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Alcyone

Alcyone is the brightest star in the Pleiades open star cluster, located in the constellation Taurus. It is a multiple-star system whose primary component is a hot blue-white B-type star. The Pleiades cluster lies about 440 light-years from Earth, and Alcyone has an apparent magnitude near 2.8, making it visible to the naked eye under suitable sky conditions. The system includes several known companions detected through advanced imaging and spectroscopy.

In Greek mythology, Alcyone is one of the seven Pleiades, daughters of the Titans Atlas and Pleione.

The name Alcyone is closely linked to astronomy and culture through its prominence in the Pleiades cluster.

She
is
commonly
identified
as
the
wife
of
Ceyx;
in
the
myth,
the
couple
is
transformed
into
kingfishers
after
Ceyx’s
death.
This
story
is
the
source
of
the
term
halcyon
days,
referring
to
a
period
of
calm
weather
associated
with
the
kingfisher.
The
cluster
itself
is
a
rich
field
of
study
for
stellar
evolution
and
star
formation,
serving
as
a
nearby
laboratory
for
understanding
young
stars.
As
the
brightest
member
of
the
Pleiades,
Alcyone
is
often
referenced
in
observational
astronomy
and
in
literary
and
historical
contexts
tied
to
the
myth
of
the
Pleiades.