![cassiopeia cassiopeia](http://snapthecat.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Cassiopeia-001.jpg)
Her boast angered Poseidon, god of the sea, who sent a sea monster, Cetus, to ravage the kingdom. According to legend, she boasted she was more beautiful than the sea nymphs called the Nereids. In the 1930s, the International Astronomical Union gave this constellation the official name of Cassiopeia the Queen.Ĭassiopeia was a queen in ancient Greek mythology. Upside-down Cassiopeia via Johannes Hevelius.Ĭassiopeia used to be known among astronomers and skywatchers alike as Cassiopeia’s Chair. Upside-down Cassiopeia on Mercator globe. That means they’re always above the horizon at any time of night, all year round. Like the Big Dipper, Cassiopeia can be seen even on moonlit nights.īonus for you if you live north of about 40 degrees north latitude, about the latitude of New York City! From that latitude and farther north, the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia are both circumpolar. It’s small and compact and looks like the letter M or W, depending on the time of night and time of year. That’s because Cassiopeia is very easy to pick out. Here it is on an October evening, relative to Polaris, the North Star.īut you won’t need these details to find this constellation. You can find Cassiopeia somewhere in the north for much of the year, and much of the night. The 2020 lunar calendars are here! Order yours before they’re gone. Because the Big Dipper’s handle and Cassiopeia shine on opposite sides of Polaris, an imaginary line from any star on the Big Dipper handle through Polaris reliably points to Cassiopeia.
#Cassiopeia how to
Some of you know how to star-hop to Polaris, the North Star, by using the Big Dipper’s pointer stars, as displayed on the sky chart below. As Cassiopeia rises upward, the Big Dipper plunges downward, and vice versa. They’re part of a great spinning wheel of stars seen moving counterclockwise around Polaris, the North Star, once each day. These two star formations are like riders on opposite side of a Ferris wheel. At any time of year, you can use the Big Dipper to find Cassiopeia. The constellation Cassiopeia the Queen can be found high in the northeast on October evenings, not far from Polaris, the North Star.