Andromeda (constellation)
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| List of stars in Andromeda | |
| Abbreviation: | And |
| Genitive: | Andromedae |
| Symbolism: | Andromeda, the Woman Chained[1] |
| Right ascension: | 1 h |
| Declination: | +40° |
| Area: | 722 sq. deg. (19th) |
| Main stars: | 4, 18 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars: | 65 |
| Stars with known planets: | 4 |
| Bright stars: | 3 |
| Nearby stars: | 5 |
| Brightest star: | α And (Alpheratz) (2.1m) |
| Nearest star: | Ross 248 (10.32 ly) |
| Messier objects: | 3 |
| Meteor showers: | Andromedids (Bielids) |
| Bordering constellations: | Perseus Cassiopeia Lacerta Pegasus Pisces Triangulum |
| Visible at latitudes between +90° and −40° Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of November | |
- For criticism see Criticism of Andromeda_(constellation)
Andromeda is a constellation in the northern sky. It is named after Andromeda, the princess of a mythological kingdom Ethiopia in Greek mythology. It is most notable for containing the Andromeda Galaxy. It is sometimes called "the Chained Lady" or "the Chained Woman" in English, Mulier Catenata[2] in Latin, al-Mar'at al Musalsalah[3] in Arabic, as the mythological Andromeda was chained to a wall of rock before being rescued by Perseus. And it was also called Persea,[4] "Perseus' wife", or Cepheis,[5] "Cepheus' daughter",[6] in Latin.
Contents |
Notable features
Stars
- α And (Alpheratz / Sirrah): the brightest star in this constellation. It is a binary star with an overall apparent visual magnitude of 2.06m.
- α And was formerly considered common to both Andromeda and Pegasus , and designated as "Delta Pegasi (δ Peg)". And it forms an asterism with α, β, and γ Peg known as the Great Square of Pegasus.
- β And (Mirach): in the girdle. It is 200 light years distant and of magnitude 2.1m.
- γ And (Almach): is found at the tip of the southern leg of the big "A". It is a multiple star with contrasting colors.
- δ And (Delta): is only 3rd magnitude star in this constellation.
- ι And: with κ, λ, and ψ And, they formed an asterism, Frederik's Glory.[7] It is derived from a former constellation Frederici Honores.
- υ And: has a planetary system with three confirmed planets, 0.71 times, 2.11 times, and 4.61 times the mass of Jupiter.
- n And (33 And): was a former designation for M31, the Andromeda Galaxy.
- 51 And: was reassigned by Johann Bayer to neighbouring Perseus, where he designated it "Upsilon Persei (υ Per)", but it was returned to Andromeda by the International Astronomical Union.[8]
Additional Named Stars in Andromeda
| Star | Name | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ξ And | Adhil | Arabic |
Deep sky objects
The most famous deep sky object in Andromeda is a spiral galaxy Messier 31, the Andromeda Galaxy, one of the most distant objects visible to the naked eye (Messier 33, the Triangulum Galaxy, is slightly farther). It is an enormous spiral galaxy much like the Milky Way. To find the galaxy, draw a line between β and μ And, and extend the line approximately the same distance again from μ And.
Illustrations
When the constellation is envisioned as representing the princess Andromeda, α Andromedae is normally considered to mark her head. However, the star's traditional names mean "navel of the horse".
When the fainter stars, visible to the naked eye, are considered alongside α Andromedae, then the constellation can be interpreted as a stick-figure woman with a prominent belt, and an arm with something long attached to it, giving the appearance of a female warrior holding a sword. This, together with other stars in the zodiac sign of Aries (part of Pisces, and the Pleiades), may be the origin of the myth of the girdle of Hippolyte, which forms part of The Twelve Labours of Hercules.
However, when still fainter stars are included, the attachment extends in a different direction, giving the appearance of a maiden held by a chain. Together with other constellations nearby (Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Cetus, Pegasus, and Perseus), this may be the source of the myth of the Boast of Cassiopeia, with which it is usually identified.
See also
- Andromedids meteor shower
Notes
References
- Allen R. H., (1899) Star-Names and Their Meanings, G. E. Stechert.
- Bakich, M. E., (1995) The Cambridge Guide to the Constellations, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (UK).
- Ray H. A., (1997 The Stars — A New Way To See Them. Enlarged World-Wide Edition. Houghton Mifflin, Boston. ISBN 0-395-24830-2.*
- Ridpath. I., (1988) Star Tales, Lutterworth Press, Cambridge (UK).
- Ridpath, I., and Tirion W., (2007) Stars and Planets Guide, Collins, London. ISBN 978-0007251209. Princeton University Press, Princeton. ISBN 978-0691135564.
- Wagman, Morton (2003) Lost Stars, McDonald and Woodward, Blacksburg, Virginia. ISBN 0-939923-78-5.
External links
- The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Andromeda
- NightSkyInfo.com: Constellation Andromeda
- WIKISKY.ORG: Andromeda
- Star Tales – Andromeda
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