How to Find the Hyades Star Cluster

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Start by finding Orion.

   Orion is very big and obvious, so it makes a good starting point. ,, The bottom-left star in the V should be bright and red.
   
   This is Aldebaran.
   
   Be careful
   - if you reach the Pleiades, you've gone too far!, It is also the Hyades cluster.
   
   Aldebaran isn't actually part of the cluster
   - it's closer, in between Earth and the Hyades., Without binoculars, you should be able to see the five main stars in the V, maybe a few more.
   
   With binoculars, the whole cluster jumps into view.
   
   When I tried it, I counted over 50 stars that I could only see with binoculars., You'll notice that the stars of the Hyades are relatively dim, and blue-white in colour.
   
   This is one of the first hints that Aldebaran, a bright, red star, is not a part of the cluster., One of the first things that you should notice through a telescope is that, unlike the Pleiades, the Hyades has little to no nebulosity.
   
   This indicates that it is an older cluster, and all of the star-forming material has been used up.
2. 2

   Step 2: Go from the leftmost star in Orion's belt and up through Bellatrix (the star across from Betelgeuse).

3. 3

   Step 3: Continue in the same direction until you reach a V of stars.

4. 4

   Step 4: This V of stars is the core of the Taurus constellation.

5. 5

   Step 5: Zoom in on the V shape with binoculars.

6. 6

   Step 6: Take some time to look around the cluster.

7. 7

   Step 7: Grab a telescope and look at the Hyades.

Detailed Guide

About the Author