About Maia
Description
Maia, 20 Tauri, is a B6.5 III giant about 399 light-years away and one of the brightest stars of the Pleiades open cluster (M45). At magnitude 3.87 it is the fourth-brightest Pleiad. Maia has a mass of about 5 solar masses and rotates slowly for a B-type star. Like several of its cluster siblings, Maia is embedded in a reflection nebula — a dusty remnant lit up by the star's blue light, cataloged as NGC 1432 and also known as the Maia Nebula.
Observing Tips
Maia is one of the "Seven Sisters" — readily visible to the naked eye as one of the defining points of the Pleiades asterism. In a 4-inch or larger telescope under dark skies, the nebulosity surrounding Maia becomes visible as a soft blue glow enveloping the star. Best observed October through March.
History
Maia is named for one of the Pleiades of Greek mythology — the eldest of the Seven Sisters, daughters of Atlas and Pleione. The name is one of the oldest continuously used star-names in Western astronomy, traceable to Homer and Hesiod. The reflection-nebula association was first photographed at Paris Observatory in 1885.
Fun Facts
The Maia Nebula (NGC 1432) is part of the larger interstellar dust cloud that the Pleiades is currently passing through — the nebulosity is not cluster-native but a chance encounter. The star also gives its name to the "Maia variables," a now-defunct variable-star class originally proposed in the 1950s but later shown not to be a distinct population.
Observe
1Physical Properties
2Position & Identifiers
3How easy to spot?
| Equipment | Bortle 3 | Bortle 4 | Bortle 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naked eye Naked eye | Easy | Medium+ | Medium+ |
| 50 mm finder 50mm finder | Easy | Easy | Easy |
| 150 mm telescope 150mm scope | Easy | Easy | Easy |
Bortle 3 = rural · 4 = outer suburbs · 5 = suburbs
4Visibility
Set a location in User Settings to see visibility data.
5Survey Image
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Explore
7
Size Comparison
8
Compare Stars
9
Spectral Classification
10
Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
11
Stellar Lifecycle
12
Blackbody Spectrum
13
Stellar Absorption Spectrum
Simulated absorption spectrum based on spectral type. Hover over lines to identify elements.
14
Stellar Fusion
Discover
15Stellar Notes
16
Light Travel Time Machine
17
Relativistic Travel
Nearby in the Sky
Other targets within a few degrees — pan your scope a little and keep exploring.
Visibility scores assume a 150 mm Newton at Bortle 4.
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