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Cetus
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Cetus Cetus
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List of stars in Cetus
Abbreviation: Cet
Genitive: Ceti
Symbology: the Whale or Sea Monster
Right ascension: 1.42 h
Declination: −11.35°
Area: 1231 sq. deg. (4th)
Main stars: 15
Bayer/Flamsteed stars: 88
Stars with planets: 7
Bright stars: 3
Nearby stars: 5
Brightest star: β Cet (Deneb Kaitos)† (2.04m)
Nearest star: Luyten 726-8 (8.73 ly)
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.
Cetus (IPA: /ˈsiːtəs, ˈseɪtəs/, Latinized Greek: whale) is a constellation of the southern sky, in the region known as the Water, near other watery constellations like Aquarius, Pisces, and Eridanus.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Notable features
* 2 Notable deep sky objects
* 3 History
* 4 References
* 5 External links
[edit] Notable features
This constellation's most notable star is Mira (ο 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.
The ecliptic passes close to the constellation boundary of Cetus, and thus the planets may be in this constellation for brief periods of time. This is even more true of asteroids, whose orbits usually have a greater inclination to the ecliptic than planets. The asteroid 4 Vesta was discovered in this constellation in 1807.
[edit] Notable 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.
[edit] History
This constellation has been known since antiquity. In Mesopotamia, it was identified with the primordial cosmic female principle, the sea-monster Tiamat.
In Ancient Greece, together with the constellations above it, (Andromeda, Cepheus, Perseus, Cassiopeia, and possibly Pegasus), this may be the source of the myth of the Boast of Cassiopeia, with which it is usually identified.
In certain earlier Greek legends, it 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 Herakles.
According to the Arabs, one of the hands of the Pleiades (Al-Thurayya) extended into part of the constellation 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.
[edit] References
* Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). Collins Stars and Planets Guide, HarperCollins, London. ISBN 978-0007251209.
[edit] External links
* The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Cetus
* Star Tales – Cetus
[hide]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
[show]Constellation history
[show]The 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy after 150 AD
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
[show]The 41 modern additional constellations from 1603 AD and forth
▶ Bayer 1603: Apus • Chamaeleon • Coma Berenices • Dorado • Grus • Hydrus • Indus • Musca • Pavo • Phoenix • Triangulum Australe • Tucana • Volans • Vulpecula ▶ Plancius&Bartsch 1624: Camelopardalis • Monoceros ▶ Royer 1679: Columba • Crux ▶ Hevelius 1683: Canes Venatici • Lacerta • Leo Minor • Lynx • Scutum • Sextans • Vulpecula ▶ de Lacaille 1763: Antlia • Caelum • Canes Venatici • Carina • Circinus • Fornax • Horologium • Mensa • Microscopium • Norma • Octans • Pictor • Puppis • Pyxis • Reticulum • Sculptor • Telescopium • Vela
[show]Obsolete constellations including Ptolemy's Argo Navis
Anser • Antinous • Argo Navis • Asterion • Cancer Minor • Cerberus • Chara • Custos Messium • Felis • Frederici Honores/Gloria Frederici • Gallus • Globus Aerostaticus • Jordanus • Lochium Funis • Machina Electrica • Malus • Mons Maenalus • Musca Borealis • Noctua • Officina Typographica • Polophylax • Psalterium Georgii/Harpa Georgii • Quadrans Muralis • Ramus Pomifer • Robur Carolinum • Sceptrum Brandenburgicum • Sceptrum et Manus Iustitiae • Solarium • Tarandus vel Rangifer • Taurus Poniatovii • Telescopium Herschelii • Testudo • Tigris • Triangulum Minor • Turdus Solitarius • Vultur
obsolete constellation names
Apis • Phoenicopterus • Serpentarius • Vespa • Xiphias
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Cetus
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetus"
Categories: Cetus constellation | Constellations
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