Our long history with Taurus, the Bull

Taurus, the Bull is our next winter constellation. A member of the Zodiac, Taurus is a very ancient constellation, dating back almost to the very beginnings of recorded human history. It is the home of the marvelous Hyades (HI-a-dees) open star cluster. In his wonderful book, "Nightwatch," Terrence Dickinson lists the Hyades as the nearest distinct open star cluster. The cluster lies 153 light years away and is estimated to be 400 million years old.

Taurus is prominent enough to be seen even from modestly light polluted cities. Bright Aldebaran (al-DEB-aron) shines as the bull's eye and so holds a very prominent place in the constellation.

Aldebaran, the 13th brightest star in the sky, is not actually a part of the Hyades cluster. At about 65 light-years away, the star is not quite halfway to the cluster; it masquerades as a cluster member because it lies along the same line of sight as the Hyades. It is an old star, a red-giant, which has used up most of its nuclear fuel. It is 125 times brighter than our Sun and is 45 times wider. And if you will remember, it is one of the four royal stars of ancient Persia.

There is a lot of mythology associated with Taurus from many cultures around the world. It is mentioned in ancient literature numerous times and in the Bible once. In Greek mythology Jupiter took the form of a bull in order to seduce Europa, and it is with that story Taurus is most closely associated. The ancient Greeks also associated the Hyades with the daughters of Atlas, making them the half-sisters to the Pleiades.

Taurus is the first full winter constellation to rise, visible now at about 7 p.m. local time nearly due east. Look for it below the Pleiades star cluster (which officially is a part of Taurus). The most remarkable feature about the constellation is the distinct "V" shape, representing the face of the bull.

Binoculars offer the best view of the Hyades; numerous stars can be seen as you scan the cluster. In a telescope, the field of view (unless it is a wide field scope) is too small to get all of the cluster in.

SKY WATCH: Don't forget the Dec. 3 occultation of the Pleiades star cluster by the almost full Moon starting at about 5 p.m. local time. We missed the one in October because of the clouds. Full Moon, Dec. 4.

Next time, Auriga, the Bull Chaser.