New Zealand Listener

Stars of wonder

At this time of year, a tiny cluster of stars twinkles through a veil of illuminated stardust in our northern skies. The ancient Greeks called this group of stars the Pleiades. In their mythology, the stars were seven heavenly sisters. Homer mentions them in his Iliad and Odyssey; about 2500 years ago, the Greek lyric poet Sappho wrote:

The moon

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