Cepheus ruled not the modern-day Ethiopia, but the stretch of land between the southeastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea, the area that contains parts of the modern-day Egypt, Israel and Jordan.Ĭepheus’ wife Cassiopeia was a very vain woman. Zeus placed him in the sky after his tragic end because he was descended from one of Zeus’ loves, the nymph Io. The constellation represents Cepheus, the king of Ethiopia and Cassiopeia’s husband in Greek mythology. The star names approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) are Alderamin, Alfirk, Errai, and Kurhah.Ĭepheus constellation map by IAU and Sky&Telescope magazine Cepheus myth The constellation contains four formally named stars.

There are no meteor showers associated with Cepheus. The brightest star in the constellation is Alderamin, Alpha Cephei. The three-letter abbreviation, adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1922, is Cep.Ĭepheus belongs to the Perseus family of constellations, along with Andromeda, Auriga, Cassiopeia, Cetus, Lacerta, Pegasus, Perseus, and Triangulum.Ĭepheus has one star with known planets and contains no Messier objects. The genitive form of Cepheus, used in star names, is Cephei (pronunciation: /ˈsiːfiaɪ/). In English, the constellation is known as Cepheus or the King. The constellation name Cepheus is pronounced /ˈsiːfiəs/. The neighboring constellations are Camelopardalis, Cassiopeia, Cygnus, Draco, Lacerta, and Ursa Minor.

It is located in the fourth quadrant of the northern hemisphere (NQ4) and can be seen at latitudes between +90° and -10°. Facts, location and mapĬepheus is the 27th largest constellation in the night sky, occupying an area of 588 square degrees. The constellation is home to VV Cephei and the Garnet Star (Mu Cephei), both among the largest known stars in the Milky Way, and to several well-known deep sky objects: the Wizard Nebula, the Iris Nebula, the Ghost Nebula, and the Fireworks Galaxy. Like most other constellations in the Perseus family, Cepheus was catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. It was named after the mythical King Cepheus of Aethiopia, husband of Cassiopeia and father of Andromeda, both represented by neighboring constellations. Cepheus constellation lies in the northern hemisphere.

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