Taygeta is a blue-white star of the Pleiades, named for the sister who in Greek myth was mother of Lacedaemon, founder of Sparta.
At a glance
| type | blue-white star (class B) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 447 light-years (137 pc) |
| its light left it | 447 years ago |
| luminosity | 600 × the Sun |
| radius | 4 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 13,700 K |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Taygeta
Taygeta is a hot B-type star in the Pleiades, among the fainter of the stars a sharp eye can pick out in the cluster. It is a close binary, two stars too near each other to be separated in an ordinary telescope.
In myth Taygeta bore Zeus a son, Lacedaemon, who gave his name to the land of Sparta; a mountain range above Sparta is still called Taygetus.
Like all the bright members of the Pleiades, Taygeta shares the cluster’s age and distance: it formed with the others and has travelled with them ever since.
What you see in the piece
In the Pleiades Taygeta is one of the smaller blue-white stars, near Maia; flown to, its companion separates from it only when you are very close.
Questions
Who was Taygeta?
Taygeta was one of the Seven Sisters of Greek myth, mother of Lacedaemon, the founder of Sparta.
How far away is Taygeta?
Taygeta is 447 light-years (137 pc) from the Sun.