![]() M103 and NGC 7789 are both open star clusters, groups of stars clustered together ranging from just 40 relatively young stars in M103 to nearly innumerable older stars in NGC7789.Ībout a year ago, I happened upon this statement about the Monitor in the Harvard Business Review – under the charming heading of “do things that don’t interest you”: This is an open star cluster that resembles the bird, with two beady eyes located around the star Phi Cassiopeiae. Other deep-sky objects to note are M103, NGC 7789 and the Owl Cluster, NGC 457. With 200 stars tightly packed and an age of only around 35 million years, it makes for a great introduction to Messier clusters. ![]() The best of these clusters, visible in larger binoculars or a small scope, is M52. Many objects from the Messier and NGC star catalogs lie within the boundaries of the constellation, most as star clusters. Taking pride of place within the eye line of the Milky Way from where observers view her, Cassiopeia is in one of the richest portions of the night sky, one that contains a plethora of deep-sky objects. ![]() The Supreme Court case that could reshape US electionsĭespite her checkered past, Cassiopeia as a constellation holds a wealth of treasures.Ī great road sign to navigate your way around the night sky, the pattern hosts many hidden wonders. Thinking Cassiopeia has not suffered enough, Poseidon casts her into the stars, very close to the North Star, Polaris.Įach night, Cassiopeia's tight, circumpolar orbit means that she, shackled to her chair, "plunges like a diver, parted at the knees," said Aratus of Soli in "Phaenomena" around 300 B.C. Cassiopeia and Cepheus agree, and Perseus uses the head of Medusa to turn Cetus to stone and the sea monster sinks to the bottom of the ocean. He swoops down and makes a deal that he will save Andromeda in return for her hand in marriage. ![]() Cepheus does so by chaining Andromeda to the rocks just off the shore of the city.īy coincidence, legend has it, Perseus passes by atop his winged horse Pegasus while returning from slaying the gorgon Medusa. ![]() The Oracle of Ammon later tells Cepheus that the king can save his city by sacrificing his daughter. In anger, the sea-god Poseidon sends the sea-monster Cetus to attack the city that Cassiopeia and her husband King Cepheus rule with their daughter, Andromeda. As the tale goes, Cassiopeia - in a hubristic, vain gesture - announced she and her daughter were more beautiful than the Nereids, the nymphs of the sea. The star lore of Cassiopeia has always captivated me: A queen of Aethiopia boasting of her beauty, and that of her daughter, ropes in five other constellations to her story. #Constellation of cassiopeia fullHigh on the Garstelet Glacier, more than 11,800 feet above sea level, it's a welcoming site to travelers in the cold, unforgiving surroundings of the alpine mountains.Įn route to higher huts and greater peaks, I spent an evening outside the refuge imaging a full moon, with the Aosta Valley below, Turin and Milan in the distance, the International Space Station soaring above, and the great asterism of the big W, the constellation of Cassiopeia, in the sky. In the darkness of the Italian Alps, the Rifugio Gnifetti shelter shines bright, offering refuge to mountaineers. ![]()
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