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Merope is close to Alcyone (map bottom). |
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| Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox J2000 |
|
|---|---|
| Constellation | Taurus |
| Right ascension | 03h 46m 19.5739s[1] |
| Declination | 23° 56′ 54.090″[1] |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 4.113[1] |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | B6IVe[1] |
| U−B color index | -0.41 |
| B−V color index | -0.06[2] |
| Variable type | Beta Cephei |
| Astrometry | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | 6.2[1] km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: 21.17[1] mas/yr Dec.: -42.67[1] mas/yr |
| Parallax (π) | 9.08 ± 1.04[3] mas |
| Distance | approx. 360 ly (approx. 110 pc) |
| Absolute magnitude (MV) | −1.07 |
| Other designations | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
Coordinates: 03h 46m 19.5739s, +23° 56′ 54.090″
Merope (23 Tauri) is a star in the constellation Taurus and a member of the Pleiades star cluster. It is approximately 360 light years from Earth.
Merope is a blue-white B-type subgiant with a mean apparent magnitude of +4.14. Richard Hinckley Allen described the star as lucid white and violet.[4] It has a luminosity of 630 times that of the Sun and a surface temperature of 14,000 kelvins. Merope's mass is roughly 4.5 solar masses and has a radius more than 4 times as great as the Sun's. It is classified as a Beta Cephei type variable star and its brightness varies by 0.01 magnitudes.
Surrounding Merope is the Merope Nebula. Part of the nebula that the Pleiades Cluster is currently passing through, it appears brightest around Merope and is listed in the Index Catalogue as number IC 349.