Cepheus the King
When seasoned stargazers search for the constellation Cepheus the King, they seek for a five-sided sample of stars that resembles a toddler’s drawing of a home. Typically this stick home is correct aspect up. And at different instances it seems to face on its aspect or roof. Cepheus is way to the north on the sky’s dome. Plus, it lies adjoining to Polaris, the North Star. It’s additionally close to the northern asterism of the Little Dipper, within the constellation Ursa Minor. The truth is, you should use Polaris and the Little Dipper to seek out Cepheus.
From about latitude 40 degrees north, Cepheus is circumpolar. That’s, it by no means rises or units, however is all the time seen within the northern sky. And for these on the northern a part of Earth’s globe, the King swings across the North Star and is seen all evening lengthy, all 12 months lengthy.
Cepheus could also be discovered by drawing a triangle between the acquainted Little Dipper asterism, the W-shaped constellation Cassiopeia, and the cross-shaped constellation Cygnus the Swan (aka the Northern Cross). Inside that triangle, you’ll discover a pentagon (five-sided determine) of stars. This pentagon is Cepheus.
Or in case your sky is darkish sufficient, search for the stick home between the Little Dipper and Cassiopeia.
Finder charts for Cepheus
Mythology of the King
Cepheus – named for an historic king of Ethiopia – figures in one of the intricate legends of the evening sky. His legend entails many close by constellations. Cassiopeia the Queen represents the spouse of Cepheus. She’s seen as seated beside him within the sky. The constellation Andromeda the Princess or Chained Woman resides within the sky on the opposite aspect of Cassiopeia.
In accordance with the myths, Andromeda’s mother and father chained her up and offered her as a sacrifice to the ocean god Poseidon. However as the ocean monster Cetus was on its technique to devour Andromeda, Perseus the Hero rode in on Pegasus the Winged Horse. Perseus saved Andromeda from the ocean monster, the pair ultimately married, and Perseus ultimately turned the king of Mycenae.
The celebs of Cepheus
The brightest star in Cepheus isn’t very brilliant. It’s the 2.45-magnitude star Alpha Cephei, aka Alderamin. It shines on the backside proper nook of the home form, when you contemplate the home as upright. Alderamin lies 45 light-years away. The opposite star forming the underside of the upright home form is 3.39-magnitude Zeta Cephei. It lies a way more distant 726 light-years away.
The star above Zeta Cephei that marks the highest of the left-hand wall on the home (when upright) is Iota Cephei. Shining at magnitude 3.50, it lies 115 light-years away. The star that marks the highest of the right-hand wall of the home is the three.23-magnitude star Alfirk, or Beta Cephei. Alfirk is 595 light-years from Earth.
The star on the level of the roof in Cepheus is Gamma Cephei, or Errai, at magnitude 3.21. Like Alderamin, it lies 45 light-years distant. As a result of Earth wobbles because it spins, Errai will take the title of North Star from Polaris in about 2,000 years.
One different necessary star of notice that isn’t a part of the 5 stars that full the picture of the home is Delta Cephei. This variable star helped astronomers crack the code to measuring cosmic distances. A whole group of stars, the Cepheid variables, get their identify from Delta Cephei.
Deep-sky targets in Cepheus
The Milky Way flows via the underside half of Cepheus the King. Though there are star clusters on this a part of the sky, none of them are significantly well-known. Nonetheless, one attention-grabbing space for telescopic viewing could be discovered just under a line drawn to attach the underside of the home form. This space is named IC 1396, or the Elephant’s Trunk nebula. Via a telescope, first discover the reddish star Mu Cephei. This behemoth star has the nickname of the Garnet Star. It’s a semi-regular supergiant that varies in brightness from magnitude 4.5 to 3.5 over the course of two years. Under Mu Cephei search for a cluster of stars and nebulosity that heralds the Elephant’s Trunk.
Along with the Elephant’s Trunk, one other space of Cepheus that gives good telescopic viewing is NGC 7023, or the Iris nebula. It lies 6 degrees up from Alpha Cephei and three 1/2 levels down from Beta Cephei, plus just a little to the correct from a line drawn between these two brilliant stars. Right here you’ll find NGC 7023, a Seventh-magnitude star glowing from inside its cocoon of fuel and dust, creating a beautiful reflection nebula.
The final deep-sky cease in Cepheus entails two star clusters that lie roughly 1 diploma away from Zeta Cephei and from one another, forming a decent triangle. The brighter of the 2 is the magnitude-7.7 cluster NGC 7235. The opposite shines at magnitude 8.4. It’s the cluster NGC 7261. These two star clusters are the beginning of a path of clusters and nebulae that zigzag alongside the Milky Way towards Cassiopeia.
Some Cepheus deep-sky images from our EarthSky Group
Backside line: The constellation Cepheus the King is seen from the Northern Hemisphere each evening of the 12 months attributable to its shut location to Polaris, the North Star.
