Cepheus: The King
Pronunciation: SEE-fyoos/SEE-fee-us/SEF-ee-us
| Cepheus Constellation Profile | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation: Cep | Genitive: Cephei |
| Origin: Ancient | Location: Northern Hemisphere |
| Best View (North): Autumn | Best View (South): |
| Bordering Constellations: Ursa Minor, Draco, Cygnus, Lacerta, Cassiopeia, Camelopardalis | |
The Myth Behind the Constellation Cepheus
Cepheus was the King of Aethiopea, husband to Cassiopeia and father to Andromeda. Cepheus traveled to the oracle of Ammon to find out how to save his country from the sea-monster Cetus, a punishment sent by Poseidon after Queen Cassiopeia bragged that their daughter was more beautiful than the Nereids. The oracle told him that the only way to rid his country of the creature was to give it his daughter Andromeda as a sacrifice. King Cepheus dutifully chained his daughter to a stone on the shore and the monster came to claim his tribute. Perseus, returning from defeating the Gorgon Medusa, saw the beautiful princess and saved her from her terrible fate by killing Cetus. Later, during a fight between Perseus and Cepheus’ brother, Phineus, over the hand of Andromeda, Cepheus was turned to stone. He was placed amongst the stars by Poseidon.Cepheus Constellation Points of Interest
Interesting stars and objects.Bright Stars in Cepheus
These are the stars in Cepheus with a minimum magnitude of 3.0.| Name | Bayer Name | Magnitude | Color | Luminosity | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alderamin | Alpha Cephei | 2.45 | White | 21 suns | 49 ly |