Re: VMs: Pleiades

["Larry Roux" <lroux@xxxxxxx>]

Actually, only 6 stars of the Pleiades are generally seen without any optical devices.  people with good eyesight could make out the seventh.  Of course, with binoculars or a telescope one can see many stars.


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Larry Roux
Syracuse University
lroux@xxxxxxx
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>>> JGrove@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 05/12/04 04:46 AM >>>
Hi all,

It seems to be generally accepted as fact that the 'doaro' cluster of stars
on f68r3 represents the Pleides, but I wonder why this assumption is made.
True, there are 7 stars in the picture and classically there were 7
Pleaides, but the arrangement of the stars in the picture doesn't really
correspond with the true appearance of the stars in the cluster. In fact
visually there are usually more than 7 visible unless light pollution is a
problem - and I assume it was not at the time the VMS was written.

Is there any other evidence that the 'doaro' cluster is the Pleaides, or is
it just an assumption that's persisted over the years? Given that none of
the other star layouts seem representative of anything, I wonder if the
doaro group was simply intended to look like the others but the artist
accidentally drew them too small!

Cheers,
Jon.

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