Cepheus - Revision history

Sushoff at 11:53, 27 February 2026

2026-02-27T11:53:34Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:53, 27 February 2026
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	==Etymology and History==		==Etymology and History==
	===Origin of Constellation===		===Origin of Constellation===
	In Greek mythology, Cepheus is the father of [[Andromeda]] and husband of Queen [[Cassiopeia]]. Aratos describes him as a lord with outstretched arms, as depicted on the Farnese Globe. Eratosthenes adds that his feet are pointing towards the pole and he is lying up to his chest in the Arctic Circle. His shoulders and head lie between the Arctic Circle and the circle of the summer solstice. This is important for Eratosthenes, as his original text systematically describes the sky from the North Pole southwards: only the [[Ursa Major]], [[Draco]] and Cepheus' feet lie within the polar cap, with the heads of Draco and Cepheus lying outside this ever-visible circle – at least when viewed from Alexandria in Egypt. In Athens, the dragon's head would still be fully within the Arctic Circle and only the head of Cepheus would protrude beyond it.		<ref>Hoffmann, Susanne M. Wie der Löwe an den Himmel kam. Franckh Kosmos Verlag, Stuttgart 2021</ref>In Greek mythology, Cepheus is the father of [[Andromeda]] and husband of Queen [[Cassiopeia]]. Aratos describes him as a lord with outstretched arms, as depicted on the Farnese Globe. Eratosthenes adds that his feet are pointing towards the pole and he is lying up to his chest in the Arctic Circle. His shoulders and head lie between the Arctic Circle and the circle of the summer solstice. This is important for Eratosthenes, as his original text systematically describes the sky from the North Pole southwards: only the [[Ursa Major]], [[Draco]] and Cepheus' feet lie within the polar cap, with the heads of Draco and Cepheus lying outside this ever-visible circle – at least when viewed from Alexandria in Egypt. In Athens, the dragon's head would still be fully within the Arctic Circle and only the head of Cepheus would protrude beyond it.

	This information suggests a more northerly geographical latitude and could therefore indicate that this figure (group of figures) originated in what is now Greece. At least Eratosthenes' source seems to come from there – although it is impossible to make any definitive statements about transfers many centuries ago.		This information suggests a more northerly geographical latitude and could therefore indicate that this figure (group of figures) originated in what is now Greece. At least Eratosthenes' source seems to come from there – although it is impossible to make any definitive statements about transfers many centuries ago.

Sushoff: /* Mythology */

2026-02-26T19:30:00Z

Mythology

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:30, 26 February 2026
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	----		----
	[[File:Cepheus IAU.svg\|thumb\|Cep star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg)]]		[[File:Cepheus IAU.svg\|thumb\|Cep star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg)]]
	~~One~~ of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]].		Cepheus, The King, one of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]].

	==Etymology and History==		==Etymology and History==
	~~The~~ Greek ~~constellation~~ ...		===Origin of Constellation===
			In Greek mythology, Cepheus is the father of [[Andromeda]] and husband of Queen [[Cassiopeia]]. Aratos describes him as a lord with outstretched arms, as depicted on the Farnese Globe. Eratosthenes adds that his feet are pointing towards the pole and he is lying up to his chest in the Arctic Circle. His shoulders and head lie between the Arctic Circle and the circle of the summer solstice. This is important for Eratosthenes, as his original text systematically describes the sky from the North Pole southwards: only the [[Ursa Major]], [[Draco]] and Cepheus' feet lie within the polar cap, with the heads of Draco and Cepheus lying outside this ever-visible circle – at least when viewed from Alexandria in Egypt. In Athens, the dragon's head would still be fully within the Arctic Circle and only the head of Cepheus would protrude beyond it.

			This information suggests a more northerly geographical latitude and could therefore indicate that this figure (group of figures) originated in what is now Greece. At least Eratosthenes' source seems to come from there – although it is impossible to make any definitive statements about transfers many centuries ago.

	~~===Origin~~ of ~~Constellation===~~		What is clear is that this figure does not originate from Mesopotamia, because at least the area outside the Arctic Circle, i.e. the head and shoulders of Cepheus, belonged in Mesopotamia to the figure of a giant demon with an open mouth. We describe this constellation of the demon in [[Cygnus]], the Swan.

	==== Babylonian ====		==== Babylonian ====
			see

			* [[UD.KA.DU8.A\|UD.KA.DU<sub>8</sub>.A]]

	[[File:Kugel family.JPG\|thumb\|Kugel Globe (1st c.BCE): Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Perseus, Cepheus, drawing by SMH 2024.]]		[[File:Kugel family.JPG\|thumb\|Kugel Globe (1st c.BCE): Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Perseus, Cepheus, drawing by SMH 2024.]]

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	==Mythology==		==Mythology==
			Eratosthenes says that it was Athena's wish to place Cepheus and Andromeda in the heavens. He was her father and, according to Euripides, the king of Ethiopia. As he was responsible for his country, he is said to have reluctantly thrown his daughter to the sea monster to be devoured. However, she was saved by Perseus. The location of Aithiopia for the Greeks is disputed in research and may have varied over the centuries or for different poets. The name Aithiopians only indicates that they were dark-skinned – it could therefore refer to many places between India and North Africa.

	==Weblinks==		==Weblinks==

Sushoff: /* Hipparchus */

2026-02-24T07:33:01Z

Hipparchus

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:33, 24 February 2026
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	\|-		\|-
	\|		\|
	\|		\|Ari 7 1/2
	\|		\|Ari 14
	\|		\|Cnc 9
	\|		\|Cnc 14
	\|-		\|-
	\|		\|
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	\|-		\|-
	\|star		\|star
	\|		\|the southern one of those in the head (eps)
	\|		\|the northern one of those [in the head]
	\|		\|
	\|		\|
	\|-		\|-
	\|duration		\|duration
	\| colspan="4" \|~~2 2~~/3 hours = ~~160~~ min = ~~40°~~		\| colspan="4" \|1/3 hours = 20 min = 5°
	\|}		\|}

Sushoff: /* Hipparchus */

2026-02-23T15:06:25Z

Hipparchus

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:06, 23 February 2026
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	\|-		\|-
	\|		\|
	\|		\|Sco 26 1/2
	\|		\|Sgr 5 1/2
	\|		\|Vir 8 1/2
	\|		\|Vir 21
	\|-		\|-
	\|		\|
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	\|-		\|-
	\|star		\|star
	\|		\|the one who preceds the three in the head (mu)
	\|		\|the southern one of those in the head (eps)
	\|		\|
	\|		\|
	\|-		\|-
	\|duration		\|duration
	\| colspan="4" \|~~2 1~~/8 hours = ~~127.5~~ min = ~~31 7~~/8 degree		\| colspan="4" \|3/4 hours = 45 min = 11 1/4 degree
	\|}		\|}

Sushoff: /* Hipparchus */

2026-02-22T17:37:38Z

Hipparchus

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:37, 22 February 2026
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	===== Hipparchus =====		===== Hipparchus =====

			====== Rising (Lib II Cap V §10) ======
			<blockquote>The Rising of ...</blockquote>
			{\| class="wikitable"
			\|+
			!
			! colspan="2" \|east
			! colspan="2" \|south
			\|-
			!
			!lam1
			!lam2
			!lam1
			!lam2
			\|-
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|-
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|-
			\|star
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|-
			\|duration
			\| colspan="4" \|2 1/8 hours = 127.5 min = 31 7/8 degree
			\|}

			====== Setting (Lib II Cap VI §10) ======
			{\| class="wikitable"
			!
			! colspan="2" \|west
			! colspan="2" \|south
			\|-
			!
			!lam1
			!lam2
			!lam1
			!lam2
			\|-
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|-
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|-
			\|star
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|-
			\|duration
			\| colspan="4" \|2 2/3 hours = 160 min = 40°
			\|}

			====== Stars Mentioned ======
			{\| class="wikitable"
			\|+
			!
			!Greek
			!German
			!English
			!ident.
			!src
			!
			!lam_culm
			\|-
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|Lib II Cap V §10
			\|rising, east, first
			\|
			\|-
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|Lib II Cap V §10
			\|rising, east, last
			\|
			\|-
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|Lib II Cap VI §2
			\|setting CrB, south, last
			\|Psc 13.5
			\|-
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|Lib II Cap VI §13
			\|setting Aql, south, first
			\|Ari 2
			\|-
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|
			\|Lib III Cap I §9
			\|rising Ori, south, last
			\|Psc 13
			\|}

	===== Hyginus, Astronomica =====		===== Hyginus, Astronomica =====

YoulaAzkarrula: /* Almagest Κηφεύς */

2026-02-06T10:56:30Z

Almagest Κηφεύς

Show changes

Sushoff at 13:15, 20 January 2026

2026-01-20T13:15:15Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:15, 20 January 2026
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			Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}
			----
	[[File:Cepheus IAU.svg\|thumb\|Cep star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg)]]		[[File:Cepheus IAU.svg\|thumb\|Cep star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg)]]
	One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]].		One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]].

Dorvic at 15:13, 2 May 2025

2025-05-02T15:13:14Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:13, 2 May 2025
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	===== Hipparchus =====		===== Hipparchus =====

			===== Hyginus, Astronomica =====
			<blockquote>Euripides and the rest have shown that he was the son of Phoenix, king of the Ethiopians, and father of Andromeda, the girl exposed to the sea-monster, according to the well-known tale. Perseus freed her from danger and made her his wife. And so, that the whole family be commemorated, the gods numbered Cepheus, too, among the constellations. (Mary Ward 1960)</blockquote>

	===== Geminos =====		===== Geminos =====

Dorvic: /* Aratos */

2025-05-02T06:06:25Z

Aratos

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:06, 2 May 2025
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	===== Aratos =====		===== Aratos =====
	Nor will the suffering family of Cepheus, son of Iasius, [180] be just left unmentioned: their name also has reached the sky, for they were akin to Zeus. Behind the Bear Cynosura [Ursa ~~Major~~] Cepheus himself is like a man stretching out both his arms. The line that extends from the tip of her tail to each of his feet equals the distance from foot to foot. [186] And you have only to look a little way past his belt if you are searching for the first coil o f the great Dragon.		Nor will the suffering family of Cepheus, son of Iasius, [180] be just left unmentioned: their name also has reached the sky, for they were akin to Zeus. Behind the Bear Cynosura [Ursa Minor] Cepheus himself is like a man stretching out both his arms. The line that extends from the tip of her tail to each of his feet equals the distance from foot to foot. [186] And you have only to look a little way past his belt if you are searching for the first coil o f the great Dragon.

	(Kidd 1997)		(Kidd 1997)

Dorvic: /* Aratos */

2025-05-02T06:06:08Z

Aratos

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:06, 2 May 2025
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	===== Aratos =====		===== Aratos =====
	~~[179]~~ Nor ~~all unnamed shall rest he hapless~~ family of ~~Iasid~~ Cepheus~~. For~~ their name~~, too~~ has ~~come unto heaven~~, for ~~that~~ they were ~~near~~ akin to Zeus. ~~Cepheus himself is set behind~~ the Bear Cynosura,		Nor will the suffering family of Cepheus, son of Iasius, [180] be just left unmentioned: their name also has reached the sky, for they were akin to Zeus. Behind the Bear Cynosura [Ursa Major] Cepheus himself is like a man stretching out both his arms. The line that extends from the tip of her tail to each of his feet equals the distance from foot to foot. [186] And you have only to look a little way past his belt if you are searching for the first coil o f the great Dragon.

	[~~308?~~] ~~Then, too, at~~ the ~~close~~ of ~~night Cynosura’s head runs very high, but Orion just before~~ the ~~dawn wholly sets and Cepheus~~ from ~~hand~~ to ~~waist~~.

	(Kidd 1997)		(Kidd 1997)