Taurus

TaurusTaurus, illumination from a Book of Hours, Italian, c. 1475; in the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York City (MS. G.14)

Taurus, in astronomy, zodiacal constellation lying in the northern sky between Aries and Gemini, at about 4 hours 20 minutes right ascension and 16° north declination. The constellation’s brightest star, Aldebaran (Arabic for “the follower”; also called Alpha Tauri), is the 14th brightest star in the sky, with a magnitude of 0.85. The constellation also contains the Crab Nebula (M1) and the Pleiades and Hyades star clusters.

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TaurusAstronomical chart showing a bull forming the constellation Taurus; hand-colored etching by Sidney Hall from Urania's Mirror, 1825.
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TaurusTaurus (bull), watercolor and ink on paper, from a manuscript created in Ulm or Augsburg, Germany, c. 1464; in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.

In astrology, Taurus is the second sign of the zodiac, considered as governing that portion of the year from about April 20 to about May 20. Its representation as a bull is related to the Greek myth of Zeus, who assumed the form of a bull to abduct Europa.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Mindy Johnston.
Citation Information
Article Title: Taurus
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published: 29 October 2024
URL: https://www.britannica.comhttps://www.britannica.com/place/Taurus
Access Date: November 23, 2024