Cepheus - Stars & Planets

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Cepheus

Tuesday 19 September 2017 - 08:08:00 Posted by Bobby

Mythology of Cepheus

Cepheus is a far-northern constellation, adjoining Cassiopeia and extending almost to the north celestial pole, representing the mythical King Cepheus, the husband of the vain Queen Cassiopeia and father of Andromeda. Its brightest star is Alpha Cephei, of magnitude 2.5.

The Facts

Depiction: The King Pronounced: SEE-fee-us Genitive: Cephei Abbreviation: Cep Highest in the Sky: September to October Size Ranking: 27th Coverage Area: 588 Sq. Degrees Right Acension: 22 hours Declination: 70° Visibility: 90°N to 8°S

Notable Objects

Delta Cephei: Variable star Mu Cephei: Herschel's Garnet Star NGC 40: Planetary nebula NGC 188: Open cluster NGC 6939: Open cluster NGC 6946: Spiral galaxy Struve 2873: Double star

Named Stars

Alderamin, Alpha Cephei Alfirk, Beta Cephei Alrai, Gamma Cephei Erakis (Garnet Star), Mu Cephei Alkurhah, Xi Cephei Alkalb, Rho Cephei

Best Viewed Objects/Stars

Beta Cephei

A double and variable star. The brighter component is a blue giant of magnitude 3.2, about 600 light-years away. It is a pulsating variable star (the prototype of a group called Beta Cephei stars), although its variations are so small that they are barely perceptible to the eye. A small telescope shows a companion of magnitude 7.9.

Delta Cephei

A double star and a famous variable, is the prototype of so-called Cepheid variables, which astronomers use for finding distances in space. Such stars change in brightness as they pulsate in size. Delta Cephei itself varies between magnitudes 3.5 and 4.4 every 5 days 9 hours. It lies about 1,000 light-years away. A small telescope shows a wide companion of magnitude 6.3.

Mu Cephei (The Garnet Star)

A variable star with a strong red color, hence its popular name, which is noticeable through binoculars or a small telescope. It is a red supergiant that pulsates in size, varying from magnitude 3.4 to 5.1 about every 2 years.

Cepheus

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