How to find Taurus constellation

The constellation Taurus at the latitudes of Central Russia can be observed in whole or in part from July to April. The best time for a detailed inspection of the constellation Taurus is from October to February inclusive. The constellation Taurus is very easy to find thanks to the Pleiades (micro-bucket), Hyades (V-asterism) and the constellation Orion. True, at the first acquaintance with the constellation Taurus, it is best to start searching for it, proceeding from the well-known constellations Ursa Minor and Ursa Major. Since these constellations never set in our northern sky, they can also be used to find out, for example, how far Taurus has hidden behind the horizon (Fig. 14.Tau ):

Figure: 14.Tau. How to find the constellation Taurus using the constellations Ursa Minor and Ursa Major
(When copying the picture, please keep its numbering from the original article, for example,  Fig . 14.Tau - " Constellation Taurus ", a link to the original is required.)

If we mentally continue the line Megrets  (δ Uma) -  Dubhe  (α Uma) beyond the constellation Ursa Major, then it will first lead to the brightest Capella (Alpha Aurigae) at the edge of the Milky Way, and its continuation beyond the Milky Way will provide an accurate hit in the star cluster Pleiades  (yellow arrows). Another accurate hit in the Pleiades cluster is obtained from the green ray emanating from the handle of the Ursa Minor: Urodelus (ε UMi) - Polar Star  (α UMi).
The third well-aimed shot is obtained if you draw the Phecda line  (γ UMa) -  Merak (β UMa) and lead it further to the Milky Way, then the arrow will hit the star Elnat (red arrow).

Most often, various sources recommend looking for the constellation Taurus based on the constellation Orion, although with the exact hits of the lines of sight from the stars of Orion, everything is not so simple (Fig. 15.Tau ):

Figure: 15.Tau. How to find the constellation Taurus using the stars of the constellation Orion
(When copying the picture, please keep the numbering of the original article 15.Tau , " Constellation Taurus ", a reference to the original is required.)

The line of sight through the stars Saiph (κ Ori) - Hatysa (ι Ori) will lead first to the star Tabit ((π ³ Ori; 3.19 ^m ) on the Orion shield, then it will pass along the edge of the Hyades cluster and rest against the Pleiades micro-bucket from below (red line Fig. 15.Tau )
Unfortunately, the shortest line of sight passing through the brightest stars Orina Rigel (β Ori; 0.18 ^m ) and Betelgeuse (α Ori; 0.45 ^m ) results in not the brightest Alheka (ζ Tau, 2.97 ^m) located at the tip of the Taurus Horn (yellow arrow).
Vector Betelgeuse (β Ori) - Aldebaran (α Tau) i also build with the help of not the brightest star of Meissa - λ Ori A; 3.39^m (green arrow)

The easiest way to determine the location of the Taurus constellation is to use the help of the Pleiae and Hyades star clusters. The Pleiades star cluster is a unique object in the Earth's starry sky in terms of brightness and configuration.

Figure: 16.Tau. How to determine the constellation Taurus using the star clusters Plada and Hyades, as well as the star Aldebaran (asterism Slingshot)
(When copying the picture, please keep the numbering of the original article 16.Tau , " Constellation Taurus ", a link to the original is required.)

The Pleiades star cluster uniquely defines the stellar domain of the constellation Taurus.
If we draw lines from the upper and lower edges of the Pleiades micro-bucket towards the handle, then the upper line is reduced to the star  Ain   (ε Tau, 3.53m), and the lower one to the star Aldebaran (α Tau). The first, the most compact, resulting configuration is a schematic drawing of a slingshot, in this way I was determined with the configuration of the Taurus constellation in childhood.

Now it remains only to correctly determine the angular dimensions of the constellation Taurus. In Figure 17.Tau the constellation is shown in the position that it can be seen overhead on an autumn or winter evening, turning to the south or southeast.

Figure: 17.Tau. Estimation of the angular size of the constellation Taurus using an outstretched arm.
(When copying a picture, please keep the numbering of the original article 17.Tau , " Constellation Taurus ", a reference to the original is required.)

The angular size of Taurus can be estimated based on the results of calculations of the angular distance between the stars of the constellation, for example, the angular distance from the star Aldebaran to the star Elnath is 16.757° (The angular distance between the stars - online calculation ) , and from the star Aldebaran to the brightest star of the Pleiades Alcyone - 13.650° and from Elnata to Alcyone - 22.544°.
Another simpler way to estimate angular distances is with an outstretched arm .
The angular distance between the thumb and forefinger of an outstretched hand of a person of normal constitution is 16-18° (regardless of gender and age from 7 years, by the way, using the base of the Big Square, you can calibrate the angular size of your own hand). The stars of Taurus against the background of an outstretched hand will look approximately as shown in Figure 17.Tau.

 

 

Sergey Ov ( Seosnews9 ): Телец, Taurus (Tau), sixth constellation of the Zodiac