A group of stars, the Pleiades, shone in the sky as an important time-marker. The rising, heliacal or acronychal, of these stars announced to ancient populations a special period of the year or the starting of a new season. ... Their relevance is testified by objects and painting since Palaeolithic times.

What is so special about the Pleiades?

The Pleiades are an example of an open star cluster — a group of stars that were all born around the same time from a gigantic cloud of gas and dust. The brightest stars in the formation glow a hot blue and formed within the last 100 million years.

What does the Pleiades represent?

The Pleiades are called the star of fire, and their ruling deity is the fire god Agni. It is one of the most prominent of the nakshatra and is associated with anger and stubbornness.