Fact sheet
- Latin name
- Andromeda (And)
- Brightest star
- Alpheratz (α And)
- Relative brightness
- 2.06 mag
- Hipparcos catalogue
- HIP 677
- Area
- 722 deg² (rank: 19 out of 88)
- Right ascension
- 22h 57m 22s to 2h 39m 33s
- Declination
- +21° 40' 36'' to +53° 11' 13''
- Neighbouring constellations
- Cassiopeia, Lacerta, Pegasus, Pisces, Triangulum, Perseus
Visibility
The constellation Andromeda
The constellation Andromeda is a constellation of the northern hemisphere. It is partly circumpolar around the North Pole. This means that some of its stars are so close to the celestial pole that they never set as seen from Berlin. Part of the constellation is therefore above the horizon all year round there.
The brightest star of the constellation is α Andromedae, which bears the name Sirrah or Alpheratz. Both names are derived from the Arabic expression Al Surrat al Faras (navel of the horse). The name comes from the fact that on older star charts the star was assigned to the constellation Pegasus.
The most famous object in this constellation is the Andromeda Nebula (M 31). The Andromeda Nebula is a separate galaxy. Its light has been travelling towards us for around 2.5 million years. The Andromeda Nebula is one of the most distant objects that can still be seen with the naked eye. The galaxy in which the Earth is located is the Milky Way.
Mythology
According to Greek mythology, Cepheus was the king of Ethiopia. He was a descendant of the nymph Io, who was a lover of Zeus. Cepheus was married to the vain Cassiopeia, who boasted everywhere that she was even more beautiful than the Nereids, the fifty daughters of the sea god Nereus. In response, the sea god Poseidon, who was married to one of the Nereids, sent the sea monster Cetus to the coast of Cepheus's kingdom. Cepheus turned to the oracle of Ammon for help. The oracle told him to chain his daughter Andromeda to a rock and sacrifice her to the monster. Only in this way could the destruction off his coast be stopped. In his despair, Cepheus followed the oracle's advice. However, Andromeda was rescued just in time by the hero Perseus. Perseus then asked for Andromeda's hand in marriage. Although Andromeda had already been promised to her uncle Phineus, Cepheus agreed. In the end, a fight broke out between Perseus and Phineus at the wedding celebration. During this fight, Perseus held out the head of Medusa towards Phineus. Phineus was turned to stone on the spot.
Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Perseus and the monster Cetus (whale) were later placed in the sky as constellations.
