![]() The suitor’s army was turned to stone, and unfortunately, Cepheus and Cassiopeia didn’t look away in time. He pointed to Medusa’s head, the head of a horrible sea creature, which turns anyone looking at it into stone. Naturally, there was a fight, with Perseus greatly outnumbered. However, at the wedding, Andromeda’s suitor showed up and proclaimed that only he had the right to marry Andromeda. Of course, Perseus and Andromeda fell in love and got married. At that moment, Perseus, the strong hero, who was flying on his horse, Pegasus (also a constellation and Perseus), swopped down to save her. Cetus was approaching, readying himself to devour her. They did just so, tying her to a rock in the middle of the sea. Trying to save their kingdom, Cepheus and Cassiopeia consult an oracle, saying they have to sacrifice their daughter to save the kingdom. ![]() He set free a sea monster called Cetus (the great whale, also a constellation) to ravage the kingdom. The Nereids were displeased, and they forced the king of the sea, Poseidon, to ravage Cepheuse’s kingdom. Cassiopeia loved to boast about her beauty and excellence and said she was more beautiful than all the sea nymphs called the Nereids. What will the queen tell us? Mythological originsĬassiopeia, or the Queen of Etiopia, was married to Cepheus, the King of Ethiopia, and they had a daughter, Andromeda. Still, it holds so much knowledge and is one of the rarest stars in the galaxy. Such a simple constellation represented as a W. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Every time I look up into the night sky in winter, the first constellation that catches my eye is Cassiopeia, the Queen of Ethiopia. Questions or comments? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. is a key resource for information and images. Night Sky is researched and compiled by Lisa Davis-Burnett. FYI: If you are out later on in the week, note that each star rises about four minutes earlier each day than written here, and the moon rises 50 minutes later. Thank you for keeping up with the Night Sky articles, backyard astronomy designed for St. Perseus rescued the princess, and all lived happily ever after. Cetus was about to devour her when Perseus the Hero happened by on Pegasus the Winged Horse. To pacify the monster, Cassiopeia’s daughter, Princess Andromeda, was left tied to a rock by the sea. Her boast angered Poseidon, god of the sea, who sent a sea monster (Cetus the Whale) to ravage the kingdom. Perhaps too beautiful, as it is said that she committed the sin of pride, claiming that both she and her daughter Andromeda were more beautiful than the sea nymphs. In Greek mythology, Cassiopeia was the beautiful queen of Ethiopia. Use magnification to find this swirling spiral of stars and dust. This galaxy is a neighbour to our galaxy the Milky Way. ![]() Try saying that three times fast! Follow a line from Segin to Ruchbah and continue it until you find another celestial royal – Princess Andromeda. If you’re viewing Cassiopeia as the letter W the stars, from left to right, are Segin, Ruchbah, Gamma Cassiopeiae, Schedar and Caph. I guess the Queen sleeps in, at least for this season – in other words, Cassiopeia is not currently visible before dawn.īy the way, Cassiopeia’s constellation features five bright stars, which are sometimes described as outlining the chair – or throne – upon which the queen sits. If you are an early riser, you can catch Cephus rising just east of due north, from about 4:30am until dawn. You can imagine it like a child’s drawing of a house with a roof, but on its side.Ĭephus sets about 8:45pm and Cassiopeia sets about two hours later. His constellation is just below Cassiopeia after sunset, look for a square with a triangle connected, pointing right. These evenings just after sunset, find her just west of due north, setting slowly to the north-northwest horizon.Ĭephus the King is near his Queen, as he should be. Depending on how she is oriented in the sky, she looks like the letter W or the letter M or the number 3. Cassiopeia the Queen is one of the easiest constellations to spot because of her distinctive shape. Cephus the King and Cassiopeia the Queen sit on their celestial thrones in the heavens, easily identifiable during the late winter and early spring.īoth these royals are located low in the northern sky. This week, The Friendly Island welcomed our King and Queen – so this weekend, let’s find the King and the Queen of the sky. Lunar phase: 3 rd quarter, waning half moon Maarten’s Backyard Astronomy for February 10 - 12 ~
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |