Ahh, the Pleiades!

[CumbrianGadgey]

Since I was a kid and my uncle Tony pointed out the constellations to me, there was always one little cluster that stood out.

I remember asking about the little thing shaped (to me) like a pram and he told me its name.

It has always been one of the first things I look for on a clear night, ever since.

Now I've got a telescope at age 47, it was almost the first thing I pointed it at. The first was the moon for the sake of my daughter but Alcyone, Electra and friends followed soon after...Even the names are exotic and enticing.

I looked at it again tonight with my new starguider eyepieces and it was even more beautiful. With my longest focal length eyepiece, I just stood and watched it for ages. The faint glow of the Maia nebula and the multitude of stars that you see in such a small area of sky is astonishing.

In some ways, though, I still like to look at it with the naked and ageing eye. Now that I know what it lokks like closer up, I can imagine the rest.

I feel slightly mad to be so obsessed with a small cluster of stars, but it's a personal thing, I suppose. I'll go to bed a happy man tonight.

Happy stargazing!

[nightfisher]

A great post, i feel your enthusiasm in your words, i also love to view M45, it is a beautiful constellation and worth looking up on wiki to get the folklore surrounding this jewel 

[CumbrianGadgey]

A great post, i feel your enthusiasm in your words, i also love to view M45, it is a beautiful constellation and worth looking up on wiki to get the folklore surrounding this jewel 

I will do the research, right after I go and peek at Jupiter again.

You've tempted me with stars and folklore...nice!

Thanks for the post (That's better than just 'liking it', I think.)

[Special K]

A much shared interest and fascination amongst many of us with these jewels! I find myself deliberately skipping them so that I move on to new things in a session. But with my new bins what did I look at first?! 7 Sisters, couldn't help it! They never fail to satisfy the eye especially after a frustrating session with little faint fuzzies. Enjoy!

[CumbrianGadgey]

A much shared interest and fascination amongst many of us with these jewels! I find myself deliberately skipping them so that I move on to new things in a session. But with my new bins what did I look at first?! 7 Sisters, couldn't help it! They never fail to satisfy the eye especially after a frustrating session with little faint fuzzies. Enjoy!

I will.

It seems that a few of us share their delight. That's enough for me...the rest of them don't realise what they're missing.

[Alien 13]

The Seven Sisters to me the most stunning object in the sky im not sure what the appeal is but i think its the depth of its layres so no matter what you observe it with it just looks magical.

The downside for me personally is that its also the hardest object to image the shear contrast of the thing it never looks as good as when using your eyeball and bino`s/scope.

[Kirscovitch]

It is a great target. 

Very nice through a low power EP but I think my best views of it were through my 10x50 bins.

And I also know what you mean about a group of stars having a sort of sentimental value. I feel the same way about Orion. It was the first constellation that I can remember being able to identify, and will always hold a soft spot in my heart.

[Paul73]

I agree entirely. The Seven Sisters, Orion, the Plough (and the moon). Every child has had them pointed out by a relative at a young age. And they stick with us through life.

It is rare that I have an obverving session where the scope doesn't land on Pleiades and the Orion Nebula at least once.

Paul

[Jesterowl]

So its not just me then

Seven sisters was the first object I looked at through a telescope at a stargazing live event a couple years ago. 

I always spend maybe 10 - 15 mins looking through the scope at them whenever im out 

[Special K]

I was always impressed by old images of these in books with the diffraction spikes and cool colors. It was then a real blast to see them in the scope. They burn blue every time! Thought I saw the nebulosity on one occasion which was rare.

[Stargazer 2013]

when I was a lad lol I always seen that first and now it's so easy to spot,with my oldish eyes it  looks faint compared to some of the other stars but when looked through a scope I find it hard to actually see the cluster of stars,everything is upside down ..I need something to make them appear as I look at them without a scope,I don't have bins,believe there is a angle mirrored item to correct this?

[Pig]

I like the little triangle that's right in the centre

[piggeron]

It has to be one of the most beautiful sights in the night sky. No matter how many times I've looked, every night I'm out I find my scope drawn to that wonderful little cluster. It was the first thing I showed my Dad after i got my telescope and he has been enthralled by its sight ever since. Like so many others have said, it's one of the few items that keep you coming back to it.

[rory]

I prefer looking at the pleadies with a finder scope or bins .

Before getting into astronomy I thought it was called , little bear , as it was like a miniature version if the plough which is part of the great bear !

[jgs001]

Excellent report, you enjoyed that. The sisters weren't my first object but fairly soon and I always, when I can take a look. S pair of binos dis the job perfectly. Also had my first scare whilst observing watching them. A plane flew straight through the middle. That made me jump.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

[CumbrianGadgey]

I'm delighted to see that I'm not the only one fascinated by this innocent looking cluster of stars.

It's also interesting that, like me, people remember them from their childhood.

I have yet to get the scope out and not look at them.

I wonder if some alien standing on a planet orbiting Electra or Maia is staring back at us, thinking 'that's a lovely little star?', or more correctly 'Why ay, man, ah luv that star, me! It's canny, bonny lad.' (It's a well known fact that all aliens speak with a North-East accent).

[davefrance]

when I was a lad lol I always seen that first and now it's so easy to spot,with my oldish eyes it  looks faint compared to some of the other stars but when looked through a scope I find it hard to actually see the cluster of stars,everything is upside down ..I need something to make them appear as I look at them without a scope,I don't have bins,believe there is a angle mirrored item to correct this?

Its called an image erecting prism / diagonal. A 1.25 can be purchased for £40+. There are different ones depending upon whether you have a refractor or reflector telescope make sure you choose the right one. They can degrade the image so are not usually used for astro viewing. I quote "there is no right way up in the sky". Can be useful for terrestrial viewing as makes it easier to follow the object.

Example

http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-tal-45-degree-erecting-prism-1-25-inch-31-7mm-/p10719?cm_mmc=googlebase-extension-_-eyepiece-accessories-_-erecting-prisms-_-sky-watcher-45-degree-erecting-prism_10719&utm_source=googlebase-extension&mkwid=wqey6wvq&pcrid=22171932369&gclid=cp_pqpaml7wcfvdltaodkyea1a

[osbourne one-nil]

Leslie Peltier talks about the Pleiades at the start of his Starlight Nights book in a way which conveys how I feel every time I see them for the first time in the late summer or autumn. The used to rise over a walnut tree in the garden when I was a kid, and now they rise just to the right of Murton Pike in the Pennines from where I now live. 

I've never seen the nebulosity though, and I've had up to a 12" dob at some point. I guess it's very subtle?

[CumbrianGadgey]

Leslie Peltier talks about the Pleiades at the start of his Starlight Nights book in a way which conveys how I feel every time I see them for the first time in the late summer or autumn. The used to rise over a walnut tree in the garden when I was a kid, and now they rise just to the right of Murton Pike in the Pennines from where I now live. 

I've never seen the nebulosity though, and I've had up to a 12" dob at some point. I guess it's very subtle?

I've read reviews by people who claim to have seen the nebulosity with much smaller scopes. Personally, I'm beginning to think that they have vivid imaginations. I'm going to take a peek shortly, once the pain eases off in my fingertips. I Don't think I'll see any gas cloud with my 200P but it won't stop me basking in the cluster's (literally) reflected glory.

[Kirscovitch]

No matter what I plan on viewing on any given night, M45 always finds its way into the mix.