Hyades is an open star cluster in the constellation of Taurus. It’s best viewed in winter through early spring.
Observers should be able to see Hyades from most locations with the unaided eye. At only 150 light years from earth, Hyades is the closest star cluster to earth.
My Observations
December 28, 2020 | 7:53 p.m.
Seattle, Washington, USA
Meade LX65 8″ ACF, 40mm eyepiece
This is my first time observing Hyades in a larger scope. The cluster spills outside of my 40mm eyepiece as expected. Still, what I see is a nice “ring” of stars with various colors ranging from orange to red to blue.
Key Stats
| When to view | Winter | R.A. (2021) | 04h 28m 5.56s |
| Constellation | Taurus | Dec (2021) | +15° 54` 47 |
| Visual Magnitude | +0.5 | Distance | 147 ly |
| Absolute Magnitude | -2.77 | Age | Unknown |
| Apparent Size | 330 arcmin | Milky Way Locations | Orion Spur |
| Diameter | 14.1 ly | My Viewing Grade | A |
Sources and Notes
Photo of Hyades by Todd Vance and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.
AKA: Caldwell 41
The Garden Astronomer 
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