page_title: Maia (star)
section_title: Mythology
hierarchical_section_title: Maia (star) / Mythology
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Götterversammlung in Olymp: Hermes mit seine Mutter Maïa. Detail der Seite B von einer attischen rotfigurigen Bauchamphora, um 500 v. Chr. English: God council in Olympus: Hermes with his mother Maia. Detail of the side B of an Attic red-figure belly-amphora, ca. 500 BC. Français&#160;: Assemblée divine sur l'Olympe&#160;: Hermès avec sa mère Maïa. Détail de la face B d'une amphore à panse attique à figures rouges, v. 500 av. J.-C.
context_page_description: Maia, designated 20 Tauri, is a star in the constellation of Taurus. It is a blue giant of spectral type B8 III, a chemically peculiar star, and the prototype of the Maia variable class of variable star.
  Maia is the fourth-brightest star in the Pleiades open star cluster, after Alcyone, Atlas and Electra. It is surrounded by one of the brighter reflection nebulae within the Pleiades, designated NGC 1432 and sometimes called the Maia Nebula.
context_section_description: Maia was the oldest of seven beautiful sisters known as the Pleiades.  She was impregnated by Zeus, thereby conceiving Hermes, the messenger god. As Maia and the Pleiades are visible in the winter night sky along with the constellation Orion, the Greek myths tell of Maia and her sisters being pursued by the giant huntsman and turned into doves to preserve their safety.
caption: Hermes with his mother Maia. Detail of the side B of an Attic red-figure belly-amphora, ca. 500 BC.
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