Astronomers have redefined the size of the famous Pleiades cluster. According to a new study, it is twenty times larger than believed. This discovery reshapes how scientists understand cluster formation and evolution. The finding reveals many hidden stars moving together across the night sky.
What Has Been Found?
Researchers identified hundreds of faint stars linked to the Pleiades. These stars are spread much wider than the seven bright ones. Together, they form an extended stellar family spanning huge cosmic distances. The stars share the same motion, age and chemical fingerprint. They are likely formed from the same stellar nursery.
Who and where did research take place?
The discovery was made by Andrew Boyle, a Toronto researcher. He worked with astronomer Jason Kalirai and international science teams. They used data from ESA’s Gaia space telescope mission.
NASA’s TESS observations confirmed hidden stars in the Pleiades cluster. The team combined these datasets to trace the stars shared movement. Their work was carried out through international collaboration across observatories.
What did scientists observe?
Scientists noted faint stars travel together with the main cluster. These stars were previously unseen due to limited detection sensitivity. Data from Gaia revealed that consistent trajectories have shared their origin. The study also showed the cluster is slowly dispersing outward. This finding hints at how star clusters gradually dissolve over time.
What Comes Next?
Astronomers plan to map the extended cluster in greater detail. Future research will examine how these hidden members formed together. The size of Pleiades may explain other cluster behaviours. It could also reveal patterns linking star birth and stellar migration. The discovery proves that even familiar constellations still hold deep mysteries.
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