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Cassiopeia is a constellation in the northern sky. In Greek mythology it was considered to represent the vain queen Cassiopeia, who boasted about her unrivaled beauty. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 1st century Greek astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations today. Cassiopeia is easily recognizable due to its distinctive 'W' shape formed by five bright stars.
| Constellation | |
 | |
| Abbreviation | Cas |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Cassiopeiae |
| Pronunciation | /ˌkæsi.ɵˈpiː.ə/ Cássiopéia, colloquially /ˌkæsiˈoʊpiː.ə/ Cássiópeia; genitive /ˌkæsi.ɵˈpiː.iː/ |
| Right ascension | 1 |
| Declination | +60 |
| Area | 598 sq. deg. (25th) |
| Main stars | 5 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars | 53 |
| Stars with planets | 3 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 5 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 3 |
| Brightest star | α Cas (Schedar) (2.23m) |
| Messier objects | 2 |
| Meteor showers | Perseids |
| Bordering constellations | Camelopardalis Cepheus Lacerta Andromeda Perseus |
| Visible at latitudes between +90° and −20°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of November.  | |
Notable features
Cassiopeia looks like a W or a crown.
Cassiopeia contains two stars visible to the naked eye that rank among the most luminous in the galaxy: ρ Cas and V509 Cas. The star η Cas is a nearby (19.4 ly) binary star comprising a yellow Sun-like dwarf and an orange dwarf star.
Messier objects
Two Messier objects, Messier 52 (NGC 7654) and Messier 103 (NGC 581) are located in Cassiopeia. Both are open clusters and being 7th apparent magnitude objects they are easy targets with binoculars.
Supernovae
The supernova known as Tycho's Star, or SN 1572, was widely observed in Cassiopeia in 1572, the year after the birth of astronomer Johannes Kepler. The scientific description of this star was written by Tycho Brahe. Another supernova remnant, Cassiopeia A is approximately 300 years old and has the distinction of being the strongest radio source observable outside our solar system.
Cassiopeia viewed from Alpha Centauri
If we were able to observe Earth's Sun from Alpha Centauri, the Sun would appear in Cassiopeia as a yellow-white 0.5 magnitude star. The famous \/\/ of Cassiopeia would become a zig-zag pattern with the Sun at the leftmost end, closest to ε Cas.
See also
- Alpha Cassiopeiae traditionally named Schedar
- Beta Cassiopeiae traditionally named Caph also known as al-Sanam al-Nakah
- Cassiopeia A supernova remnant
- Gamma Cassiopeiae traditionally named by the Chinese as Tsih and was nicknamed Navi by US astronaut Gus Grissom
- Delta Cassiopeiae traditionally named Ksora or Ruchbah
- Epsilon Cassiopeiae traditionally named Segin but also called as Navi in honor of Ltc Grissom
- Messier 52 open cluster
- Messier 103 open cluster
- SN 1572 Tycho's Star or Tycho's Supernova - B Cassiopeiae
References
- Krause O, Rieke GH, Birkmann SM, Le Floc'h E, Gordon KD, Egami E, Bieging J, Hughes JP, Young ET, Hinz JL, Quanz SP, Hines DC (2005). "Infrared echoes near the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A". Science. 308 (5728): 1604–6. doi:10.1126/science.1112035. PMID 15947181.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). Stars and Planets Guide, Collins, London. ISBN 978-0007251209. Princeton University Press, Princeton. ISBN 978-0691135564.
External links
- The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Cassiopeia
- The clickable Cassiopeia
- Star Tales – Cassiopeia
