Taygeta

Taygeta is a figure in Greek mythology, one of the Pleiades, the seven sister-nymphs who inhabit the sky as a star cluster. The Pleiades are commonly named Maia, Electra, Taygeta, Celaeno, Alcyone, Merope, and, in some traditions, Asterope (Sterope). They are said to be the daughters of Atlas and Pleione, and various myths recount that Zeus or other gods placed them among the stars to preserve them from Orion’s pursuit or to honor their beauty. Individual stories about Taygeta are not as well developed as those of the other sisters; she is typically treated as part of the collective group rather than as a distinct figure with separate deeds.

In astronomy, Taygeta is the name assigned to a star within the Pleiades cluster, an open star cluster in the constellation Taurus. The cluster is a prominent object in the night sky, visible from many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, and lies at a distance of roughly 440 light-years from Earth. Within the cluster, Taygeta is among the fainter member stars, contributing to the overall brightness and structure of the group rather than standing out as one of its brightest points.

The name Taygeta has endured in modern usage as a reference to the Pleiades in literature, science fiction, and astronomical naming conventions, illustrating the ongoing link between ancient myth and contemporary science.