Cassiopeia: The Queen
Pronunciation: CASS-ee-uh-PEE-uh
| Cassiopeia Constellation Profile | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation: Cas | Genitive: Cassiopeiae |
| Origin: Ancient | Location: Northern Hemisphere |
| Best View (North): Autumn | Best View (South): |
| Bordering Constellations: Cepheus, Lacerta, Andromeda, Perseus, Camelopardalis | |
The Myth Behind the Constellation Cassiopeia
Cassiopeia was the wife of King Cepheus of Aethiopia. Her pride got the best of her when she bragged that her daughter Andromeda was more beautiful than the Nereids, part of Poseidon’s retinue. As punishment for this affront, Poseidon sent a sea monster Cetus to destroy Aethiopia. The only way to stop the destruction was to sacrifice their daughter Andromeda to the monster, so they chained her to a rock on the shore. Just as Cetus approached to claim his sacrifice, Perseus, returning from his slaying of Medusa, saw the beautiful Andromeda, and saved her from the beast. Aethiopia was saved. Upon Cassiopeia’s death, Poseidon placed her in the stars, where she was chained to her throne and must spend half of the year upside-down as further punishment.Cassiopeia Constellation Points of Interest
| Interesting Objects in the Constellation Cassiopeia | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Messier | NGC | Type | Visibility |
| M52 | NGC 7654 | Open Cluster | Binoculars | |
| M103 | NGC 581 | Open Cluster | Binoculars | |
Bright Stars in Cassiopeia
These are the stars in Cassiopeia with a minimum magnitude of 3.0.| Name | Bayer Name | Magnitude | Color | Luminosity | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tsih | Gamma Cassiopeiae | 2.15 | Blue | 5,402 suns | 613 ly |
| Schedar | Alpha Cassiopeiae | 2.24 | Orange | 1,199 suns | 229 ly |
| Caph | Beta Cassiopeiae | 2.28 | Yellow-White | 28 suns | 54 ly |
| Ruchbah | Delta Cassiopeiae | 2.66 | White | 63 suns | 99 ly |