Merope

Merope is a name that appears in both mythology and astronomy. In Greek mythology, Merope is one of the seven Pleiades, daughters of Atlas and Pleione. She is commonly described as the least bright of the sisters, a detail linked in myth to her supposed union with a mortal or to her shyness. In many tellings, the other Pleiades are prominent in the sky, while Merope’s star is faint or obscured, making her the least conspicuous of the group.

In astronomy, Merope is a star in the Pleiades open cluster, located in the constellation Taurus. The Pleiades cluster is relatively young, with an estimated age of about 100 million years, and lies roughly 440 light-years from Earth. Merope is the faintest of the cluster’s bright members and its light is partially dimmed by interstellar dust in the surrounding nebulosity. Because of its relative dimness, Merope is typically visible in binoculars or small telescope, rather than with the naked eye, and it is often noted as the dimmer counterpart to the cluster’s more prominent stars.