The constellation of Taurus (Latin for "Bull") lies just North of the celestial equator (the imaginary line formed by the projection of the Earth's equator into space). It is visible from both the Northern hemisphere (during the Winter and early Spring) and the Southern hemisphere (from November through February). Taurus first appears in the East in September, reaches its greatest height in late December and then drops below the Western horizon in March. Therefore, it is best observed during the early Wintertime. Taurus is a prominent and vivid constellation marked by several distinctive features, including the bright star Aldebaran and two of the largest open star clusters visible from Earth... the Hyades and the Pleiades. It may be located just Northwest of Orion the Hunter, with Aldebaran and the Hyades appearing together along a line between the Pleiades and Orion's three central stars which compose the "Belt" of the Hunter.

It has been suggested that Taurus may well have been the first Zodiac constellation to have been invented. From the time of the Chaldeans, some 5,000 years ago, the constellation of Taurus has been observed as the image of a bull. Bulls have been worshipped since ancient times as symbols of strength and fertility, appearing in a variety of myths. The Sumerians may have regarded Taurus as a sacred bull of light. From the home of the Sumerians in Mesopotamia, from around 4000 B.C. to 2000 B.C., Taurus marked the point on the horizon where the Sun rose on the Vernal Equinox...the first day of Spring. Taurus no longer holds this position due to an effect known as precession, caused by the slow wobble of the Earth's axis. This wobble, which moves the Earth's celestial poles in one complete circle every 26,000 years, accounts for the apparent shift in the location of stars over time.

The ancient Egyptians revered Apis, the Bull of Memphis...a real bull believed to be an incarnation of Osiris. Ptolemy of Egypt cataloged information concerning Taurus during the Second Century A.D. in the Almagest, his compilation of Greek astronomical knowledge. The Israelites worshiped the Golden Calf and carvings of winged bulls once stood at the gates of Assyrian palaces. During the Classical Era, Greeks perceived the constellation as Zeus in the guise of a bull, while to the Chinese (who do not regard the constellation as a bull), it is alternatively the "White Tiger" or the "Great Bridge." Only the forequarters of the bull are visible in the group of stars which compose Taurus...a depiction of the animal emerging from the waves. The constellations of Cetus (the Whale or Sea Monster) and Aries (the Ram) cover the hindquarters of the bull, which are considered submerged. It was within Taurus that the Italian astronomer Piazzi made the discovery of the first asteroid (named Ceres) on New Year's Day in 1801.

The brightest star in the constellation of Taurus is Aldebaran (also known as Alpha Tau). An orange-red giant which is the thirteenth brightest star in the heavens, it was one of the four Royal Stars of the Ancient Persians. Aldebaran appears to lie among the Hyades (with which it was once categorized) but is actually much closer to the Earth than that cluster, being about 68 light years away. In Arabic, Aldebaran means "the follower" (of the Pleiades) and it marks the "ruddy eye" of the bull. Two other visible stars, Zeta Tau and Beta Tau denote the bull's horns, with Beta Tau (also known as El Nath) thought to be the "pushing" horn.

A Northern constellation located between Aries the Ram and Gemini the Twins, Taurus is also bordered by Cetus the Whale (or Sea Monster), Eridanus the River, Orion the Hunter, Auriga the Charioteer and Persus the Hero.

Also referred to in mythology as the Atlantides and in astrological terms as Messier 45, the Pleiades are best known as the Seven Sisters or Doves (in Greek, "Pleiades" means "Doves"). This is the most famous open star cluster in the sky and has been honored since ancient times. The Pleiades, some 425 light years from Earth, form the shoulder of the bull and its hundreds of stars is thought to have formed around 100 million years ago.

Greek legend tells that the Sisters were the daughters of the Titan, Atlas (who carried the heavens on his shoulders), and his first wife Pleione, the sea nymph, also known as the "Sailing Queen." The Pleiades were also the former virgin companions of Artemis. The Sisters called upon Zeus for assistance after they had been pursued for seven years through the Boeotian countryside by Orion the Hunter, who had less than honorable intentions. When the benevolent God heard the cries, he transformed the seven into doves and placed them within the heavens. Later, when Orion was killed, the Hunter was placed in the sky behind the Pleiades to immortalize the legendary chase. Zeus positioned Taurus between Orion and the Seven Sisters, where the Hunter engages in perpetual combat with the Bull as they journey through the night. According to a Native American myth, the Pleides were seven youngsters who, on a walk through the sky, lost their way and never made it home. They remain in the heavens, staying close together. The seventh of the Sisters is difficult to see because she truly wants to return to Earth and her tears dim her luster. The Ancient Greeks explained this apparent absence of a seventh star with several varying fables, the most popular of which was that one of the Pleiades (Merope) deserted her sisters because she was ashamed of having taken a mortal husband.

On a reasonably dark night, it should be relatively easy to spot at least six of the stars which make up the Pleiades with the naked eye. If conditions are favorable, it may be possible to see as many as nine. Containing a total of more than 500 stars, the Pleiades is approximately 410 light years away and covers an area which is four times the size of the full Moon. Alcyone is the brightest star in the Pleiades cluster, being approximately 1000 times brighter than the Sun...and ten times larger. Among many ancient civilizations, the Pleiades were associated with agriculture because the stars appeared on the horizon around harvest time and Greek superstition cautioned sailors to set sail only during the months when the Pleiades were visible.

Alcyone: Sometimes referred to as Halcyone, this Sister was seduced by Poseidon and gave birth to Hyrieus,
the name of Orion's father...but who may or may not be the same Hyrieus.
Alcyone is also known as the "Central One," the "Hen" and the "Queen Who Wards Off Evil Storms."

Asterope: Sometimes referred to as Sterope, one legend tells that this Sister was ravished by Ares and
gave birth to Oenomaus, King of Pisa. Other legends state that she was instead the wife of
Oenomaus and may have been the mother of the beautiful Hippodaima in addition to bearing
three sons, Leucippus, Hippodamus and Dysponteus, Founder of Dyspontium.
At one time, this Sister may have been known as "Asterie of the Starry Sky,"
a title which has been linked to the Creatrix of the Universe.

Celeno: Sometimes also referred to as Celaeno, this Sister was seduced by Poseidon
and is credited with being the mother of Lycus (the "Wolf") and
Chimaerus (the "He-Goat"), courtesy of a liaison with Prometheus.
Her name means "swarthy" and, according to some sources,
she is believed to have been struck by lightning.

Electra: Sometimes also referred to as Eleckra, this Sister was the wife of Corythus.
She was seduced by Zeus and gave birth to Dardanus, Founder of Troy.
Electra may have also been the mother of the Harpies...foul bird-women who lived in a
Cretan cave and harried criminals. However, it is possible that the Electra who gave
birth to the Harpies was an entirely different Ocean Nymph who simply bore the same name.
The name Electra means "amber" and/or "shining" and/or "bright"
and may be the origin of the modern term "electricity."

Maia: The eldest and most beautiful of the Sisters, Maia was a Mountain Nymph who resided in Arcadia.
Seduced by Zeus, she gave birth to the Messenger God, Hermes, and later became foster-mother
to Arcas, son of Zeus and Callisto, during the period Callisto was in the guise of a bear.
Maia is also sometimes referred to as "Mother," "Grandmother," "Nurse" and/or "The Great One."

Merope: Often referred to as "The Missing One" or "Lost Pleiades," Merope was the seventh of
the Sisters and (according to one fable) the wife of Sisyphus, grandson of Deucalion
(the Greek Noah) and great-grandson of Prometheus. Sisyphus founded the City of Ephyre,
also known as Corinth, but was later condemned by Zeus to eternally roll a huge stone up
a hill in Hades, only to have it roll back down each time the task was almost completed.
Legend tells that Merope repents of this marital indiscretion and hides her face in shame
at being the only one of the Sisters who failed to cohabitate with a God.
Her name may have originally meant either "eloquent," "bee-eater" or "mortal."

Taygete: Sometimes referred to Taygeta, this Sister consecrated to Artemis the Cerynitian Hind
with the golden horns that Heracles (during his Third Labor) had to fetch.
Seduced by Zeus, she gave birth to Lacedemon, the Founder of Sparta, to which City
she was thus an important Goddess. In some versions of this myth, Taygete was unwilling
to yield to Zeus and was changed by Artemis into a hind (female red deer).
Although Taygete attempted to elude the mighty God in this guise, he eventually caught
her and, upon the birth of Lacedemon, she hanged herself. She may also have been the
mother of Tantalus, who was tormented in Hades with thirst and hunger for offending the
Gods...but there is a great deal of mythological uncertainty surrounding the parentage
of Tantalus. The name Taygete possibly means "long-necked."

Like the Pleiades, the Hyades is also an open cluster but is so close to the Earth (only 150 light years away) that, even when viewed with the naked eye, the stars appear to be spread out. This V-shaped cluster, sometimes referred to astrologically as Melotte 25, contains approximately 200 to 300 stars and forms the head, horns and face of the bull. Contrary to popular belief, the bright star Aldebaran, which represents the glaring red eye of the bull, is not considered to be a physical member of this cluster population. The stars which make up the Hyades are believed to be approximately 400 million years old. The brightest is Theta Tauris, an eclipsing binary...two stars which revolve around one another...each eclipsing the other's light when viewed from the Earth. The Hyades have been known since antiquity and the name itself dates back at least as far as 1000 B.C., when it was mentioned in various Greek sources. However, the Hyades was not recognized or classified as a cluster until the Twentieth Century.

In Greek mythology, the Hyades were the younger sisters of Hyas, a mighty but mortal hunter who was killed by a lion (or, according to Ovid, drowned in a well while engaging in the Argonautic expedition in search of the Golden Fleece). The death of Hyas was so severely mourned by his sisters, that they committed suicide. Along with the Pleiades, the Greeks also credited the Hyades with being the daughters of Atlas (by his wife, Aethra the Oceanid). The Hyades were placed into the heavens by Zeus because of the protection they once afforded the God's infant son, Dionysus, upon the death of Semele, the baby's mother... and also in pity for their grief at the loss of their beloved brother. However, mythological tales are far from specific regarding how many sisters comprised the Hyades...variously describing them as being five or seven in number. The Greek astronomer Ptolemy listed five in his star catalog. The sisters' names are similarly obscure. They have been referred to as Cleia, Eudore, Coronis, Phaeo, Phaesyle, Ambrosia, Dione, Nysa and/or Thyene. Astronomers have avoided this confusion by not assigning a name of any of the stars which comprise the Hyades cluster. According to some sources, the Hyades were also sisters to the Hesperides, nymphs who dwelt in the garden which was the source of the Golden Apples referenced in the Twelve Labors of Hercules.

Because the Hyades appeared during rainy seasons, the Greeks regarded them as messengers of Spring rain showers and Autumn storms. In Greek, "Hyades" means "to rain" or "Rainy Ones." This rain was believed to represent the sisters' tears of sorrow for their brother Hyas. As a group, the Hyades (also called the Nymphs of Nysa because they lived on Mount Nysa) were often considered violent and troublesome, causing storms and tempests both on land and sea. They have always been associated with rain, not only in Greek and Roman cultures, but also in China. The Romans sometimes referred to these sisters as the Suculae, which means "piglets."

The Crab Nebula, about 5,000 light years away from Earth, marks the site of a supernova which occurred on or about July 4, 1054 A.D. According to the records of Chinese astronomers, the explosion was so bright that it could be observed even during daylight hours for 23 days...and 635 days to the naked eye in the night sky. This occurrence was also probably recorded by Anasazi Indian artists (who dwelt in present-day Arizona and New Mexico) since findings in Navaho Canyon and White Mesa, as well as in the Chaco Canyon National Park, indicate as much. In addition, Mimbres Indian art from New Mexico may also depict this supernova.

Known astrologically as Supernova 1054, the Crab Nebula is one of only a few historically observed supernovae in the Milky Way Galaxy. It is the brightest supernova remnant in the sky, appearing as a tiny oval glow or cloud when viewed through binoculars or a small telescope, and one of the most studied objects in the heavens. The nebulous remnant was discovered by British amateur astronomer, John Bevis in 1731. Charles Messier, Astronomer to the French Navy, found the Crab Nebula independently on August 28, 1758, while searching the heavens for the return of Halley's Comet. However, it was not until the Mid-Nineteenth Century that it received its given name...when William Parsons, Third Earl of Rosse, noted that its extended filaments resembled the pincers of a crab. In 1948, the Crab Nebula was identified as a strong source of radio radiation and established as a rapidly spinning neutron star rotating approximately 30 times every second. At the center of the Crab Nebula lies a pulsar, detected in 1968, which is all that remains of the exploded star's core. It continues to expand and will eventually disappear from the heavens altogether.