On Mon, 07 Aug 2006 18:34:15 -0600, Willie R. Meghar
wrote:

On those nights when I could see 9 stars I was seeing the seven
sisters and the two parents. Might it be that before the
proliferation of outdoor lighting, on a good night, the average
observer could see the nine named stars? Might it also be that those
observers were aware of the distinction between the seven sisters and
the two parents? If so, when they spoke of seeing seven Pleiades they
were referring only to the sisters since the parents, though present
and visible, were not sisters. Might this clear up the case of the
(not so) missing Pleiad?

An interesting idea, although I doubt anything will ever clear the
matter up.

I too see 6 stars under average conditions, and 9 under good conditions
(with additional, fainter ones drifting in and out, on the edge of my
perception). I don't remember ever counting 7- just 6 or 9. I know a few
people claim to see 7 fairly commonly, but nobody I know personally.

My own view is that historically there were never 7 stars commonly
visible, but the idea of the Seven Sisters came from a more complicated
relationship with myth (something like what you suggest, for example).
Certainly, the number 7 has powerful symbolism in many cultures.

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com