Golden Gate of the Ecliptic
An ancient asterism formed by the Pleiades and Hyades.
Last updated
In the constellation Taurus, an asterism known as the Golden Gate of the Ecliptic has been recognized for millennia. It consists of two prominent open star clusters—the Pleiades and the Hyades—which act as the pillars of an imaginary gateway straddling the ecliptic line. Because the Sun, Moon, and all planets travel very near this celestial circle, each of these seven bodies regularly moves through the Golden Gate.
The Moon, being Earth’s closest neighbor and having a sufficiently steep orbital tilt relative to the ecliptic, can sometimes pass outside the Gate or even occult stars within the clusters. Historically, between 4000 and 1500 BC, the equinox fell inside Taurus, lending the constellation great significance. A 4,500-year-old stone slab from the Neolithic Tal-Qadi Temple in Malta is believed to depict this asterism.
Quick Facts
- Constellation
- Taurus
- Components
- Pleiades and Hyades open star clusters
- Known since
- several thousand years
- Celestial bodies passing through
- all planets
- the Moon
- and the Sun
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Golden Gate of the Ecliptic has been recognized for several thousand years. From 4000 to 1500 BC the equinox was within the constellation Taurus, and therefore great importance was attached to this constellation. The 4500-year-old sky tablet of the Neolithic Tal-Qadi Temple in Malta is thought to display the Golden Gate of the Ecliptic. Since the Moon is the closest of the heavenly bodies to Earth and is inclined at a high enough angle to the ecliptic, on some occasions the Moon can cover the stars of the open star clusters or even pass outside the Gate.
Reader's Guide
The Golden Gate of the Ecliptic holds significance as a celestial marker that has been observed for millennia. Its location along the ecliptic means that all planets, the Moon, and the Sun regularly traverse it, making it a notable reference point in the sky.
The asterism's association with the equinox from 4000 to 1500 BC contributed to the importance of the constellation Taurus during that period. The possible depiction of the Golden Gate on the Tal-Qadi sky tablet from Neolithic Malta suggests that ancient cultures recognized and recorded this feature. The Moon's occasional passage over the clusters or outside the Gate adds a dynamic aspect to its observation, highlighting the interplay between Earth's satellite and these prominent star groups.
More in Open Clusters
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Golden Gate of the Ecliptic (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced