Are Auriga and Taurus connected!?

Hello, this is Starflare.
It has been about a month since my last Note update, but I would like to continue writing long, rambling texts as usual.

To start off, what comes to mind when you hear the word "constellation"? Some might say they know their own sign, or that they know all twelve zodiac signs, but...

If someone asked you, "What would you think if you heard that two constellations were connected?", it would be quite difficult to answer, wouldn't it? The Auriga and Taurus constellations I'm explaining today are just like that.

So, in this post, I'm going to casually explain why Auriga and Taurus are connected, and about the star that links these two constellations (and I'll also briefly explain the four stars that illuminate these two constellations, complete with personifications).

Auriga and Taurus

First, let's start with a simple explanation of Auriga and Taurus.

Auriga is known as a constellation whose motif is the King of Athens in ancient Greece, who invented and drove a chariot.
When you see the first-magnitude star "Capella" in the autumn, it's a constellation that tells you winter is coming soon. In Japan, it was said to be remembered as a pentagon along with the stars mentioned later...

Taurus is said to originate from the time when Zeus transformed himself to approach Europa.
It is famous for having many fascinating celestial bodies. For example, the Hyades cluster, which is the closest open cluster to the solar system, the Pleiades cluster, which is crowded with blue-white shining stars, and the famous Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant...

Auriga and Taurus are overflowing with such fascinating celestial bodies, but they are actually connected due to the influence of a certain star...

Are Auriga and Taurus connected!?

Now, let's get to the main point.
"Why are Auriga and Taurus connected?"
Huh? Are they connected? Really? For those of you who thought that, don't worry. When you look at the winter night sky, you might notice a strangely bright star between Capella, the first-magnitude star of Auriga, and Aldebaran, the first-magnitude star of Taurus.

That's right.
The answer lies in "Elnath," a star in Taurus located between them.

Elnath is the Beta star of Taurus and is a second-magnitude star. However, it is a celestial body with a strange history of having once been "part of Auriga." Because of this, Elnath stands in a position that bridges the constellation lines of Auriga and Taurus.
In 2016, Elnath officially became part of Taurus, but there are still documents that teach it as a celestial body that makes up Auriga along with Taurus.

Well, in short, it feels like "Auriga and Taurus are connected because of Elnath," so when you look at the winter constellations, it might be good to take a look at Elnath, which is right in the middle of Capella and Aldebaran.

By the way, Elnath's apparent magnitude (brightness visible to the naked eye) is 1.65, so it is a celestial body that is relatively easy to see with the naked eye.
Maybe you can even see it in Tokyo...?

A simple explanation with personification! The four stars of Auriga and Taurus

Finally, let's briefly explain the four stars that illuminate Auriga and Taurus before we say goodbye.

Elnath

First, there is the star that connects Auriga and Taurus, 'Elnath'.
As I mentioned earlier, Elnath is a second-magnitude star in the constellation Taurus. However, it shines brightly enough to be somewhat visible to the naked eye.

In my personification, I depict her as a 'female detective wearing reverse-jointed prosthetic legs.' Well, they are bird-type rather than beast-type, though.

Menkalinan

Next is Menkalinan.
Menkalinan is a second-magnitude star in Auriga, located next to Capella. It is also an 'eclipsing binary' star, whose apparent brightness changes.

In my personification, I depict her as a 'female detective with black and white eyes.' Also, according to her profile, she is very fast, with a speed said to rival that of a 400cc motorcycle.

Aldebaran

The first-magnitude star of Taurus that needs no introduction is Aldebaran.
It is also one of the stars that make up the Winter Diamond.

In my personification, I depict her as a 'female detective with the largest chest armor.'
Even I think I pushed the limits a bit too far with this one...

Capella

Lastly, there is the first-magnitude star of Auriga, Capella.
It is the star located where the charioteer holds a goat, and it plays a central role in the 'Winter Diamond.' It seems it has been known since ancient Mesopotamia.

In my personification, I depict her as a 'horse-girl-like character with ridiculously huge chest armor.'
She is supposed to be a goat, but due to my mistake, she ended up as a horse-girl-like character.

And so, that concludes this episode of 'Are Auriga and Taurus Connected!?'
I will continue to write these kinds of trivial texts once a month on a whim, so please feel free to check them out again if you'd like.

With that, this was Star Flare.