Seven Dusty Sisters in Infrared

Is this really the famous Pleiades star cluster? Known for its iconic blue stars , the Pleiades is shown here in infrared light where the surrounding dust outshines the stars. Here three infrared colors have been mapped into visual colors (R=24, G=12, B=4.6 micron s). The base images were taken by NASA's orbiting Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) spacecraft. Cataloged as M45 and nicknamed the Seven Sisters , the Pleiades star cluster is by chance situated in a passing dust cloud . The light and wind s from the massive Pleiades stars preferentially repel smaller dust particles , causing the dust to become stratified into filaments , as seen. The featured image spans about 20 light years at the distance of the Pleiades , which lies about 450 light years distant toward the constellation of the Bull ( Taurus ).