Look at the Pleiades star cluster and you will probably count six stars. Yet cultures across the world, from ancient Greece to Aboriginal Australia, call them seven sisters and tell of one who is missing. Astronomers Ray and Barnaby Norris have suggested a reason: long ago, a seventh star may really have been visible.
Truth label: Speculative. A fascinating idea without solid evidence yet.
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The idea
Two stars in the cluster, Pleione and Atlas, now sit so close they look like one. The Norrises calculate that about 100,000 years ago they were far enough apart for sharp eyes to see both.
Why it's speculative
If true, the story would be older than humans leaving Africa. The authors frame it as a possibility, not a proof, and similar stories could also have arisen separately.
Learn
- The missing sister. In the Greek myth, one daughter of Atlas hides after falling in love with a mortal. In Aboriginal versions, a sister has died, is hiding, is too young, or was taken away.
Test yourself
How many Pleiades stars do most people see with the naked eye?
Six. Most people see about six, even though the stories speak of seven sisters.
Sources
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