Word Hoard

Word Hoard: The Pleiades

Subaru* – a Japanese word meaning unite, which also is a term for a cluster of stars in the Taurus constellation named “Pleiades” by the ancient Greeks.

Atlas* – A titan famous for his strength in classical mythology who was condemned to support the Earth and sky on his shoulders for eternity after the defeat of the Titans.

Pleoine – An Oceanid nymph in Greek mythology who was mother to the Hyades and Pleaides.

Hyades – The five daughters of Atlas and sisters of the Pleaides, placed by Zeus among the stars.

Alcyone – a word meaning “queen who wards off evil.” Alcyone is the central and largest star of the Pleaides constellation. She is often seen as representing the whole cluster of stars.

Asterope – A double star in the Pleaides constellation which literally translates to “lightening.”

Celæno – The wife of Poseidon. Translated, her name means “darkness” or “blackness.” Celæno is sometimes referred to as the Lost Pleiad, as her star is sometimes difficult to see with the naked eye.

Electra – The third brightest star of the Pleiades, Electra means “amber,” “shining,” and “bright.” Electra was the wife of Corythus. She was seduced by Zeus and gave birth to Damascus, who became the founder of Troy.

Maia – The eldest of the Seven Sisters, Maia was said to be the most beautiful. According to Greek myth, Maia was a lover of Zeus and gave birth to Hermes.

Merope – The only Pleiad to marry a mortal, her star shines less brightly than those of her sisters.

Taygete/a – After being defiled by Zeus while unconscious, Taygeta went into hiding. For her protection, she was transformed into a doe.

Taurus – The bull zodiacal constellation between Gemini and Aries, containing the bright star Aldebaran.

Orion – A constellation on the equator east of Taurus named after Orion, the hunter in Greek mythology.

Nebulosity – The quality or state of being nebulous; nebulous matter.

Luminosity – The intrinsic brightness of a celestial object (as distinct from its apparent brightness diminished by distance).

Arcminutes – A unit of angular measurement equal to 160th of 1 degree (1/60° = 0.016°).

Magnitude – The logarithmic measure of the brightness of an object in a defined passband, often in the visible or infrared spectrum, but sometimes across all wavelengths.

Cluster – A group of stars which share a common origin and are gravitationally bound for some length of time.

Constellation – An easily recognized group of that’s that appear to be located close together in the sky and that form a picture if lines connecting them are imagined.

Soraya* – A Persian word meaning “jewel” which is used as a name for the Pleiades.

*  Most obscured/interesting words