Log Astronomy: 'Tis the season to explore the Taurus constellation!

It's also a great time to stock up for stargazing during our limited-time sale on astronomy gear!

The Pleiades Cluster as imaged by astrophotographer Larry Byrge using Explore Scientific's ED102 Air-Spaced Triplet APO Refractor.

'Tis the season to visit

the Taurus constellation

Like the creature that cultures across the centuries have associated it with, the Taurus or "bull" constellation is a bold dominating presence. And this month, Taurus is perfectly positioned for easy observation as it faces off with Orion in the northern hemisphere's winter sky.

One of the Zodiac constellations, Taurus occupies an area of 797 square degrees and is home to a number of stunning celestial treasures. The brightest star in the constellation is Aldebaran, which is an orange giant star often characterized as the bull's glaring bloodshot eye. Also known as Alpha Tauri, this star is the 13th brightest in the sky and can be used to easily locate two of the constellation's other famous features - the Pleiades and Hyades open star clusters.

Also know by the names Messier 45 or the more poetic Seven Sisters, the Pleiades open star cluster has a rich lore that crosses cultures and goes back thousands of years. It is relatively young, having formed within the last 100 million years, and lies relatively close to Earth at about 440 light years away. It consists of more than 1,000 confirmed stars, although an average of only six are visible to the naked eye. A dark sky free of light pollution can help a dedicated observer see around a dozen Pleiades stars, but a good pair of binoculars or a low-power telescope can quickly reveal many of the more elusive members of this legendary cluster.

The Hyades is the nearest open star cluster to the Sun and includes the four red giant stars that form the asterism representing the bull's head. In addition to its famous stars and star clusters, the Taurus constellation is also home to some beautiful deep sky objects such as the Crab Nebula, which earned the distinct honor of being the first object to be entered into the Messier catalogue. The Crab Nebula is an expanding remnant of a supernova that was documented by astronomers in several cultures in 1054.