How did Hyades stars help science in 1919?

Their light tested Einstein's relativity during an eclipse

Hyades Quiz: The V-Shaped Star Cluster in Taurus

This Hyades quiz looks up at the V-shaped cluster that forms the face of Taurus the bull. Play 10 interactive questions on its distance, bright Aldebaran in the foreground, the cluster's age, Greek myths of rain-bringing sisters, the nearby Pleiades and the 1919 eclipse that tested Einstein.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Constellation
In which constellation are the Hyades?
Shape
What shape do the brightest Hyades stars make?
Distance
About how far away are the Hyades?
Aldebaran
Is bright Aldebaran a true member of the Hyades?
Type
What kind of cluster are the Hyades?
Age
Roughly how old is the cluster?
Myth
In Greek myth, who were the Hyades?
Rain
What were the Hyades linked with in ancient times?
Sisters
Which nearby cluster is also in Taurus?
1919
How did Hyades stars help science in 1919?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: In which constellation are the Hyades?
Answer: Taurus
They form the bull's face.
Q2: What shape do the brightest Hyades stars make?
Answer: A V
It marks the bull's head.
Q3: About how far away are the Hyades?
Answer: About 150 light-years
It is the nearest open cluster.
Q4: Is bright Aldebaran a true member of the Hyades?
Answer: No, it is much closer
It lies in the foreground.
Q5: What kind of cluster are the Hyades?
Answer: An open cluster
Its stars formed together.
Q6: Roughly how old is the cluster?
Answer: About 600 million years
It is older than the Pleiades.
Q7: In Greek myth, who were the Hyades?
Answer: Daughters of Atlas
They were half-sisters of the Pleiades.
Q8: What were the Hyades linked with in ancient times?
Answer: Rain
Their name may mean the rainy ones.
Q9: Which nearby cluster is also in Taurus?
Answer: The Pleiades
It is often called the Seven Sisters.
Q10: How did Hyades stars help science in 1919?
Answer: Their light tested Einstein's relativity during an eclipse
Starlight bent near the Sun.

Hyades Quiz – The V-Shaped Star Cluster in Taurus

The Hyades are an open cluster about 150 light-years away, the nearest to the solar system. Their brightest stars form a V that marks the face of Taurus the bull.

Bright orange Aldebaran appears to sit in the V, but it is much closer and not a true member. The cluster is about 600 million years old, older than the nearby Pleiades.

In Greek myth the Hyades were daughters of Atlas linked with rain. During the 1919 solar eclipse, astronomers measured Hyades stars near the Sun and found their light bent as Einstein predicted.

What This Quiz Teaches

Astronomy fans will enjoy these questions.

Where the Hyades are
How far away they are
Why Aldebaran is different
What myths say
How they helped science

Did You Know?

The cluster is easy to see without a telescope.
Its stars share motion through space.
It helps astronomers measure cosmic distances.
Arthur Eddington led one of the 1919 expeditions.
Winter is a good time to see Taurus in the north.