Taurus is a constellation in the northern winter sky. Taurus is visible in the evening from November to April, in the morning from August to December. It is in the sky north of the conspicuous hunter Orion.
The head of Taurus is formed by the V-shaped Hyades open star cluster. The conspicuous reddish star Aldebaran, which is not part of the Hyades star cluster, represents the eye turned toward Orion. Some distance to the east of the Hyades are the stars β Tauri and ζ Tauri, which represent the tips of the horns. A hand’s breadth northwest of the Hyades is the open star cluster of the Pleiades – also called the Seven Stars.
| Taurus | |
|---|---|
| Latin name | Taurus |
| Latin genitive | Tauri |
| Abbreviation | Tau |
| Brightest star | Aldebaran (α Tauri) |
| Fully visible | 90° N to 65° S |
| Observation time for Central Europe | September – March |
