archive / atlas record
Hyades
The nearest major open cluster to the Solar System.
- classification
- Open star cluster
- system
- Milky Way
The Hyades provide a well-studied population of stars with similar age and composition, useful for calibrating stellar measurements.
- Class
- Open star cluster
- Location / system
- Milky Way
- Distance
- About 150 light-years from Earth
Only values with an established scientific consensus are listed. Where a quantity is uncertain or model-dependent, it is discussed in the sections below rather than stated as data.
Overview (starter entry, expanded review pending)
The Hyades provide a well-studied population of stars with similar age and composition, useful for calibrating stellar measurements.
Astrometry and colour–magnitude analysis
Hyades's member stars are identified through shared positions and motions. Their colours and luminosities are compared with stellar-evolution models to estimate age and distance.
- What remains least constrained about Hyades?Composition, internal structure, formation history or local environment can require different observations and may remain model-dependent.
Items above are unresolved. Hypotheses are labelled as such and are not presented as confirmed findings.
CDS Strasbourg // verified 28 September 2026