Astronomers Discover pleiades Star Cluster is Vastly Larger Than Previously Thought
CHAPEL HILL, NC – November 17, 2025 – The star cluster known as the Seven Stars, or Pleiades, is part of a much larger complex extending over 1,500 light-years adn containing thousands of stars, according to new research published in The Astrophysical Journal (doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/ae0724). The findings reveal the Pleiades complex is approximately 20 times larger than expected, challenging previous understandings of its size and structure.
Led by Alexander Boyle, the research team identified at least three, and possibly five, additional star clusters linked to the Pleiades through shared age, movement, and composition. These clusters were previously considered unrelated. The team utilized stellar rotation as a key indicator of age, allowing them to identify connections between stars that were too dispersed for conventional detection methods.
“This finding changes how we see the pleiades – it’s not just seven shining stars, but thousands of long-lost siblings scattered across the sky,” explained boyle.
senior author Andrew Mann of the University of North Carolina added, ”We now see that many stars near the Sun belong to huge, extended star families with complex structures. Our methodology now opens up a new way to uncover these hidden connections.”
The research suggests a common origin for many seemingly unrelated stars and clusters. Astronomers believe this methodology could also be applied to trace the origins of our sun and identify its own stellar family. Future data from the Gaia telescope and the Rubin Observatory are expected to reveal even more members of the Pleiades complex.
