Cassiopeia Constellation: The Ultimate Guide

In Ancient Egypt, the constellation Cassiopeia is depicted on the astronomical ceilings of coffins.

According to some authors such as H.Chatley, in the images, you can see the constellation represented with the grand crocodile, better known as Sobek, which is beaten in a duel against the warrior Perseus.

In ancient Greece, it is narrated that Cassiopeia was the wife of Cepheus and queen of Ethiopia. In turn, she was also the mother of Princess Andromeda.

Cassiopeia was very egomaniacal and always boasted that she and her daughter were more beautiful than the most beautiful creatures of all, the Nereids, daughters of the sea god Nereus.

This excessive self-centeredness caused Poseidon, God of the seas, to unleash he will send the sea monster Ceto to destroy the city of Ethiopia.

Cassiopeia and Cepheus offered their daughter a tribute to save the city. Still, she was rescued by Perseus, whom she would marry.

To leave Cassiopeia a punishment, Poseidon placed her in the heavens, in a position where she is bound upside down half the time.

During the exploration, sailors and boatmen used the constellation Cassiopeia as an indicator that helped them locate the north so as not to get lost at sea.

Likewise, the constellation remained unchanged from the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries until the modern age.

Cassiopeia is still recognized as an independent and prominent constellation in the sky.

The International Astronomical Union has defined its boundaries, classifying it as a boreal circumpolar constellation.

Today it remains of great importance to observational astronomers since within its limits are deep-sky objects necessary for studying the age of the universe.

Cassiopeia resides in the first quadrant of the Northern Hemisphere (NQ1) at latitudes between 16° S and 90° N, which means that we can see the constellation in the night sky from all countries of the northern hemisphere of the earth and some countries of the southern hemisphere.

Cassiopeia can be seen from the south in Colombia, Venezuela, Tanzania, or Indonesia from the south.

It is not visible in countries that are too close to the south pole, such as Chile, Argentina, Madagascar, South Africa, southern Australia, New Zealand, much less Antarctica.

Being a constellation very close to the north pole Cassiopeia is visible throughout the year for the countries where it is possible to see it.

Due to its position in the sky, the hours when it can be seen in the sky change throughout the year. During the winter, it is visible after sunset and during the summer before dawn.

The best month to see the constellation Cassiopeia is November.

The easiest way to locate it is with the asterism of 5 stars in the shape of "W" or "M," situated near the horizon.

As a reference, you can draw an imaginary line from the north polar star to the constellation of Pegasus, and just between, you will find Cassiopeia.

The constellations bordering Cassiopeia are Andromeda, Camelopardalis, Cepheus, Lacerta and Perseus.

Cassiopeia shares a historical origin with other constellations that form the Perseus family, including Andromeda, Auriga, Cepheus, Cetus, Lacerta, Pegasus, Perseus, and Triangulum.

Officially Cassiopeia contains within the boundaries of its region 157 stars, of which 8 have proper names designated by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). These stars are Achird, Caph, Castula, Fulu, Nushagak, Ruchbah, Schedar, and Segin.

Five stars form the "W"-shaped asterism that characterizes the constellation; those stars are Schedar, Caph, Navi, Ruchbah, and Segin.

Schedar is an orange giant star and is the brightest star in the constellation Cassiopeia with a magnitude of 2.24.

It is spectral type K0IIIa with a surface temperature of 4530 K. The most accurate measurements indicate that it is 229 light-years away from the Solar System and is 500 times more luminous than the sun.

It is at a distance of 610 light-years and consists of a variable star whose average luminosity is 2.15, sometimes even more luminous than α Cass.

The reason why "α Cass" is the brightest and not "γ Cas" is because, being a variable star, its brightness does not remain constant on average. The most significant part of the time is less luminous than "α Cass." Hence, it is the second most brilliant star in the constellation.

γ Cas is a variable blue subgiant star of spectral type B0.5IV with a surface temperature of 25,000 K, being five times hotter than the sun.

Located 54 light-years from the sun, β Cas is a subgiant or giant star of spectral type F2, with an apparent magnitude of 2.28; thanks to this, it is the third brightest star in the record.

Like γ Cas, it is a variable star; only this is of the Delta Scutitype, the brightest within this type of variable.

With an apparent magnitude of 2.66, this star is the four brightest in the constellation Cassiopeia.

It is classified as a giant of spectral type A5III-IV, with an effective surface temperature of 8400 K. It is at 100 light-years from the solar system.

Located at a distance of 441 light-years ε Cassiopeiae is a star system. The dominant component is a blue giant star with an apparent magnitude of 3.38 and 720 solar masses.

Cassiopeia is also known as home to several deep-sky objects. Deep-sky objects often mean star clusters, nebulae (interstellar cloud bodies), or galaxies. In the case of Cassiopeia, it is rich in several notable and nebulous galaxies.

Cassiopeia's most notable deep-sky object is an open cluster of stars.

It is located 4.6 kiloparsecs from the earth. It has an apparent magnitude of 6.4, so it can be seen with amateur telescopes.

Within the constellation's boundaries, Cassiopeia occurs a shower of stars called "Beta Cassiopeids," which runs from July 3 to August 19 of each year.

The peak of exposure of the Beta Cassiopeids is the morning of The 29th of Julio of each year. However, depending on the moon's phase, this date can move a few days.

• Cassiopeia is one of the 48 constellations described by Ptolemy.
• A section of the Milky Way passes right through the region that corresponds to Cassiopeia. Because of this, it contains several open clusters, young stars, and stellar nebulae.
• The constellation Cassiopeia currently has 14 stars with confirmed exoplanets.

• Cassiopeia has been one of the most important historical contexts due to its proximity to the north pole.
• Cassiopeia comes from Greek and means "one whose words stand out."
• Cassiopeia is a northern constellation, but it is possible to see it from some countries in the southern hemisphere, such as Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Kenya, or Indonesia.
• Although it is possible to see it all year round, November is the best month to observe it.
• Cassiopeia is one of the easiest constellations to locate due to its 5-star asterism in the shape of a "W."
• Cassiopeia's brightest star is Schedar, Alpha Cassiopeiae, with an apparent magnitude of 2.24.
• The most notable open cluster within the borders of Cassiopeia is M52.
• The strongest meteor shower in Cassiopeia is the "Beta Cassiopeids."

1. https://star-name-registry.com/constellations/cassiopeia
2. http://www.seasky.org/constellations/constellation-cassiopeia.html
3. https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/cassiopeia-constellation/
4. https://nineplanets.org/cassiopeia-constellation/