Pleiades is an open cluster in the constellation of Taurus also known as Messier 45, or just M 45. This relatively nearby cluster is also known as the Seven sisters although from cities only the five or six brightest stars are visible and from a dark site, ten or more are visible. To the Maori of New Zealand, the Pleiades are called Mataariki and their heliacal rising signifies the beginning of the new year (around June).