Home >> Science & Nature >> Astronomy

How to Recognize Taurus in the Night Sky

Taurus is the symbol of the bull, and a bull's eye and horns are key shapes to look for in the constellation Taurus. Some of its stars are among the brightest in the night sky, which is one reason why even ancient astronomers, with nothing close to a powerful telescope, wrote about it. Myth has it that Taurus represents a god who turned himself into a bull to try to catch a maiden. It is best seen during the winter.

Things You'll Need

Binoculars
Telescope

Instructions

- 1
  Direct your telescope or binoculars to the eastern horizon during the late fall through winter. Taurus is most visible during the months of December and January. If you have trouble locating Taurus, look for the Taurid meteor shower during the month of November along the eastern sky. This shower is believed to originate in the vicinity of the constellation.
- 2
  Look for a reddish object in the southwestern corner of the constellation. This is Aldebaran, the red-colored right eye of the constellation. Aldebaran, the 13th brightest star, is considered the "eye" of the bull and forms the point of a distinctive "V" shape of stars.
- 3
  Look counterclockwise along the eastern horizon from Aldebaran to identify the two bright stars Beta Tauri and Zeta Tauri, which make up the "horns" the bull. They are positioned to the northwest of Aldebaran.
- 4
  Look for the Hyades stellar cluster within the constellation. It is made up of reddish-brown stars east of Aldebaran and helps form the bull's head. Just northwest of Aldebaran is the seven-star cluster Pleiades, which sits near the bull's shoulders. Also commonly known as the Seven Sisters, this cluster is at the back of the bull

Astronomy