Here’s a beautiful shot of the Pleiades star cluster – also known as the Seven Sisters – ascending in the eastern sky each evening now. See the tiny cluster that looks like a dipper, with its handle pointing downward? That’s it.
This little cluster marks the approximate radiant point of the South and North Taurid meteor showers, both of which are long-lasting showers going on now. The Pleiades is part of the constellation Taurus the Bull, and the meteors take their name from this constellation. Taurus is pretty easy to spot, but the Pleiades is very easy. Just remember it’s a tiny cluster – dipper-shaped – ascending in the eastern sky throughout the evening hours now.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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