The term "Seven Sisters" can refer to different things depending on the context, including mythology, astronomy, and other uses:
- Mythology: The "Seven Sisters" are often associated with the Pleiades, a group of seven sisters in various mythologies. In Greek mythology, they are seven daughters of the Titan Atlas and the ocean nymph Pleione, transformed into stars to escape the hunter Orion. They symbolize resilience, transformation, and celestial existence. Aboriginal Australian stories also tell of seven sisters who undergo trials and become the Pleiades star cluster, embodying themes of endurance and spiritual elevation.
- Astronomy: The Seven Sisters refer to the Pleiades star cluster, the closest star cluster to Earth, located about 434 to 446 light years away. The cluster consists of thousands of stars, with at least six or seven visible to the naked eye. It is part of the Taurus constellation and has cultural significance worldwide.
- Other contexts: The phrase "Seven Sisters" has also been used to describe:
- Seven prestigious U.S. colleges for women: Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Radcliffe, Smith, Vassar, and Wellesley.
- Seven major multinational oil companies (known as the “Seven Sisters” in the 20th century).
- A series of chalk sea cliffs on the English Channel coast called the Seven Sisters cliffs.
The most common and widely recognized meaning relates to the Pleiades star cluster and its associated mythologies as the "Seven Sisters." If a specific context is preferred, it can be further detailed.
