 

Variable Stars

(General Catalog of Variable Stars)
  Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude
 
GCVS ID R.A.
(hh mm ss.ss)		 Dec.
(deg mm ss)		 Variable Type 4 Mag. Min Mag. Max
SZ Tau 4.00:34.00:20.20 +18.00:26.00:35.00 DCEPS 6.75 6.33
BU Tau 3.00:46.00:12.40 +23.00:59.00:8.00 GCAS 5.50 4.77
CD Tau 5.00:14.00:33.50 +20.00:4.00:48.00 EA/D 7.34 6.77
CE Tau 5.00:29.00:16.80 +18.00:33.00:32.00 SRC 4.54 4.23
GS Tau 4.00:3.00:32.00 +27.00:28.00:1.00 ACV 5.22 5.15
HU Tau 4.00:35.00:18.60 +20.00:35.00:9.00 EA/SD: 6.68 5.85
IM Tau 4.00:7.00:46.80 +26.00:21.00:8.00 DSCT 5.58 5.37
V0473 Tau 4.00:46.00:6.20 +29.00:29.00:7.00 ACV 7.36 7.22
V0479 Tau 3.00:51.00:48.40 +5.00:1.00:43.00 DSCTC 7.46 7.39
V0480 Tau 4.00:48.00:26.80 +18.00:45.00:23.00 DSCTC 5.13 5.09
V0483 Tau 4.00:17.00:8.50 +13.00:54.00:58.00 DSCTC 5.59 5.55
V0486 Tau 3.00:34.00:1.30 +23.00:2.00:50.00 ACV 6.78 6.65
V0650 Tau 3.00:44.00:28.70 +23.00:31.00:31.00 DSCTC 0.03 7.76
V0696 Tau 4.00:17.00:46.00 +14.00:58.00:38.00 DSCTC 5.28 5.22
V0711 Tau 3.00:34.00:13.20 +0.00:25.00:33.00 RS 5.94 5.71
V0724 Tau 4.00:16.00:38.80 +21.00:39.00:16.00 ACV 5.40 5.36
V0731 Tau 5.00:40.00:17.20 +23.00:10.00:57.00 GCAS 6.27 5.98
V0766 Tau 3.00:48.00:29.00 +12.00:53.00:48.00 ACV 0.06 6.30
V0774 Tau 4.00:12.00:49.20 +6.00:3.00:51.00 BY: 6.37 6.28
V0775 Tau 4.00:19.00:14.20 +13.00:57.00:38.00 DSCTC 0.01 5.72
V0776 Tau 4.00:22.00:35.60 +17.00:48.00:55.00 ACV: 4.32 4.29
V0777 Tau 4.00:23.00:30.00 +15.00:30.00:24.00 DSCTC 0.02 4.73
V0809 Tau 5.00:49.00:31.80 +14.00:9.00:39.00 ACV 0.02 5.59
V0817 Tau 3.00:54.00:5.60 +23.00:1.00:55.00 ELL 0.05 6.06
V0891 Tau 4.00:12.00:45.90 +6.00:4.00:38.00 BY 7.00 6.92
V0892 Tau 4.00:15.00:35.00 +28.00:12.00:0.00 INA 6.07 5.55
V0895 Tau 4.00:21.00:22.40 +14.00:38.00:38.00 BY 0.03 7.62
V0897 Tau 4.00:21.00:35.80 +16.00:46.00:20.00 BY 0.04 7.80
V0920 Tau 4.00:25.00:55.10 +17.00:10.00:34.00 BY 0.05 7.84
V0938 Tau 4.00:31.00:44.00 +15.00:24.00:7.00 BY 0.03 7.94
V0960 Tau 5.00:30.00:35.70 +18.00:30.00:23.00 GCAS 5.69 5.53
V0971 Tau 3.00:43.00:21.20 +23.00:47.00:39.00 BCEP 0.01 4.18
V0986 Tau 4.00:17.00:17.80 +19.00:6.00:54.00 BY 0.05 7.47
V0992 Tau 4.00:23.00:14.80 +15.00:24.00:43.00 BY: 0.03 7.49
V0993 Tau 4.00:24.00:44.70 +15.00:28.00:43.00 BY 0.02 7.42
V0998 Tau 4.00:34.00:41.00 +15.00:2.00:49.00 BY 0.03 7.54
V1024 Tau 4.00:16.00:29.00 +21.00:1.00:23.00 ACV 0.03 5.02
V1081 Tau 4.00:40.00:53.60 +22.00:51.00:7.00 E 7.30 6.90
alf Tau 4.00:33.00:2.90 +16.00:24.00:38.00 LB: 0.95 0.75
zet Tau 5.00:34.00:39.30 +21.00:6.00:50.00 E/GS+GCAS 3.17 2.88
tet 2 Tau 4.00:25.00:48.20 +15.00:45.00:42.00 DSCTC+E: 3.42 3.35
lam Tau 3.00:57.00:54.40 +12.00:21.00:2.00 EA/DM 3.91 3.37
rho Tau 4.00:31.00:0.40 +14.00:44.00:27.00 DSCTC 0.01 4.90
ups Tau 4.00:23.00:18.70 +22.00:42.00:7.00 DSCTC 4.31 4.28
   
 

Double Stars

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)
  Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude
 
Name R.A.
(hh mm.m)		 Dec.
(deg mm)		 Mag 5 Sep 6 PA 7 Tirion Uranometria
STF 401 03 31.3 27 34 6.4, 6.9 11.30 270 4 94/ 131/ 132
STT 38 03 44.6 27 54 6.7, 7.0 129.70 47 4 95/ 132
STF 479 04 00.9 23 12 6.9, 7.8 7.40 127 5 132/ 133
STF 494 04 08.9 23 06 7.6, 7.6 5.20 187 5 133
H 98 04 15.5 06 11 6.5, 7.2 64.70 315 11 178
STF 528 04 22.6 25 38 5.5, 7.6 19.50 25 5 133
STF 9 04 25.3 22 17 4.4, 5.4 339.50 173 5 133
STF 10 04 28.6 15 52 3.6, 4.0 337.40 346 11 178/ 179
STF 554 04 30.1 15 38 5.7, 8.0 2.00 18 11 178/ 179
LDS 2246 04 30.6 16 11 4.8, 6.7 250.00 131 11 133/134/178/179
STF 559 04 33.6 18 00 6.9, 7.0 3.00 277 11 133/134/178/179
STF 572 04 38.5 26 59 7.3, 7.3 4.10 195 5 134
STF 11 04 39.2 15 54 4.8, 5.2 434.30 193 11 179
STF 716 05 29.3 25 08 5.8, 6.6 4.80 206 5 135
HJ 3275 05 29.9 18 24 7.6, 7.6 54.20 21 11 135
STF 730 05 32.2 17 03 6.0, 6.5 9.60 141 11 135/136/180/181
STF 742 05 36.4 21 59 7.2, 7.8 3.90 270 5 135/ 136
STF 749 05 37.1 26 55 6.4, 6.5 1.10 328 5 135/ 136
STT 66 05 47.8 24 41 7.2, 8.0 94.20 166 5 136