7 stars!

[Summer of 95]

Just been out for a spot of late-night stargazing, and for the first time ever I can actually see seven Pleiades! The one I can see for the very first time is Pleione, just above Atlas the lefmost bright one. It's not exactly easy, needs averted vision to see clearly, but it's there! Interestingly it's listed as a variable star that undergoes outbursts; is the air just very clear or is it undergoing one? Not even in really dark skies have I seen it before.

Edited September 16, 2013 by Summer of 95

[laserguy]

I've been familiar with the Pleiades since being a small child - but now you mention it I've never actually bothered to check if there really is seven!

[ARTDEMOLE]

It is said that there are more than can be counted behind the seven sisters..

[Summer of 95]

It is said that there are more than can be counted behind the seven sisters..

There are 11 that are brighter than magnitude 6, thus within the naked-eye range; the problem is they are so close together. Pleione (the one I saw for the first time) is very very close to the much brighter Atlas- about a third the distance between Mizar and Alcor in the Plough, which are easy to separate. Jupiter's 4 biggest moons would be naked eye too, if they weren't hidden by the glare of the plan

[A.J]

yes, the most I've ever seen is 6.......we've moved to more a rural area though now, so should be much lower light pollution....I'll have a look tonight