Hyades (Melotte 25 / Collinder 50)
Coordinates, Gaia DR3 distance (47.0 pc), age 650 Myr, moving-group kinematics, and observing guide for the Hyades cluster in Taurus.
Provenance-Backed Scientific Measurements
Every measurement below preserves its unit, uncertainty interval, observational method, reference epoch, quality status, and primary catalog source. See Uncertainty & Provenance for how competing measurements are handled.
| Parameter | Value | Uncertainty | Method & Epoch | Quality Status | Source Archive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Integrated visual magnitude (V) | 0.5 mag | ± 0.1 mag | Integrated wide-field photometry | definitive | SIMBAD Astronomical Database (CDS) |
| Cluster center-of-mass distance | 47 pc | ± 0.2 pc | Gaia DR3 astrometric parallax + secular convergent-point velocity (J2016.0) | definitive | ESA Gaia Archive — Data Release 3 |
| Isochrone & white-dwarf cooling age | 0.65 Gyr | ± 0.05 Gyr | Gaia DR3 turnoff isochrone & white-dwarf cooling sequence | high-confidence | ESA Gaia Archive — Data Release 3 |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.13 dex | ± 0.02 dex | High-resolution spectroscopy of F/G/K dwarfs | definitive | ESA Gaia Archive — Data Release 3 |
J2000 Equatorial Sky Chart & Culmination Altitude
The chart below plots Hyades (Melotte 25 Nearest Cluster) at RA 04h 26m 54.00s, Dec +15° 52′ 00.0″ within Taurus, alongside peak meridian transit altitudes for 40°N and 30°S observers. Use the RA/Dec Coordinate Converter to compute exact culmination altitude for your latitude.
Astrophysical Context & Structure
The Hyades (Melotte 25) is the nearest open star cluster to the Solar System, centered just 47.0 ± 0.2 parsecs (153 light-years) away in Taurus. Its brightest members form the unmistakable V-shaped bull's face in Taurus, though brilliant orange Aldebaran (α Tauri) at the tip of the V is a chance foreground star lying less than half as far away (20.4 pc).
For over a century, the Hyades has served as the foundational first rung of the cosmic distance ladder because its proximity allows astronomers to determine its distance purely geometrically via the moving-cluster (convergent-point) method, combining proper motions with Doppler radial velocities. Gaia DR3 has mapped not only the 3-parsec tidally bound core of ~700 stars, but also two symmetric 200-parsec tidal tails of stars gradually escaping into the Galactic disk.
At an age of roughly 650 million years and a supersolar metallicity of [Fe/H] = +0.13 dex, the Hyades' most massive original B and A stars have already evolved off the main sequence into four yellow-orange K0 III clump giants (Gamma, Delta-1, Epsilon, and Theta-1 Tauri) and eight white dwarfs.
Practical Visual Observing Guide
- Spanning more than 5.5° across the face of Taurus, the Hyades is a prime naked-eye and wide-angle binocular cluster.
- Look closely at the naked-eye double Theta Tauri (θ¹ and θ² Tauri), separated by 5.6 arcminutes along the southern arm of the V: θ² is a magnitude 3.4 white A7 giant while θ¹ is a magnitude 3.8 orange K0 giant, both true cluster members.
- Compare the warm orange glow of foreground Aldebaran (magnitude 0.86) against the softer 3.5–4.0 magnitude cluster giants in 7×50 binoculars.
Catalog Cross-Identifications & Aliases
Common Aliases: Melotte 25 · Collinder 50 · Caldwell 41
| Catalog Authority | Identifier |
|---|---|
| SIMBAD | Melotte 25 |
| WIKIDATA | Q13426 |
Related Objects, Comparisons & Guides
Pleiades (Messier 45 Open Cluster)
Coordinates, Gaia DR3 distance (136.2 pc), magnitude 1.6, reflection nebulosity, and observing guide for the Pleiades (M45) in Taurus.
Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri Orange Giant)
Coordinates, Hipparcos distance (66.6 ly), 45.1 R☉ radius, Hyades foreground alignment, and observing guide for Aldebaran in Taurus.
Beehive Cluster (Messier 44 Praesepe)
Coordinates, Gaia DR3 distance (186.2 pc), magnitude 3.1, exoplanet hosts, and observing guide for the Beehive Cluster (M44 / NGC 2632).
Binocular Deep-Sky Objects Observing Guide
How to observe open clusters, globular clusters, diffuse nebulae, and Local Group galaxies with 7x50, 10x50, and 15x70 astronomy binoculars.
Winter Circle, Orion & Taurus Observing Guide
Winter sky observing tour of Orion, Taurus, Canis Major, Auriga, and Perseus: bright OB/M supergiants, open clusters, M42, and the Crab Nebula (M1).
Trigonometric Parallax, Parsecs & Gaia DR3
How trigonometric parallax (d_pc = 1 / p_arcsec), the distance modulus equation, Hipparcos, and Gaia DR3 microarcsecond astrometry measure cosmic distances.
Proper Motion, Radial Velocity & Redshift
How astronomers combine tangential proper motion (mas/yr), Doppler radial velocity (km/s), and cosmological redshift (z) to reconstruct 3D space motion.
Galactic Open Clusters Reference Catalog
Cross-reference catalog of nearby galactic disk open star clusters—Hyades, Pleiades (M45), Beehive (M44), and Double Cluster (NGC 869/884)—with Gaia DR3 data.
Scientific Sources & Dataset Provenance
- ESA Gaia Archive — Data Release 3 (DR3 (2022-06-13)): Gaia Collaboration, Vallenari, A., et al. 2023, A&A, 674, A1 (Gaia Data Release 3) — European Space Agency / Gaia DPAC
- SIMBAD Astronomical Database (CDS) (2026-10 release): Wenger, M., et al. 2000, A&AS, 143, 9 (The SIMBAD astronomical database) — Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg