Cetus: The Sea Monster/The Whale
Pronunciation: SEE-tus
| Cetus Constellation Profile | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation: Cet | Genitive: Ceti |
| Origin: Ancient | Location: Celestial Equator |
| Best View (North): Autumn | Best View (South): |
| Bordering Constellations: Aries, Pisces, Aquarius, Sculptor, Fornax, Eridanus, Taurus | |
The Myth Behind the Constellation Cetus
Cetus was the sea-monster sent by Poseidon to ravage Aethiopia as punishment for Queen Cassiopia’s boast that her daughter Andromeda was more beautiful than the Nereids. King Cepheus offered his daughter as sacrifice to Cetus to appease it, but the hero Perseus killed the creature to save her.Cetus Constellation Points of Interest
| Interesting Objects in the Constellation Cetus | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Messier | NGC | Type | Visibility |
| Cetus A | M77 | NGC 1068 | Spiral Galaxy | Small Scope |
Bright Stars in Cetus
These are the stars in Cetus with a minimum magnitude of 3.0.| Name | Bayer Name | Magnitude | Color | Luminosity | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deneb Kaitos | Beta Ceti | 2.04 | Orange | 145 suns | 96 ly |
| Menkar | Alpha Ceti | 2.54 | Red | 3,851 suns | 2205 ly |