Re: VMs: Pleiades

[Rene Zandbergen <r_zandbergen@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dear all,

there seems to be some confusion.
The Pleiades is a star cluster according to modern
terminology, which has also been called a
constellation in earlier times.

It has always been recorded to consist of 6 visible
stars for people with normal eye sight and under
moderate conditions. Those who can see more, for
whatever reason, can see 8 or 10 or even more.
Never 7.
It is true that the Pleiades are named after the
7 daughters of Atlas and Pleione. The stars are
named after them, but also Atlas and Pleione
figure among them. One name (Sterope or Asterope)
is assigned to a pair of stars, so in fact 10
stars in the Pleiades carry a name.

The number 7 'belongs' to this cluster since 
recorded history. 
Again, it is not proven fact, but a very good
working assumption, that the picture in the VMs
represents the Pleiades.

On a related matter, one of the marginal stars
in the recipes section (ff. 103-116) is drawn
as a binary star. I am not sure that these
are meant to represent stars, but it is 
curious nonetheless.

Cheers, Rene


	
		
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