constellation, in astronomy, any of certain groupings of stars that were imagined—at least by those who named them—to form conspicuous configurations of objects or creatures in the sky. Constellations are useful in assisting astronomers and navigators to locate certain stars.
What does Cassiopeia constellation resemble?
But you won't need these details to find this constellation. That's because Cassiopeia is very easy to pick out. It's small and compact and looks like the letter M or W, depending on the time of night and time of year. Like the Big Dipper, Cassiopeia can be seen even on moonlit nights.19 Oct 2019
What is Cassiopeia the goddess of?
Revealed before Mount Olympus, her power was so great that she was named the goddess of fantasy and of the seas. Cepheus and Cassiopeia thanks Perseus for the rescue of Andromeda (La Délivrance d'Andromède, 1679) Cassiopeia obtained her reign on Olympus and many gods and men courted her.
What does Cepheus constellation represent?
In Greek mythology, Cepheus represents the mythical king of Aethiopia and husband to the vain queen Cassiopeia. This also makes him the father of the lovely Andromeda, and a member of the entire sky saga which involves jealous gods and mortal boasts.24 Feb 2017
What is the story behind the Cassiopeia constellation?
Upside-down Cassiopeia on Mercator globe. Cassiopeia was a queen in ancient Greek mythology. According to legend, she boasted she was more beautiful than the sea nymphs called the Nereids. Her boast angered Poseidon, god of the sea, who sent a sea monster, Cetus, to ravage the kingdom.19 Oct 2019
Why was the constellation Cassiopeia named that?
The story behind the name: Cassiopeia is named after the queen of a country on the northern coast of Africa, Aethiopia (not modern Ethiopia). She boasted that she and her daughter Andromeda were more beautiful than the Nereids, the 50 sea nymph attendants of Thetis, the sea goddess, and Poseidon, the sea god.2 Dec 2013
What did Cassiopeia do to her daughter?
An ancient constellation that is part of the story of Perseus and Andromeda. Cassiopeia was the mother of Andromeda, and because of her boasting that she was more beautiful than the sea nymphs, the Nereids, she was forced by the god Poseidon to sacrifice her daughter to the sea monster Cetus.
What is special about the constellation Cassiopeia?
Cassiopeia is among the 48 constellations first listed by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy, in the 2nd century CE. Cassiopeia is now among the 88 modern constellations and it is easily recognizable due to its distinctive W shape formed by five of its brightest stars.14 Jul 2020
What is a fact about Cassiopeia?
The constellation of Cassiopeia is the 25th largest constellation in the sky. Cassiopeia spreads out for over 598 square degrees. Cassiopeia lies in the first quadrant of the northern hemisphere, and it can easily be identified due to its W or M shape.14 Jul 2020
How old are Cassiopeia?
Two lines of evidence suggest that the Cassiopeia A remnant is about 320 years old. The observed expansion rate and the observed size, give an estimate of the age of about 350 years.11 Sept 2018
How many stars does Cassiopeia have?
Why is Cassiopeia special?
Cassiopeia A is a supernova remnant. It is notable for being the brightest astronomical radio source in the sky. It is the strongest radio source in the sky outside the solar system and was one of the first radio sources to be discovered, in 1947.
What is the most special constellation?
1. Orion. The winter sky's most impressive constellation, Orion, named after the hunter of Greek mythology, is situated right in the middle of the night sky. Unlike most constellations, where it's hard to find the correlation to their namesake, Orion actually looks like the outline of a human figure.20 Feb 2021