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Taurus, the Bull

Taurus, the bull, is marked by a V-shaped pattern of stars that outlines the bull's face. Bright red Aldebaran, the "eye" of the bull, stands at one point of the V. This pattern is part of a cluster of stars called the Hyades — the second-closest star cluster to Earth. It consists of several hundred stars that lie about 130 light-years away.

Taurus, the Bull

Aldebaran outshines all the other stars that outline the bull's face. But Aldebaran isn't a member of the Hyades cluster — it just lies in the same direction. It's about 70 light-years away, half as far as the stars of the Hyades. Aldebaran is a red-giant — an old, bloated star that's used up most of its nuclear fuel. It's much larger and much brighter than our own middle-aged Sun.

Featured Images

Diagram of the Hyades
Facing the Bull
Hubble view of the Crab Nebula
Spectacular Crab
Telescopes in the cargo bay of space shuttle Columbia, December 1995
Space (Shuttle) Telescope