Taurus is a constellation known as the Bull. It is a constellation of the Northern Hemisphere. Taurus is bordered by the constellations Aries, Auriga, Cetus, Eridanus, Gemini, Orion, and Perseus. It is best viewed from December through February. Taurus was among the 48 constellations defined by the ancient Greek mathematician Ptolemy . Today, it is one of 88 constellations recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the leading authority in the naming of heavenly objects. Taurus is also one of the 12 signs of the zodiac used in astrology.
Taurus can be drawn in several ways using different numbers of stars. In one common configuration, a Y-shaped group of stars represents the bull’s head and long horns. Further stars may represent parts of the body, including one or more legs.
Several interesting astronomical features appear within Taurus. For example, just above the bull’s back is a well-known star cluster called the Pleiades . Taurus also contains the Crab Nebula , the remnant of a star explosion that was observed in 1054.
