Cassiopeia (constellation)

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Cassiopeia
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Abbreviation	Cas
Genitive	Cassiopeiae
Symbology	the Seated Queen
Right ascension	1 h
Declination	+60°
Area	598 sq. deg. Ranked 25th
Number of stars (Bayer-Flamsteed)	53
Number of bright stars (magnitude < 3)	5
Number of nearby stars (Distance < 100 ly)	4
Brightest star	α Cas (Schedar) (App. magnitude 2.23)
Nearest Star	η Cas (Achird) (Distance: 19.4 ly)
Meteor showers	Perseids
Bordering constellations	Camelopardalis Cepheus Lacerta Andromeda Perseus
Visible at latitudes between +90° and −20° Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of November
Image:ConstellationCassiopeia.jpg

Cassiopeia (IPA: /ˌkasiˈəʊpiə, ˌkasiə(ʊ)ˈpɪə/) is a northern constellation which Greek mythology considered to represent a vain queen. It is one of the 88 modern constellations, and was also one of the 48 listed by Ptolemy.

Cassiopeia contains two stars visible to the naked eye that rank among the most luminous in the galaxy: ρ Cas and V509 Cas.

If we were to observe Earth's Sun from Alpha Centauri, it would appear to be in Cassiopeia, at about 0.5 magnitude. Roughly speaking, the \/\/ of Cassiopeia would become a /\/\/, with the Sun at the leftmost end, closest to ε Cas.

1 Notable and named stars
2 Cassiopeia in popular media
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Notable and named stars

BD	F	Names and other designations	Mag.	Ly away	Comments
γ	27	Gamma Cassiopeiae, Tsih, Marj, Navi	2.15	613	Tsih < 策 (Mandarin cè) The whip? prototype of the Gamma Cassiopeiae variables Navi < Ivan (backwards), middle name of Gus Grissom
α	18	Alpha Cassiopeiae, Schedar	2.24	229	< صدر şadr chest/breast
β	11	Beta Cassiopeiae, Caph, Al Sanam al Nakah	2.28	54.5	الناقة sanam[u] an-nāqah camel's hump Delta Scuti variable
δ	37	Delta Cassiopeiae, Ruchbah, Ksora	2.68	99.4	< ركبة rukbah knee eclipsing binary
ε	45	Epsilon Cassiopeiae, Segin	3.38	442
η	24	Eta Cassiopeiae, Achird	3.44	19.4	nearby double star, component magnitudes: 3.46, 7.51
ζ	17	Zeta Cassiopeiae	3.69	597
	50	50 Cassiopeiae, NGC 771	3.95	162.1
κ	15	Kappa Cassiopeiae	4.17	4100	Alpha Cygni variable
θ	33	Theta Cassiopeiae, Marfak	4.33	137	< مرفق marfaq elbow
ι		Iota Cassiopeiae	4.46	141.6	four star system, three brightest components: +4.64, +6.89, +8.40 Alpha2 Canum Venaticorum variable
ο	22	Omicron Cassiopeiae	4.48	910	Triple star system Gamma Cassiopeiae variable
A	48	48 Cassiopeiae	4.49	116.9	four star system
ρ	7	Rho Cassiopeiae	4.51	11 000	hypergiant
υ²	28	Upsilon2 Cassiopeiae	4.62	205.9
χ	39	Chi Cassiopeiae	4.68	204.4
ψ	36	Psi Cassiopeiae	4.72	193.1
λ	14	Lambda Cassiopeiae	4.74	355
ξ	19	Xi Cassiopeiae	4.80	1110
υ¹	26	Upsilon1 Cassiopeiae	4.83	407
	1	1 Cassiopeiae	4.84	1110
σ	8	Sigma Cassiopeiae	4.88	1520
τ	5	Tau Cassiopeiae	4.88	172.8
ν	25	Nu Cassiopeiae	4.90	390
π	20	Pi Cassiopeiae	4.95	174.3	rotating ellipsoidal variable
φ	34	Phi Cassiopeiae	4.95	2300	foreground star appearing among NGC 457
	4	4 Cassiopeiae	4.96	770
ω	46	Omega Cassiopeiae	4.97	701
		V509 Cassiopeiae	5.10	>7800	hypergiant
μ	30	Mu Cassiopeiae, Marfak	5.17	24.6	< مرفق marfaq elbow nearby
	42	42 Cassiopeiae	5.18	281
	49	49 Cassiopeiae	5.22
	47	47 Cassiopeiae	5.27
	40	40 Cassiopeiae	5.28
	31	31 Cassiopeiae	5.32
	12	12 Cassiopeiae	5.38
	23	23 Cassiopeiae	5.42
	6	6 Cassiopeiae	5.43
	10	10 Cassiopeiae	5.57
	32	32 Cassiopeiae	5.57
	43	43 Cassiopeiae	5.57
	53	53 Cassiopeiae	5.59
	21	21 Cassiopeiae	5.64
	68	68 Cassiopeiae	5.66
	2	2 Cassiopeiae	5.68
	44	44 Cassiopeiae	5.78
	38	38 Cassiopeiae	5.82
	9	9 Cassiopeiae	5.90
	52	52 Cassiopeiae	6.00
	55	55 Cassiopeiae	6.05
	13	13 Cassiopeiae	6.18
	35	35 Cassiopeiae	6.33
	16	16 Cassiopeiae	6.47
	54	54 Cassiopeiae	6.57
		R Cassiopeiae	9.97		Mira variable: apparent magnitude fluctuations: +4.7–+13.7

Source: The Bright Star Catalogue, 5th Revised Ed., The Hipparcos Catalogue, ESA SP-1200

[edit] Cassiopeia in popular media

In Bruce Springsteen's "Devils & Dust" (2005), he sings:

"Out 'neath the arms of Cassiopeia,

Where the sword of Orion sweeps,

It's me and you, Rosie, cracklin' like crossed wires,

And you breathin' in your sleep,

You breathin' in your sleep"

Shabutie made a song titled "Cassiopeia"
Joanna Newsom made a song titled "Cassiopeia"
Mick Fleetwood recorded a song called "Cassiopeia Surrender" for his 1981 solo album "The Visitor".
In 2004's Spartan, Val Kilmer's character, Scott, makes reference to Cassiopeia.
Cassiopeia was the name of a member of the original Battlestar Galactica's crew.
In "Serendipity" John Cusack's character finds and traces the constellation Cassiopeia in freckles on Kate Beckinsale's character's arm. The constellation is mentioned again near the end.
TVXQ's official fanclub is named "Cassiopeia" since the constellation consists of 5 stars, and the band consists of 5 members. Also because if you trace their Taiwan name "tvfxq" on the keyboard, they are in the shape of the constellation.
L.O.C., a danish rapper, named his third album "Cassiopeia" because it looks like a "W" for "westside".
In The X-Files, Cassiopeia is referenced as the origin of the alien colonists.
In Korean singer Rain's forth Korean album, Rain's World , one track titled 'Cassiopeia', a duet with Lim Jeong Hee was featured in the album.
Swedish power metal band Dragonland have a song titled "Cassiopeia" on their fourth album, Astronomy.

[edit] See also

The 48 Constellations listed by Ptolemy

Andromeda • Aquarius • Aquila • Ara • Argo Navis • Aries • Auriga • Boötes • Cancer • Canis Major • Canis Minor • Capricornus • Cassiopeia • Centaurus • Cepheus • Cetus • Corona Australis • Corona Borealis • Corvus • Crater • Cygnus • Delphinus • Draco • Equuleus • Eridanus • Gemini • Hercules • Hydra • Leo • Lepus • Libra • Lupus • Lyra • Ophiuchus • Orion • Pegasus • Perseus • Pisces • Piscis Austrinus • Sagitta • Sagittarius • Scorpius • Serpens • Taurus • Triangulum • Ursa Major • Ursa Minor • Virgo

The 88 modern Constellations

Andromeda • Antlia • Apus • Aquarius • Aquila • Ara • Aries • Auriga • Boötes • Caelum • Camelopardalis • Cancer • Canes Venatici • Canis Major • Canis Minor • Capricornus • Carina • Cassiopeia • Centaurus • Cepheus • Cetus • Chamaeleon • Circinus • Columba • Coma Berenices • Corona Australis • Corona Borealis • Corvus • Crater • Crux • Cygnus • Delphinus • Dorado • Draco • Equuleus • Eridanus • Fornax • Gemini • Grus • Hercules • Horologium • Hydra • Hydrus • Indus • Lacerta • Leo • Leo Minor • Lepus • Libra • Lupus • Lynx • Lyra • Mensa • Microscopium • Monoceros • Musca • Norma • Octans • Ophiuchus • Orion • Pavo • Pegasus • Perseus • Phoenix • Pictor • Pisces • Piscis Austrinus • Puppis • Pyxis • Reticulum • Sagitta • Sagittarius • Scorpius • Sculptor • Scutum • Serpens • Sextans • Taurus • Telescopium • Triangulum • Triangulum Australe • Tucana • Ursa Major • Ursa Minor • Vela • Virgo • Volans • Vulpecula

[edit] References

Krause O, Rieke GH, Birkmann SM, Le Floc'h E, Gordon KD, Egami E, Bieging J, Hughes JP, Young ET, Hinz JL, Quanz SP, Hines DC (2005). "Infrared echoes near the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A". Science 308 (5728): 1604-6. PMID 15947181.