Many a night I saw the Pleiades, rising thro' the mellow shade,
Glitter like a swarm of fire-flies tangled in a silver braid.

When the cool nights of autumn turn into winter, you can see the Pleiades rising before the main stars of their host constellation, Taurus. The delicate grouping represents a spot on the celestial bull's shoulder. They are prominent in the eastern sky, particularly in November and early December, but can be seen beginning in early October. They remain in view all winter. Further enhancing the sight is the contrasting color of the brilliant star, Aldebaran, which glows with a distinctly reddish hue and the sprinkling of color contained in the Hyades cluster nearby. The entire assembly makes a gorgeous contrast in colors.

The Pleiades is an open cluster spread out over about 2 degrees of open sky -- roughly equivalent to the width of four full moons. Literally hundreds of stars are physically a part of the Pleiades, but only six are visible to the unaided eye, depending on who's doing the looking. Most people can discern only the six brightest Pleiads; some claim to be able to make out seven or eight and a handful of hardy souls claim to be able to see as many as nine without optical aid. Binoculars give splendid views of the cluster; it is much too spread out to be viewed in its entirety through a telescope. Of the hundreds of stars, only nine carry names: seven of them which represent each of the sisters, and the two representing the parents.

 Born of an area of swirling gas and dust, the Pleiades is a young cluster of stars, probably only a few hundred-thousand years old. In long exposure photographs, the misty aura of the cluster can be seen because the combined light of the young stars reflects off the surrounding gas. The entire group is on the order of 420 light-years distant from Earth. Though it has been seen in its present location for centuries, the Pleiads roam through space as a group at the rate of around 25 miles per second. Eventually, the cluster will probably spread out and disburse somewhat, but that will take millions of years to accomplish.

Legends surrounding the Seven Sisters abound in almost every culture and from every land. They are most often seen to be the daughters of Atlas (the giant who held the world on his shoulders) and Pleione. Greek sailors were said to consult the skies before setting sail. If the Pleiades were visible, all was well. Otherwise, storm conditions were likely. The daughters were also pursued by an adoring Orion, and they begged help from the gods. Zeus turned them into pigeons to fly away, and then into stars. A Polynesian legend tells of a single star, by far the brightest. Because it boasted of its beauty, the god Tane flung Aldebaran into it, smashing it to the fainter pieces we now see as the Pleiades.

An Indian legend tells of seven maidens who were being pursued by a ferocious bear. Kneeling to pray for help, they called on the Indian gods, who raised the ground where they were located high into the air. Angered, the bear clawed at the earth in a vain attempt to reach them. After leaving huge claw marks in the unyielding earth, the bear finally gave up and retreated. The maidens were turned into stars and placed in the sky forever out of harm's way. The site is what we now call the Devil's Tower, scene of the climactic alien visit in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

Still another legend ties the Pleiades to the Savior. On a street in the Holy Land, the Savior smelled the delicious aroma of freshly-baked bread. Entering the shop, the Savior was instantly recognized by the baker who presented Him with a tasty treat and a chance to rest from His labors. In gratitude, the Savior placed the baker, his wife and seven daughters in the Heavens to be safe with Him forever.