The Pleiades (Seven Sisters): A Star Cluster Anyone Can Find
The Pleiades, the Seven Sisters, is the prettiest star cluster you can find with no equipment at all. Look up on a clear night and you may notice a tiny, hazy knot of stars that looks almost like a miniature dipper. That small smudge of light is a true cluster of hundreds of stars, all born together, drifting through space about 444 light-years away.
Why the Pleiades (Seven Sisters) is so easy to find
Most people see this cluster by accident before they ever learn its name. It is small, compact, and just bright enough to catch your eye in the corner of your vision. Sweep your gaze across a dark patch of sky and look for a tight little box of stars set apart from everything around it.
It rides through the constellation Taurus, the bull. One reliable trick is to follow the three stars of Orion's belt upward and to the right until you land on a bright orange star, Aldebaran, then keep going to the small glittering cluster just beyond it.
How many sisters can you really see?
The name promises seven, but most people pick out six stars with the naked eye, while sharp-eyed observers under dark skies can count nine or more. The cluster actually contains over a thousand stars. The blue tint of the brightest ones tells you they are hot and young, only around 100 million years old, which is practically newborn for a star.
- Use your peripheral vision. Looking slightly to one side makes faint stars pop into view.
- Try binoculars. They turn the small smudge into a dazzling spray of dozens of stars.
- Find darker skies. Light pollution washes out the fainter sisters first.
- Give your eyes 15 to 20 minutes to adjust before counting.
If you are still learning your way around, our guide to stargazing for beginners will help you settle in, and you can see what else is up right now with our roundup of what to look for tonight.
Want to find the Seven Sisters from your own backyard? Open the Starly sky map, let it use your location, and it will point you straight to the Pleiades and tell you exactly where to look up.
Open the sky map with the Pleiades selected and count how many sisters you can see.
Frequently asked questions
How many stars can you see in the Pleiades with the naked eye?
Most people see six stars, while sharp-eyed observers under dark skies can count nine or more. The cluster actually contains over a thousand stars, so binoculars reveal dozens at once.
Where is the Pleiades in the sky?
The Pleiades sits in the constellation Taurus. Follow Orion's belt up and to the right past the orange star Aldebaran, and you will reach the small glittering cluster just beyond it.