The constellation Cassiopeia

Cassiopeia W shape

Continuing with the fascinating world of the constellationsToday we are going to analyze the history and characteristics of one of the most famous in the northern hemisphere. Is about Cassiopeia. It is a constellation that consists of 5 stars that are brighter than the rest and that have a quite characteristic double V shape (W). It has something special if we compare it with other constellations in the sky. And it is that its shape varies a lot depending on the time of year and the latitude in which we are observing.

In this article you can find the deepest secrets of one of the best-known constellations in the world. Do you want to know the origin and history of Cassiopeia? Read on to find out everything.

Key features

Cassiopeia constellation

The International Astronomical Union has established some 88 modern constellations and another 48 Ptolemaic constellations. From this many constellations, Cassiopeia is one of the best known and most important both for its recognition in the sky and the origin and mythology behind it.

It is made up of 5 stars that shine more than the rest and is quite close to the celestial north. In the vast majority of countries in the northern hemisphere we can see Cassiopeia throughout the night. Thanks to its appearance, it can indicate sidereal weather in some areas.

You have a shape of W that is changing depending on the place from which we are observing it and the time of year in which we are. However, always respect that W shape.

Among its main stars we find:

  • α - Schedar, 2.2, yellow. The name of this star means bosom.
  • β - Caph, 2.3, white. Its name comes from the Arabic name and is 46 light years away.
  • γ - Cih, about 2.5, blue-white. This star is the one that arouses the most curiosity among fans of the constellations. And it is that its name is completely unknown and has a magnitude that ranges between 3.0 and 1.6. Some scientists think that the speed it has in its rotation makes it quite unstable and that is the reason why the illusion of gas rings can be observed.

Location of Cassiopeia in the night sky

Cassiopeia's W

We are going to know how we can find this constellation in the night sky. Being a circumpolar constellation (this means that it will always be on the horizon in the northern hemisphere), we can see its unmistakable shape of W. It can be located in a simple way, since it is in the opposite position to the Great Bear with respect to polar Star. The Big Dipper is much easier to identify on its own, which is why, when spotting it, so we just have to look the other way to see the W that will mark us where Cassiopeia is.

The center of this constellation has a declination of approximately 60 ° N and a right ascension of one hour. When you spot Cassiopeia you can also locate the Pole Star, since it is near the point where the bisectors of both that form the W intersect. This way of finding Cassiopeia with the Pole Star is essential for navigation since it indicates the true North with enough precision. In addition, the height that it usually has above the horizon usually coincides with the latitude at which the observer is.

Origin and Mythology

Cassiopeia mythology

The origin of this constellation can be traced back to the legend of Queen Cassiopeia and her unfortunate life. She was the wife of King Cepheus of Joppa and had a daughter named Andromeda. They were both beautiful women, so much so that Queen Cassiopeia committed the sin of ensure that she and her daughter were more beautiful than the nymphs of the sea known as Nereids. The Nereids were the daughters of a sage who lived in the sea called Nereus.

When the Nereids heard from Cassiopeia that they were more beautiful than they, they were offended and went to Poseidon to seek revenge. Poseidon did not sit well with such statements and used his trident to flood all the lands of the coast of Palestine. In addition, he called monster Cetus to attack from the depths.

On the one hand, Cepheus consulted the oracle of Amun to find out how he could save his people. The only way was by sacrificing his daughter Andromeda to Cetus. For this, Andromeda was chained to the rocks off the coast of Joppa. When Cetus saw her chained and went to attack her, she appeared perseus to fight him in exchange for Andromeda's hand.

Later, when the wedding between Perseus and Andromeda took place, Phineus, a rather jealous ancient suitor of Cassiopeia, appeared. He commanded an army of 200 warriors against Perseus and this one, took out the severed head of medusa to petrify all the warriors.

Finally, as punishment for everything that happened, Poseidon placed Cassiopeia in an indecent and unattractive posture in heaven.

The ghost of Cassiopeia

The ghost of Cassiopeia

The so-called ghost of Cassiopeia is but a nebula which it is 550 light years away. It has an ethereal glow and they blend in with the typical paranormal ghost appearances here on Earth. It is formed by the energy of the boiling stars that release these fluid gases and the dust that form this curious appearance.

Its brightness and shape resemble that of a cloud similar to that of paranormal cases. Nevertheless, the composition of this cloud of gas and dust is hydrogen continuously bombarded by ultraviolet radiation emitted by a nearby blue giant star called Gamma Cassiopeiae. This radiation causes the star to glow red and the blue part is reflected light from the nebula's dust.

This is the explanation of the famous ghost of Cassiopeia. However, to see it you need a very powerful telescope that not everyone has access to.

I hope that with this information you have discovered more about the constellation Cassiopeia and all its history.


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