Cassiopeia

Authors: Youla Azkarrula, Susanne M Hoffmann, Doris Vickers

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Cas star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).

Cassiopeia, The Queen, one of the 88 IAU constellations.

Etymology and History

Origin of Constellation

Cassiopeia is the name of a queen, which is not translated but only written in Latin with a ‘c’. The queen sits on a throne – in Eratosthenes' version it may be an armchair, but in general it is understood to be a throne. On star charts from the last 250 years, Cassiopeia is often depicted fussing with her hair or even – as in modern planetariums – looking in a mirror. These are supposed to be signs of her vanity. Her throne has a backrest that reaches up to her shoulders, and one of the bright stars sits in its upper third.

In ancient times, the figure was seen differently: on the Farnese Globe, whose pictorial model dates back to the Hellenistic period, the seat has no backrest. The queen also holds up one arm, but there is nothing in her raised hand – Aratos believes she is lamenting her child. Her other hand (her left) is stretched out towards her husband, as if the two were about to hold hands. Her hair is draped in a strict bun, as was and is customary for older women. This contrasts with the looser hair of her daughter Andromeda.

In Greek art, women are not depicted naked – except for Aphrodite – so Cassiopeia, like her daughter, wears a long dress in the original. Bare-breasted depictions since the Middle Ages (Leiden Aratea) show the frivolous image of antiquity that was invented in retrospect.

It is unclear where the image of the queen comes from, as it is not the first thing that comes to mind when we see the zigzag pattern in the sky. Aratos does not describe the five bright stars that we call the ‘celestial W’ with a letter. The Greek sigma would have been a natural choice: Σ, but only a few people could write and the didactic poem was intended for everyone. Aratos compares the shape of the constellation to a key (bit) that opens a folding door. It is not entirely clear whether the folded door is also an allusion to the arrangement of the stars. In any case, the key is not a constellation, but, like our W in the sky, merely a mnemonic device.

It is unclear what this constellation was in Mesopotamia, but in any case it was not a queen. It could be the constellation of the deer or the plough – or something else entirely, which unfortunately cannot be determined with certainty based on the available data. Current philological research gives reason to believe that this is the constellation of the seed funnel plough, an innovation of the 2nd millennium that made it possible to scatter seeds from a storage funnel directly into the furrow.

Babylonian

see

• ^mulAPIN

Kugel Globe (1st c.BCE): Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Perseus, Cepheus, drawing by SMH 2024.

Greco-Roman

Aratos

In front of him revolves the tragic Cassiepeia, not very large, but visible on the night of a full moon; [190] only a few zigzagging stars adorn her, giving her all over a distinct outline. Like to a key with which men attacking a double door barred on the inside knock back the bolts, [194] such is the appearance of the individual stars that together comprise her. She extends outstretched arms just from her small shoulders: you would say she was grieving over her daughter.

(Kidd 1997)

Hipparchus

Rising (Lib II Cap V §9)

The Rising of ...

	east		south
	lam1	lam2	lam1	lam2
	Sgr 22	Cap 12	Lib 11	Sco 2 1/2
star	the bright one at the throne	the one in the head
duration	1 1/3 hours = 80 min = 20 degree

Setting (Lib II Cap VI §9)

	west		south
	lam1	lam2	lam1	lam2
	Ari 21	Tau 23 1/2	Cnc 23 1/2	Vir 5
star	the one in the head (zeta)	the one in the feet (eps)
duration	2 2/3 hours = 160 min = 40°

Stars Mentioned

	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

Euripides and Sophocles and many others have said of her that she boasted that she excelled the Nereids in beauty. For this she was put among the constellations, seated in a chair [?]. On account of her impiety, as the sky turns, she seems to be carried along lying on her back. (Mary Ward 1960)

Almagest Κασσιέπεια

id	Greek (Heiberg 1898)	English (Toomer 1984)	ident.
	Κασσιεπείας ἀστερισμός.	Constellation of Cassiopeia
1	ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς	The star on the head	zet Cas
2	ὁ ἐν τῷ στήθει	The star in the breast	alf Cas
3	ὁ βορειότερος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ξώνης	The one north of that, on the belt	eta Cas
4	ὁ ὑπὲρ τὴν καθέδραη κατὰ τῶν μηρῶν	The star over the throne, just over the thighs	gam Cas
5	ὁ ἐν τοῖς γόνασια.	The star in the knees	del Cas
6	ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς κυήμης.	The star on the lower leg	eps Cas
	ὁ ἐπ’ ἄκρου τοῦ ποδός	The star on the end of the leg	iot Cas
	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ βραχίουος	The star on the left upper arm	tet Cas
	ὁ ὑποκάτω τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ ἀγκῶνος	The star below the left elbow	phi Cas
	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ πήχεως	The star on the right fore-arm	sig Cas
	ὁ ἐπάνω τοῦ ποδὸς τοῦ θρόνου	The star above the foot of the throne	kap Cas
	ὁ ἐπὶ μέσου τοῦ ἀνακλίθρου	The star on the middlil of the· back of the throne	bet Cas
	ὁ ἐπ’ ἄκρου τοῦ ἀνακλίθρου	The star on the top of the throne-back	rho Cas
	ἀστέρες τῇ, ὥυ γ’ μεγέθους ὅ, δ’ ὅ, ε’ ἂ, ϛ’ β	13 stars, 4 of the third magnitude, 6 of the fourth, 1 of the fifth, 2 of the sixth}

Convex Hull for the stars inside Kassiepeia (CC BY Youla Azkarrula).

Stars within the Constellation Area

id	Label	IAU design.	description	Vmag
1	Alioth	HIP 62956	Inside the hull	1.77
2	Mizar	HIP 65378	Inside the hull	2.22
3	-	HIP 65378A	Inside the hull	2.22
4	Schedar	HIP 3179	Constellation lines	2.23
5	Merak	HIP 53910	Inside the hull	2.37
6	Tiansi	HIP 4427	Constellation lines (Vertex)	2.39
7	Ruchbah	HIP 6686	Constellation lines	2.68
8	Megrez	HIP 59774	Inside the hull	3.32
9	Segin	HIP 8886	Constellation lines	3.37
10	Achird	HIP 3821	Constellation lines	3.44
11	Fulu	HIP 2920	Constellation lines (Vertex)	3.66
12	Grumium	HIP 87585	Inside the hull	3.75
13	δ Cephei	HIP 110991	Inside the hull	3.75
14	Miram	HIP 13268	Inside the hull	3.79
15	-	HIP 65378B	Inside the hull	3.88
16	Alcor	HIP 65477	Inside the hull	4.01
17	CS Cam	HIP 16228	Inside the hull	4.22
18	Kurhah	HIP 108917	Inside the hull	4.29
19	θ Cassiopeiae	HIP 5542	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.33
20	15 Lyn	HIP 33449	Inside the hull	4.35
21	2 Lyn	HIP 30060	Inside the hull	4.434
22	CE Cam	HIP 16281	Inside the hull	4.54
23	* iot Cas A	HIP 11569	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.61
24	-	HIP 14382	Inside the hull	4.766
25	-	HIP 51459	Inside the hull	4.79
26	-	HIP 82020	Inside the hull	4.837
27	1 Cas	HIP 114104	Inside the hull	4.84
28	VV Cep	HIP 108317	Inside the hull	4.9
29	78 UMa	HIP 63503	Inside the hull	4.93
30	24 Lyn	HIP 37609	Inside the hull	4.947
31	ξ Aurigae	HIP 27949	Inside the hull	4.96
32	ϕ Cassiopeiae	HIP 6242	Constellation lines	4.98
33	σ Cas	HIP 118243	Constellation lines (Vertex)	5.01
34	46 Dra	HIP 91755	Inside the hull	5.02
35	4 Per	HIP 9505	Inside the hull	5.04
36	11 Cam	HIP 23734	Inside the hull	5.08
37	-	HIP 16292	Inside the hull	5.09
38	19 Cep	HIP 109017	Inside the hull	5.11
39	-	HIP 19018	Inside the hull	5.12
40	V509 Cas	HIP 113561	Inside the hull	5.13
41	37 UMa	HIP 51814	Inside the hull	5.148
42	V416 Lac	HIP 111795	Inside the hull	5.167
43	μ Cassiopeiae	HIP 5336	Inside the hull	5.17
44	9 Per	HIP 11060	Inside the hull	5.17
45	5 Lyn	HIP 30679	Inside the hull	5.197
46	44 Lyn	HIP 47965	Inside the hull	5.2
47	16 Cam	HIP 25197	Inside the hull	5.25
48	-	HIP 57477	Inside the hull	5.254
49	20 Cep	HIP 109005	Inside the hull	5.265
50	17 UMa	HIP 45455	Inside the hull	5.266
51	4 Cam	HIP 22287	Inside the hull	5.275
52	-	HIP 9312	Inside the hull	5.278
53	-	HIP 81437	Inside the hull	5.28
54	18 Cep	HIP 108924	Inside the hull	5.3
55	13 Lyn	HIP 32489	Inside the hull	5.335
56	37 Cam	HIP 29246	Inside the hull	5.355
57	-	HIP 112731	Inside the hull	5.439
58	* 12 Lyn A	HIP 32438	Inside the hull	5.44
59	CG UMa	HIP 45915	Inside the hull	5.47
60	-	HIP 49005	Inside the hull	5.485
61	49 Dra	HIP 93340	Inside the hull	5.513
62	1 Per	HIP 8704	Inside the hull	5.52
63	5 Cam	HIP 22854	Inside the hull	5.52
64	70 UMa	HIP 60212	Inside the hull	5.524
65	-	HIP 7617	Inside the hull	5.536
66	RR Lyn	HIP 30651	Inside the hull	5.54
67	-	HIP 118077	Inside the hull	5.561
68	-	HIP 114622	Inside the hull	5.57
69	81 UMa	HIP 66198	Inside the hull	5.588
70	53 Cas	HIP 9573	Inside the hull	5.614
71	-	HIP 56510	Inside the hull	5.628
72	-	HIP 8362	Inside the hull	5.63
73	-	HIP 107930	Inside the hull	5.657
74	43 UMa	HIP 53043	Inside the hull	5.661
75	2 Cas	HIP 114365	Inside the hull	5.679
76	V472 Per	HIP 9990	Inside the hull	5.68
77	-	HIP 55797	Inside the hull	5.7
78	73 UMa	HIP 60795	Inside the hull	5.7
79	-	HIP 7251	Inside the hull	5.709
80	-	HIP 26344	Inside the hull	5.716
81	-	HIP 71111	Inside the hull	5.718
82	-	HIP 19983	Inside the hull	5.721
83	DQ Dra	HIP 80375	Inside the hull	5.734
84	25 Cep	HIP 110103	Inside the hull	5.741
85	8 Per	HIP 10718	Inside the hull	5.748
86	11 Per	HIP 12692	Inside the hull	5.753
87	44 Cas	HIP 8046	Inside the hull	5.76
88	-	HIP 39221	Inside the hull	5.772
89	-	HIP 109620	Inside the hull	5.778
90	-	HIP 17342	Inside the hull	5.78
91	19 Lyn	HIP 35785	Inside the hull	5.78
92	39 UMa	HIP 52478	Inside the hull	5.782
93	-	HIP 18217	Inside the hull	5.786
94	-	HIP 15192	Inside the hull	5.79
95	-	HIP 77738	Inside the hull	5.8
96	71 UMa	HIP 60584	Inside the hull	5.81
97	66 UMa	HIP 58181	Inside the hull	5.824
98	-	HIP 40305	Inside the hull	5.85
99	6 Lyn	HIP 31039	Inside the hull	5.855
100	-	HIP 108226	Inside the hull	5.86
101	30 Lyn	HIP 40875	Inside the hull	5.877
102	-	HIP 77370	Inside the hull	5.878
103	11 Lyn	HIP 31665	Inside the hull	5.89
104	-	HIP 39995	Inside the hull	5.89
105	-	HIP 101084	Inside the hull	5.912
106	-	HIP 77272	Inside the hull	5.917
107	-	HIP 20380	Inside the hull	5.92
108	26 Cam	HIP 27249	Inside the hull	5.927
109	-	HIP 37046	Inside the hull	5.931
110	-	HIP 48802	Inside the hull	5.959
111	-	HIP 16599	Inside the hull	5.969
112	-	HIP 105080	Inside the hull	5.975
113	-	HIP 112998	Inside the hull	5.984
114	52 Cas	HIP 9564	Inside the hull	5.986
115	-	HIP 4962	Inside the hull	6
116	-	HR 8375	Inside the hull	6.01
117	-	HIP 33444	Inside the hull	6.013
118	7 Per	HIP 10729	Inside the hull	6.023
119	-	HIP 110498	Inside the hull	6.032
120	-	HIP 83138	Inside the hull	6.041
121	24 Cam	HIP 26942	Inside the hull	6.045
122	4 Lyn	HIP 30272	Inside the hull	6.07
123	23 Lyn	HIP 37406	Inside the hull	6.076
124	-	HIP 19823	Inside the hull	6.08
125	-	HIP 87744	Inside the hull	6.081
126	-	HIP 17707	Inside the hull	6.082
127	-	HIP 14392	Inside the hull	6.105
128	-	HIP 109746	Inside the hull	6.121
129	15 Cam	HIP 24836	Inside the hull	6.125
130	-	HIP 28390	Inside the hull	6.129
131	12 Cam	HIP 23743	Inside the hull	6.13
132	30 Cam	HIP 27731	Inside the hull	6.132
133	-	HIP 24479	Inside the hull	6.135
134	-	HIP 81840	Inside the hull	6.172
135	-	HIP 20456	Inside the hull	6.18
136	-	HIP 98946	Inside the hull	6.18
137	-	HIP 58225	Inside the hull	6.2
138	-	HIP 113684	Inside the hull	6.207
139	-	HIP 116912	Inside the hull	6.22
140	-	HR 2486	Inside the hull	6.23
141	-	HIP 8148	Inside the hull	6.24
142	10 Per	HIP 11279	Inside the hull	6.26
143	V480 Per	HIP 13178	Inside the hull	6.26
144	-	HIP 19400	Inside the hull	6.26
145	-	HIP 57045	Inside the hull	6.266
146	CQ UMa	HIP 66700	Inside the hull	6.273
147	-	HIP 56083	Inside the hull	6.278
148	-	HR 499	Inside the hull	6.28
149	KZ Cam	HIP 16974	Inside the hull	6.282
150	-	HIP 20772	Inside the hull	6.29
151	-	HIP 32609	Inside the hull	6.29
152	V440 Per	HIP 11174	Inside the hull	6.291
153	-	HIP 19412	Inside the hull	6.295
154	δ Cep C	HIP 110988	Inside the hull	6.3
155	68 UMa	HIP 59458	Inside the hull	6.31
156	-	HIP 22300	Inside the hull	6.32
157	-	HIP 28829	Inside the hull	6.321
158	-	HIP 8020	Inside the hull	6.323
159	-	HIP 8115	Inside the hull	6.33
160	-	HIP 56944	Inside the hull	6.335
161	41 UMa	HIP 52685	Inside the hull	6.34
162	-	HIP 7963	Inside the hull	6.348
163	5 Per	HIP 10227	Inside the hull	6.35
164	-	HIP 112508	Inside the hull	6.36
165	V1817 Cyg	HIP 96003	Inside the hull	6.369
166	-	HIP 38449	Inside the hull	6.37
167	-	HIP 16602	Inside the hull	6.38
168	-	HIP 107893	Inside the hull	6.38
169	-	HIP 79164	Inside the hull	6.4
170	-	HIP 16587	Inside the hull	6.409
171	34 Cam	HIP 28385	Inside the hull	6.41
172	-	HR 1043	Inside the hull	6.414
173	-	HIP 107929	Inside the hull	6.419
174	-	HIP 114163	Inside the hull	6.419
175	-	HIP 75788	Inside the hull	6.427
176	-	HIP 113852	Inside the hull	6.428
177	-	HIP 10379	Inside the hull	6.43
178	-	HIP 8847	Inside the hull	6.437
179	-	HIP 55485	Inside the hull	6.44
180	-	HIP 117133	Inside the hull	6.44
181	-	HIP 25973	Inside the hull	6.44
182	-	HIP 13347	Inside the hull	6.443
183	-	HIP 17858	Inside the hull	6.448
184	-	HIP 101900	Inside the hull	6.45
185	-	HIP 71251	Inside the hull	6.45
186	-	HIP 113498	Inside the hull	6.45
187	7 Lyn	HIP 31359	Inside the hull	6.46
188	-	HIP 30357	Inside the hull	6.47
189	-	HIP 10633	Inside the hull	6.48
190	-	HIP 11020	Inside the hull	6.48
191	-	HIP 28656	Inside the hull	6.48
192	-	HIP 40086	Inside the hull	6.48
193	V1351 Cyg	HIP 96919	Inside the hull	6.48
194	54 Cam	HIP 39348	Inside the hull	6.49
195	-	HIP 47521	Inside the hull	6.49
196	-	HIP 99294	Inside the hull	6.49
197	NGC 654	NGC 654	Inside the hull	6.5
198	-	HIP 18413	Inside the hull	6.58
199	-	HIP 31552	Inside the hull	6.6

Mythology

The tragedian Sophocles is quoted by Eratosthenes as the source of the story: he recounts that Cassiopeia competed with the Nereids for beauty and thus fell into disfavour. Because of her, the sea god Poseidon is said to have sent a sea monster to ravage the land she ruled with her husband Cepheus. To save the land from the monster, the princess was to be sacrificed – but she was saved in the face of danger. The poets agree that Cassiopeia was punished for her vanity with her uncomfortable position in the sky (rapidly ascending and descending, and sometimes upside down).

Cassiopeia with WGSN-names (CC BY Sadegh Faghanpour and Susanne M Hoffmann for WGSN 2025).

References

• References (general)
• References (Babylonian)
• References (ancient Greco-Roman)
• References (medieval)