![]() In November of 1572, astronomers were stunned by the appearance of a new star in the constellation – which was later named Tycho’s Supernova (SN 1572), after astronomer Tycho Brahe who recorded its discovery. Its head was composed of Lambda, Kappa, Iota, and Phi Andromedae its hump was Beta Cassiopeiae its body was the rest of Cassiopeia, and the legs were composed of stars in Perseus and Andromeda. The arm was made up of stars from the neighboring Perseus constellation.Īnother Arab constellation that incorporated the stars of Cassiopeia was the Camel. For instance, the stars of Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon and Eta Cassiopeiae were often depicted as the “Tinted Hand” in Arab atlases – a woman’s hand dyed red with henna, or the bloodied hand of Muhammad’s daughter Fatima. Spitzer infrared image (NASA/JPL-Caltech)Īrab astronomers also associated Cassiopeia’s stars with various figures from their mythology. In Indian astronomy, Cassiopeia was associated with the mythological figure Sharmishtha – the daughter of the great Devil (Daitya) King Vrishparva and a friend to Devavani (Andromeda). While Kappa, Eta, and Mu Cassopeiae formed a constellation called the Bridge of the Kings, when combined with Alpha and Beta Cassiopeiae – they formed the great chariot Wang-Liang. In Chinese astronomy, the stars forming the constellation Cassiopeia are found among the areas of the Purple Forbidden enclosure, the Black Tortoise of the North, and the White Tiger of the West.Ĭhinese astronomers also identified various figures in its major stars. It also figures prominently in the astronomical and astrological traditions of the Polynesian, Indian, Chinese and Arab cultures. Since Poseidon thought that Cassiopeia should not escape punishment, he placed her in the heavens in such a position that, as she circles the celestial pole, she is upside-down for half the time.Ĭassiopeia was one of the traditional constellations included by Ptolemy in his 2nd century CE tract, the Almagest. But the hero Perseus arrived in time, saved Andromeda, and ultimately became her husband. In either case, trying to save their kingdom, Cepheus and Cassiopeia consulted a wise oracle, who told them that the only way to appease the sea gods was to sacrifice their daughter.Īccordingly, Andromeda was chained to a rock at the sea’s edge and left there to helplessly await her fate at the hands of Cetus. This led the Nerieds to unleash the wrath of Poseidon upon the kingdom of Ethiopia.Accounts differ as to whether Poseidon decided to flood the whole country or direct the sea monster Cetus to destroy it. Credit: Sidney Hall/United States Library of Congress ![]() Cassiopeia in her chair, as depicted in Urania’s Mirror. This led to her downfall, as she boasted that both she and her daughter Andromeda were more beautiful than all the Nereids – the nymph-daughters of the sea god Nereus. ![]() Her name in Greek means “she whose words excel”, and she was renowned for her beauty but also her arrogance. In mythology, Cassiopeia the wife of King Cepheus and the queen of the mythological Phoenician realm of Ethiopia.
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