Spectacular Pleiades

On fall and winter evenings, the northern sky's most spectacular open cluster rides high in the constellation Taurus the Bull. The 70-million-year-old cluster contains some 100 stars in an area 14 light years in diameter with ten stars brighter than 6th magnitude. Photographs show the entire area surrounded by ice-blue nebulosity that reflects the light of the hot, young stars. Debate continues whether the nebulosity is associated with the stars or whether the cluster is just moving through an area of nebulosity. Either way, the cluster/nebulosity combination makes for a magnificent wide-field photograph. Here is a reduced version of the Pleiades:

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A map of the Pleiades rotated to match all images is shown below:

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The brightest area of nebulosity surrounds the star Merope (23 Taurii) and is known as the Merope Nebula (IC349). Just to the south of Merope (left) is another area of nebulosity cataloged as NGC 1435 and also known as Tempel's Nebula. A close-up image of the area around Merope is shown below:

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Another bright area of nebulosity surrounds the Maia (20 Taurii) and is known as the Maia Nebula (NGC 1432). A close-up image of the area around Maia is shown below:

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Note 1: East is toward top and North is toward right side for all images. Complete image details are available by clicking here.

Note 2: [Source: O'Meara, Stephen James. "The Messier Objects". Cambridge: University of Cambridge and Sky Publishing, 1998. Print.]