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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Sterope /ˈstɛrəpiː/ or Asterope /əˈstɛrəpiː/[1] system is a double star in the zodiac constellation of Taurus. Its components have the Flamsteed designations 21 Tauri and 22 Tauri,[2] and are sometimes known as Sterope I and Sterope II, respectively.[3]
The International Astronomical Union applies the name Asterope specifically to 21 Tauri.[4] The two stars are thus
The two stars are separated by 0.047° on the sky, which is equal to 2.82 arc-minutes and thus closer than the usual naked-eye resolution limit of 4 arc-min, giving an elongated appearance of the two together. Both are members of the Pleiades open star cluster (M45) and approximately 440 light-years from the Sun.
Asterope was one of the Pleiades sisters in Greek mythology.
In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN)[5] to catalogue and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN decided to attribute proper names to individual stars rather than entire multiple systems.[6] It approved the name Asterope for 21 Tauri on 21 August 2016 and it is now so included in the List of IAU-approved Star Names.[4]
USS Sterope (AK-96) was a United States Navy Crater class cargo ship named after the star.
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