Cassiopeia is a conspicuous constellation in the northern hemisphere, situated next to Cepheus, and often called the Lady in her Chair. It contains fifty-five stars, five of which, arranged in the form of a 'W', are of the third magnitude. Research Cassiopeia
The Milky Way is the large, disk-shaped aggregation of stars, or galaxy , that includes the sun and its solar system. Its name is derived from its appearance as a faintly luminous band that stretches across earth's sky at night. This band is the disk in which the solar system lies. Its hazy appearance results from the combined light of stars too far away to be distinguished individually by the unaided eye. The individual stars that are distinct in the sky are those in the Milky Way galaxy that lie sufficiently close to the solar system to be discerned separately. From the middle northern latitudes, the Milky Way is best seen on clear, moonless, summer nights, when it appears as a luminous, irregular band circling the sky from the north-eastern to the south-eastern horizon. It extends through the constellations Perseus, Cassiopeia, and Cepheus. In the region of the Northern Cross it divides into two streams: the western stream, which is bright as it passes through the Northern Cross, fades near Ophiuchus, or the Serpent Bearer, because of dense dust clouds, and appears again in Scorpio; and the eastern stream, which grows brighter as it passes southward through Scutum and Sagittarius. The brightest part of the Milky Way extends from Scutum to Scorpio, through Sagittarius. The centre is in the direction of Sagittarius and is about 26,000 light-years from the sun. Research Milky Way
In Greek mythology, Epaphus was a son of Zeus and Io who was born on the River Nile. He became King of Egypt and married Memphis, or by some accounts Cassiopeia. he had a daughter, Libya, who gave her name to the African country of Libya. Research Epaphus
Constellations are the groups into which astronomers have divided the fixed stars, and which have received names for the convenience of description and reference. It is plain that the union of several stars into a constellation, to which the name of some animal, person, or inanimate object is given, must be entirely arbitrary, since the several points (the stars) may be united in a hundred different ways, just as imagination directs.
The grouping adopted by the Egyptians was accordingly modified by the Greeks, though they retained the Ram, the Bull, the Dog, etc; and the Greek constellations were again modified by the Romans, and again by the Arabians. At various times, also, Christianity has endeavoured to supplant the pagan system, the VenerableBede having given the names of the twelve apostles to the signs of the zodiac, and Judas Schillerius having, in 1627, applied Scripture names to all the constellations. Weigelius, a professor of Jena, even grouped the stars upon a heraldic basis, introducing the arms of all the princes of Europe among the constellations. The old constellations have, however, been for the most part retained.
Ptolemy enumerated forty-eight constellations, which are still called the Ptolemaean. They are the following: 1. The twelve signs of the zodiac. 2. Twenty-one constellations found in the northern hemisphere - the Great Bear (Ursa Major), the Little Bear (Ursa Minor), Perseus, the Dragon, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Pegasus, Equulus (Horse's Head), the Triangle, the Waggoner (Auriga), Bootes, the Northern Crown (Corona Boredlis), Ophiuchus, the Serpent (Serpentarius), Hercules, the Arrow (Sagitta), the Lyre, the Swan (Cygnus), the Dolphin, the Eagle (Aquila). 3. Fifteen constellations in the southern hemisphere - Orion, the Whale (Cetus), Eridanus, the Hare (Lepus), the Great Dog (Canis Major), the Little Dog (Canis Minor), Hydra, the Cup (Crater), the Crow (Corvus), the Centaur, the Wolf (Lupus), the Altar (Ara), the Southern Fish (Piscis Australia), the Argo, the Southern Crown (Corona Australia). Others were subsequently added, this being especially rendered necessary by the increased navigation of the southern hemisphere, and now the different groups of stars have come to be associated with all sorts of animals and objects, including the Giraffe, the Fly, the Air-pump, the Compasses, etc.
The different stars of a constellation are marked by Greek letters, alpha denoting those of the first magnitude, beta,those of the second and so on. Stars of the sixth magnitude are the smallest visible to the naked eye. Several stars also have particular names. Research Constellation
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Cassiopeia
