Cassiopeia Major stars alpha Cassiopeiae Schedar magn. Interesting stars are in particular gamma Cassiopeiae and eta Cassiopeiae. In the constellation of Cassiopeia there are the rests of the supernova observed in 1572 by Tycho Brahe. Cassiopeiae, the supernova reached the brightness of Venus and it was visible to the naked eye for sixteen months.
Today remain some weak filaments, invisible to the small telescopes.
Mythology and history Cassiopeia, daughter of Arab son of Ermes, was wife of Cepheus , to whom she gave a daughter, Andromeda . She boasted that her daughter was more beautiful than the Nereids, exciting Poseidon's anger. In the sky she is represented as a woman sat in throne. Back to constellations page .