Prima Hyadum is a yellow giant of the Hyades, the nearest open cluster, and it marks the point of the V that forms the face of Taurus, the Bull.
At a glance
| type | yellow giant (class G) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 162 light-years (49.5 pc) |
| its light left it | 162 years ago |
| luminosity | 89.7 × the Sun |
| radius | 11.2 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 5,310 K |
| constellation | Taurus (Bull) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Prima Hyadum
Prima Hyadum is a class G giant, a member of the Hyades cluster that has already left the main sequence and swollen. The stars of the Hyades were born together from the same cloud, so they share an age; the most massive members, like this one, have aged fastest and become giants.
The name is Latin for the first of the Hyades, the daughters of Atlas in Greek myth. The cluster’s brighter stars form the V of the Bull’s face, and Prima Hyadum sits at the tip of that V, the Bull’s nose. Aldebaran, the bright orange eye, looks like part of the V but lies much closer and is not a member.
What you see in the piece
Fly to the Hyades in the piece and the cluster stays together as a group in space, while Aldebaran detaches and falls away in front of it.
Questions
Is Prima Hyadum part of the Hyades cluster?
Yes. It is one of the cluster’s giant stars and marks the tip of the V that forms the face of Taurus.
How far away is Prima Hyadum?
Prima Hyadum is 162 light-years (49.5 pc) from the Sun.