Pleiades

A brief information (language, culture of origin)

Mythology

Aratus

Near his left knee all in a cluster [255] the Pleiades move. The space that holds them all is not great, and they are individually faint to observe. Seven in number they are in the lore of men, although there are only six apparent to the eye. No star at all has been lost from our ken in Zeus [260] since our oral tradition began, but this is just what is said. Those seven are called by name Alcyone, Merope, Celaeno and Electra, Sterope, Taygete and honoured Maia. All alike they are small and faint, but they are famous [265] in their movements at morning and evening, and Zeus is the cause, in that he authorised them to mark the beginnings of summer and winter and the onset of ploughing time. (Kidd 1997)

IAU Working Group on Star Names

The name was discussed and approved by the IAU WGSN in 202x. As this star is already named ..., the WGSN chose ... (not to apply/ to apply the name to a neighbouring star/ to ...) in the IAU-CSN.

Reference

• References (general)
• References (early modern)
• Ian Ridpath's website (Star Tales )