Taurus (constellation) facts for kids
| Constellation | |
List of stars in Taurus
|
|
| Abbreviation | Tau |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Tauri |
| Pronunciation | |
| Symbolism | the Bull |
| Right ascension | 4.9 |
| Declination | 19 |
| Quadrant | NQ1 |
| Area | 797 sq. deg. (17th) |
| Main stars | 19 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars |
132 |
| Stars with planets | 7 candidates |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 4 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 1 |
| Brightest star | Aldebaran (α Tau) (0.85m) |
| Messier objects | 2 |
| Meteor showers |
|
| Bordering constellations |
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| Visible at latitudes between +90° and −65°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of January. |
|
Taurus is a group of stars, also known as a constellation, that you can see in the northern part of the sky. Its name, Taurus, comes from Latin and means 'bull'. Taurus is part of the zodiac, a special band of constellations that the Sun, Moon, and planets appear to travel through. This means it crosses the ecliptic, which is the Sun's path across the sky.
A long time ago, an astronomer named Ptolemy included Taurus in his list of 48 constellations. Today, it's one of the 88 constellations officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union. Taurus is home to two famous groups of stars called Pleiades and Hyades. You can also find the Crab Nebula in Taurus. The Crab Nebula is what's left after a huge star exploded, which is called a supernova. The brightest star in Taurus is a red giant star named Aldebaran.
Images for kids
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Central area of constellation Taurus, showing Aldebaran at the lower left.
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IRAS 05437+2502, a nebula
See also
In Spanish: Tauro (constelación) para niños
