Taurus-Auriga association | |
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![]() Image showing the Taurus-Auriga association which is located to the far left of the image in red and next to the Pleiades cluster | |
Observation data | |
Constellation | Taurus |
Mean distance | 420 ly (140 pc) |
Physical characteristics | |
Other designations | Taurus-Auriga molecular complex (TAMC) |
The Taurus-Auriga association, also known as the Taurus-Auriga molecular clouds (TAMC), [1] is a stellar association located at a distance of around 140 parsecs (420 ly) from Earth in the constellation of Taurus. [2] It is the nearest large star formation region (SFR) to Earth. [3] Despite the low and relatively diffused star formation rates of the association, the rate of star formation has been accelerating over the past few million years. [4]
It is adjacent to the Taurus-Auriga complex is the Perseus Molecular cloud. [2]
There has been 94 pre-main sequence stars which have been identified to be part of or probable members of the group. [5] The average star in the Taurus-Auriga association are around a million years old and include protostars to T Tauri stars. [3]
Some notable stars include HD 30171, V600 Auriga, 2MASS J04590305+3003004, V1298 Tauri and HD 281691. There are also two M-type stars that are accelerating from the association, 2MASS J04510713+1708468 and 2MASS J05240794+2542438. [6]
The association has no metal-rich stars, reinforcing the idea that old planet host stars form in the inner part of the galactic disk and migrate outward. [3] It also notably lacks stars of intermediate and high mass, but there might have been three B-type stars and two A-type stars detected. The B-type stars are HD 28929, HD 29763, and HD 28149, and the two A-type stars are HD 31305 and HD 26212.