CEPHEUS

Cepheus Kepheus Kefeusz

Cepheus is a circumpolar constellation in the northern sky (i.e. it can be seen during the whole year), easily recognisable by its distinctive house-like shape. It is named after Cepheus, a king of Ethiopia in the Greek mythology, and it is one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer, Ptolemy.

According to Greek legends, Cepheus was the king of Ethiopia, the husband of Cassiopeia and the father of Andromeda. However he didn't play an important role in the Andromeda-myth, he was the one, who tied Andromeda to a rock, so she would be eaten by the sea monster Cetus. Later he was placed in the sky along with Andromeda, Cassiopeia and Perseus as a constellation.
The constellation appeared in other cultures' star lore as well. In the Hindu legends it was depicted as Kapi, the monkey-god. The nomadic Arab shepherds called it "Al aghnam" which means lamb. The constellation was also known in ancient Mesopotamia (as part of another constellation) and later in ancient China.

Chart created with Stellarium 0.18.2

Most notable stars and deep-sky objects

Elephant's Trunk Nebula (IC1396)

The Elephant's Trunk Nebula is a concentration of interstellar gas and dust within the much larger ionized gas region IC 1396, lying about 2.400 light years away from Earth. The nebula is being illuminated and ionized by a very bright, massive star. It is thought to be a site of star formation, containing several very young stars (less than 100.000 years old). The nebula's distinctive shapes and forms are only visible on astrophotos, however the open cluster can be observed with telescopes.

Mu Cephei

Mu Cephei is a red supergiant, easily recognisable by its conspicuous deep red color. 18th-century astronomer, William Herschel even named it the Garnet Star after its color. It is a variable star, its brightness varies between 3.4 and 5.1 magnitude in irregular intervals.

Firework Galaxy (NGC 6946)

NGC 6946, sometimes referred to as the Firework Galaxy, is a spiral galaxy with a small bright central part, discovered by William Herschel in the 18th century. Its distance from Earth is about 25.2 million light years. It is the galaxy with the most discovered supernovae in it.

Iris Nebula (NGC 7023)

The Iris Nebula is a bright reflection nebula, but the catalog number NGC 7023 itself refers to the open cluster within the nebula. When observed through a telescope, the central cluster surrounded by a haze is clearly visible, but the reflection nebula only shows its true bluish colors on astrophotos.

Legend:

	Visible with the naked eye
	Visible with binoculars
	Visible with telescope
	Popular target for astrophotography