TAURUS

Taurus is one of the most beautiful constellations even only for the fact that it hosts the Pleiades, the brightest open cluster in the sky. It is an easily recognizable constellation where the mythological bull and the star formation correspond almost perfectly.

The Taurus constellation represents one of the most famous disguises of Zeus when he assumed the form of a magnificent white bull to abduct Europa, a legendary Phoenician princess. Some scholars believe, however, that Taurus represents the Minotaur, offspring of Pasiphae, wife of Minos, and a snow-white bull sent to Minos by the god Poseidon for sacrifice. The Minotaur was kept in the Labyrinth in the Palace of Knossos in Crete and was eventually killed by Theseus.

Aldebaran is the Alpha star in the constellation and it is also an orange giant which is entering the final stages of its evolution. It is 500 times brighter than the Sun and is about 66 light-years from us and because of this it is the 14th brightest star in the sky. Due to its position near the ecliptic it is the brightest star in the sky which can be occulted by the Moon.

Elnath is the Beta star and forms the northern horn of Taurus. It was connected to the constellation of Auriga in the past in which it made up one of the stars at the base of the pentagon, an asterism which has been in existence since antiquity. The star is about to enter its final stages of evolution. Presently it is a light blue hue but it will soon turn into a red giant. It is 133 light-years from us and is 700 times brighter than the Sun.

Zeta Tauri makes up the southern horn of Taurus. The star is not particulary bright perhaps due to its distance from us at 400 light-years. It is a double star 5,700 times brighter than the Sun.