Cetus
| Constellation | |
List of stars in Cetus |
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| Abbreviation | Cet |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Ceti |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsiːtəs/, genitive /ˈsiːtaɪ/ |
| Symbolism | the Whale or Sea Monster |
| Right ascension | 1.42 h |
| Declination | −11.35° |
| Quadrant | SQ1 |
| Area | 1231 sq. deg. (4th) |
| Main stars | 15 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars |
88 |
| Stars with planets | 12 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 2 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 9 |
| Brightest star | β Cet (Deneb Kaitos)† (2.04m) |
| Nearest star | Luyten 726-8 (8.73 ly, 2.68 pc) |
| Messier objects | 1 |
| Meteor showers | October Cetids Eta Cetids Omicron Cetids |
| Bordering constellations |
Aries Pisces Aquarius Sculptor Fornax Eridanus Taurus |
| Visible at latitudes between +70° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of November. Note: †Mira (ο Cet) is magnitude 2.0 at its brightest. |
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Cetus is a constellation in the northern sky. Its name refers to Cetus, a sea monster in Greek mythology, although it is often called 'the whale' today. Cetus is located in the region of the sky known as the Water, along with other watery constellations such as Aquarius, Pisces, and Eridanus.
Contents |
Notable features
Ecliptic
Although Cetus is not considered part of the zodiac, the ecliptic passes close to its constellation boundary, and thus the planets may be seen in Cetus for brief periods of time. This is even more true of asteroids, since their orbits usually have a greater inclination to the ecliptic than planets; for example, the asteroid 4 Vesta was discovered in this constellation in 1807.
Stars
This constellation's most notable star is Mira (or ό Ceti), the first variable star to be discovered. Over a period of 331.65 days it can reach a maximum magnitude as high as 2.0m, one of the brightest in the sky and easily visible to the unaided eye, then drop to 10.1m and back again. Its discovery in 1596 by David Fabricius further dented the supposed unchangeability of the heavens and lent support to the Copernican revolution.
Other stars in the constellation include α Ceti (Menkar); β Ceti (Deneb Kaitos), brightest in the constellation; and τ Ceti, the 17th closest star to Earth.
Deep sky objects
Cetus lies far from the galactic plane, so many distant galaxies are visible, unobscured by dust from the Milky Way. Of these, the brightest is Messier 77 (NGC 1068), a 9th magnitude spiral galaxy near δ Ceti. Recently, the galactic cluster JKCS 041 was confirmed to be the most distant cluster of galaxies yet discovered.[1]
Mythology
This constellation has been recognized since antiquity. In Mesopotamia, it was identified with the primordial cosmic female principle, the sea-monster Tiamat.
In Ancient Greece, it was identified with the sea monster Cetus, and together with the constellations above it, (Andromeda, Cepheus, Perseus, Cassiopeia, and possibly Pegasus), it may be the source of the myth of the Boast of Cassiopeia, with which it is usually identified.
In certain earlier Greek legends, Cetus also represented the gates (and gateposts) of the underworld (considered to be the area under the ecliptic). As such, together with other features in the Zodiac sign of Pisces (including Pisces itself, as well as prominent stars behind Cetus), it may have formed the basis of the myth of the capture of Cerberus in The Twelve Labours of Heracles.
According to Arab astronomers, one of the hands of the Pleiades (Al-Thurayya) extended into part of the constellation of Cetus. The Arabs also saw two pearl necklaces among the stars of Cetus: one pearl necklace was fully tied together and undamaged, but the other pearl necklace was broken and its pearls were scattered. Another generation of Arabs, like the ancient Hebrews and Greeks, portrayed an enormous Leviathan-like sea creature among the stars of Cetus.
References
- Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). Stars and Planets Guide, Collins, London. ISBN 978-0007251209. Princeton University Press, Princeton. ISBN 978-0691135564.
External links
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