1

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[1]
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2
On a late summer evening the patient observer is awarded with her Iirst view oI the striking
constellation Andromeda rising in the northeastern sky. II the viewer is prone to many late nights spent
under clear skies, she may have seen her in the previous months, rising in the morning hours ahead oI the
Sun in late winter, and by midnight in early summer. But now it`s August and there she is at sunset,
shining herselI down onto the warm, dry deserts and high, cool mountains oI the northern hemisphere.
The Princess Andromeda has invited herselI once again into our outdoor bedroom Ior these peaceIul
nights oI summer sleep.
Andromeda travels with a pack oI Iriends in her portion oI the sky. It is no coincidence that
mythological characters oI the same stories spin alongside each other throughout our nightly cycle.
Indeed, many classic stories are Iundamentally based on these groupings. Let us examine the story oI
Andromeda and her parents, Cassiopeia and Cepheus, her brave rescuer, Perseus, and Cetus, the
wicked sea monster.
From the beginning, Andromeda's Iate was linked to that oI her mother and Iather, as is oIten
the case. Her vain and boastIul mother, the Queen Cassiopeia oI Ethiopea, had the temerity to claim her
own beauty superior to that oI the Nereids, the sea nymphs and daughters oI Poseidon, God oI the
Seas. With that title comes great power, and Poseidon was in no mood to hear his daughters insulted.
He summoned a great storm and a great sea monster called Cetus to wreak havoc upon the land and its
people. Cassiopeia's poor, antagonized husband, the King Cepheus, had a responsibility to rid his
country oI this plague: enter Andromeda. |10|
II one beautiIul and vain woman got Cepheus into this mess, another beautiIul yet gentle woman
could get him out. UnIortunately Ior him it was his own daughter, and the price oI his country's Ireedom
was his daughter's liIe. Andromeda was a beautiIul work oI art, with dark skin and Iluttering hair. It is no
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wonder the monster Cetus wanted her sacriIiced to his waters, and Cepheus' heart was Iilled with
horror to know his daughter must be chained to a rock by the sea and leIt to the mercy oI this monster,
in order to save his land. Little did they suspect a brave and worthy rescuer would intervene: enter
Perseus. |10|
Perseus Ilew on winged sandals and perIormed such incredible Ieats as Medusal decapitation,
agreed by most to be an improvement to liIe in these times, as she was so hideous her glance turned any
unIortunate recipient to stone. The possession oI her slain head proved useIul to Perseus, as on his
return Irom this very mission he spotted the chained maiden on the rocks by the sea below. It seems his
heart was aIlame, Ior the poet Ovid, who recorded this complete story in Book IV oI Metamorphoses,
reports that Perseus entreated Andromeda to trade her chains oI oppression Ior the manacles oI love.
Perseus knew he could make short work oI Cetus by showing him Medusa's head, but Iirst he must
secure his Iuture position as Andromeda's husband. |10|
Cepheus had little choice but to immediately accept the terms and dowry agreement Ior his
daughter's marriage. 'There will be time enough Ior weeping later, Perseus told them, 'The time Ior
rescue is now! The modest and demure Andromeda wept nonetheless as her heart was IearIul. But
Perseus proved himselI a Iierce Iighter and brave husband-to-be, wrestling Cetus through the stormy
waters until he could show him Medusa's ugly head. It worked, and Cetus turned to stone, his body still
visible as a rock outcrop on the Levantine shore oI the Mediterranean sea. Cepheus and Cassiopeia
were Iilled with joy to have their daughter out oI harm's way, and a Iestival wedding would ensue. |10|
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Anyone who was anyone was there. Fires were lit, incense burned, and Cupid himselI
brandished the wedding torch. The streets were decorated with garlands and Iilled with music, and
golden banquet halls were prepared Ior a wedding Ieast. But weddings can bring up a lot oI emotion,
and this was no exception. Not anticipating these turns oI events, Cepheus had previously promised his
brother Phineus the hand oI his daughter in marriage. Phineus caused a violent quarrel at the wedding
and likely made an ass oI himselI, but Perseus knew just the thing to assuage his challenger's unease.
'Phineus, meet Medusa: three words you never want to hear iI you live in ancient Greece and your
name is Phineus. The two lovers could now start their happy liIe together in Argos where they went on
to live, eventually having nine children and Iounding the kingdom oI Mycenae. |10|
|6|
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It is perhaps little surprise that a gentle princess oI these times plays a somewhat peripheral role
in her own story, but she is loved and cherished and given a place in the stars nonetheless. Perseus
towers over her protectively, the winking eye oI Medusa still in hand, represented perIectly by the
eclipsing binary Algol. Cepheus and Cassiopeia stay close to them both and very near Polaris, so it
seems Perseus gets plenty oI time with his in-laws. On one hand Cassiopeia might consider the
embarrassment oI having caused such a mess with her vanity, but on the other hand Perseus is probably
grateIul Ior the Iate to which it led him. The enstoned Cetus lingers beneath their happy grouping in the
sky, a reminder to the Iamily oI those Irightening times. |10|
Andromeda covers 722 square degrees oI sky, above average as constellations go, and she
slowly works her way up to evening views more directly overhead as the late summer and Iall press on,
so that by November she is on the meridian at 9:00 pm and easy to see. In addition to her
aIorementioned Iamily, who surround her to the north and west, she is bordered by Lacerta to the east,
a rather unimpressive constellation, Triangulum and Pisces to the south, putting her close to the ecliptic
but never quite host to its planetary travelers, and Pegasus to the southeast, with whom she once shared
her alpha star, Alpheratz. Pegasus draws a great square in the sky, relatively dark in its middle, so iI
Andromeda isn't quite distinct enough Ior the novice observer to locate, Pegasus serves as a good
guide. |8|
Because Andromeda's declination is roughly centered around 40 degrees, this constellation is
visible Ior at least part oI the year to anyone living in the Northern Hemisphere, and to anyone in the
Southern Hemisphere living within 50 degrees oI the equator. However, because at those latitudes it
appears very low on the horizon Ior a shorter time, we in the north will Iind her Iigure more Iamiliar. The
center oI this constellation is at about 23 hrs ra. |9|
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The constellation Andromeda is perhaps best known Ior its eponymous galaxy, pictured below.
Who can help but be struck with wonder by an object so distant, yet visible with the naked eye? At 2.2
million light years away and an apparent magnitude oI 3.4 it holds that distinction in the superlative; it is
the most distant celestial body we can admire with our eyes` own optics. To think, when the Iiery stars
oI this galaxy emitted the light we see Irom them now, our species had evolved only as Iar as homo
eructus, not yet in control oI our own, Earthly Iire.
|5|
7
The Andromeda Galaxy is mentioned in astronomical literature as Iar back as the 10th century.
The Persian astronomer Al SuIi sweetly called it the 'Little Cloud, Ior although it covers 190 x 60
arcminutes (190` x 60`) it appears as only a small blur oII to the side oI the massive Milky Way in our
night sky (ra 0h 42.7m, dec 41*16`). Even the invention oI the telescope did not reveal its secrets,
and many still believed it was a protostar which represented the processes oI our own Sun`s beginnings.
But spectroscopic analysis in the centuries that Iollowed showed that the light Irom this 'Great Nebula
was the light oI a multitude oI individual stars. What a thrill it must have been when, in 1923, Dr. E.
Hubble used the Hooker telescope to deIinitively establish this beautiIul disc-shaped cloud as an
extra-galactic object by noting, with the use oI Cepheid variable stars, that this object`s distance Iar
exceeded the limits oI our own galaxy. Known also as M31 in the Messier Catalogue, and by its NGC
number 224, it is, along with the Milky Way, part oI the Local Group oI galaxies which we call home.
|4|
Lest M31 steal all the attention, this corner oI the sky plays host to innumerable other deep-sky
objects as well, including 15 satellite galaxies to M31. But with well over 100 entries in the NGC, here
we will enumerate just a Iew which pique the interest. M32, also known as NGC 221, is a Iaint
companion galaxy to M31, oI the 9th magnitude. It covers 8.7` x 6.4` and is Iound at ra 0h 42.7m dec
40* 52`, seen just oII the side oI M31 as a Iaint blur through a small telescope. It was Iirst seen by the
French astronomer Le Gentil in 1749, and was the Iirst galaxy to be classiIied as elliptical. NGC 205,
or M110, marks the third Messier object in Andromeda, another companion galaxy to M31, covering
21.9` x 11.0` and seen at ra 0h 40.4m dec 41*41`. It is oI magnitude 8.5 and was Iirst seen by
Messier himselI in 1783. Both these companion galaxies are slightly Iurther away Irom us, but still under
3 million ly away. |4|
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OI great interest to observers is NGC 7662, the Blue Snowball Nebula. Seen at ra 23h 25.5m
dec 42*32`, its magnitude is 8.6 and its distance is estimated at 4,000 ly, close in comparison to the
Messier catalogued galaxies in Andromeda. It covers about only about 32 x 28 arcseconds and is
categorized as a planetary nebula, which is not a planetary system at all, but a late-liIe red giant star.
The astronomer E. Barnard recorded extensive observations oI this object using the 40-inch Yerkes
reIractor telescope between 1897 and 1908. But even an amateur telescope will today reveal its bluish
disk, lending this nebula its colorIul name. |7|
A couple more objects deserve mention. An open cluster is a group oI thousands oI stars
loosely bound to each other by gravity, and this area oI the sky presents one to us nicely. NGC 752
was discovered by the Iine astronomer Ms. Caroline Herschel in 1783 at ra 1h 57.5m dec 37* 51m,
and catalogued by her brother William three years later. It is about 1,300 ly distant and oI magnitude
5.7, covering an area oI about 60 arcminutes diameter. The Herschels were also hard at work
discovering NGC 891 in 1784, a galaxy which makes a name Ior itselI by sheer photogenicity. By luck
we view this galaxy edge-on, its central dust band Iorming a striking line down its slim center. It covers
about 13.5` x 2.5` and is oI magnitude 10.8. You will Iind it at ra 2h 22.3m dec 42* 20.5`, or in the
photo catalogues oI many Iamous telescopes. But to go there on vacation you`ll have to travel Ior about
30 million years at the speed oI light, so bring a good book. |4|
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Our exploration wouldn`t be complete without the mention oI a Iew great stars. The Alpha star,
Alpheratz, not only represents the worthy visage oI Andromeda, but historically the navel oI the mare,
still reIlected in its Arabic name, as it was considered part oI the neighboring constellation Pegasus by
ancient astronomers. Alpheratz is shown in the picture below. Andromeda`s beta star Mirach means
'girdle in Arabic and lines her slender waist. The gamma star Almach completes her Iigure at the Ieet,
and when viewed through a telescope, reveals itselI to be a striking star system oI multiple colors.
InIormation on the constellation`s 20 brightest stars is listed on the Iollowing page.
|2|
10
Name
of
Star
RA Dec Vis.
Mag
.
Abs.
Mag
.
Dis
t.
(Iy)
Spectr
aI
CIass
Notes
d
And
00
h
08
m
23.1
7
s
+29 05'
27.0"
2.0
7
~0.
30
97 B9p Alpheratz, or Sirrah

And
01
h
09
m
43.8
0
s
+35 37'
15.0"
2.0
7
~1.
86
19
9
M0v
ar
Mirach; variable
y1
And
02
h
03
m
53.9
2
s
+42 19'
47.5"
2.1
0
~3.
08
35
5
K3b Almach; quadruple

And
00
h
39
m
19.6
0
s
+30 51'
40.4"
3.2
7
0.8
1
10
1
K3 spectroscopic binary
51
And
01
h
37
m
59.5
0
s
+48 37'
42.6"
3.5
9
~0.
04
17
4
K3 Nembus; multiple
o
And
23
h
01
m
55.2
5
s
+42 19 '
33.5"
3.6
2
~3.
01
69
2
B6pvS
B
quadruple system
/
And
23
h
37
m
33.7
1
s
+46 27'
33.0"
3.8
1
1.7
5
84 G8-
V
RS CVn variable

And
00
h
56
m
45.1
0
s
+38 29'
57.3"
3.8
6
0.7
5
13
6
A5V multiple system

And
00
h
47
m
20.3
9
s
+24 16'
02.6"
4.0
8
0.3
5
18
1
K1 RS CVn variable
u
And
01
h
36
m
47.9
8
s
+41 24'
23.0"
4.1
0
3.4
5
44 F8V Adhab; has four
planets
k
And
23
h
40
m
24.4
+44 20'
02.3"
4.1
5
0.5
7
17
0
B9Vn triple star; has a
planet
11
4
s

And
01
h
09
m
30.1
2
s
+47 14'
30.6"
4.2
6
~2.
51
73
6
B7 Keun Nan Mun
i And
23
h
38
m
08.1
8
s
+43 16'
05.1"
4.2
9
~1.
65
50
2
B8V Keff al Salsalat

And
00
h
36
m
52.8
4
s
+33 43'
09.7"
4.3
4
~2.
18
65
6
B5V spectroscopic binary
s
And
00
h
38
m
33.5
0
s
+29 18'
44.5"
4.3
4
0.7
7
16
9
G5
q
And
00
h
57
m
12.43
s
+23 25'
03.9"
4.4
0
0.0
4
24
3
G8-
V
spectroscopic binary
o
And
00
h
18
m
19.71
s
+36 47'
07.2"
4.5
1
1.3
3
14
1
A2V suspected variable
v And
00
h
49
m
48.8
3
s
+41 04'
44.2"
4.5
3
~2.
06
67
9
B5V
SB
spectroscopic binary
7
And
23
h
12
m
32.9
2
s
+49 24'
21.5"
4.5
3
2.5
8
80 F0V
0
And
00
h
17
m
05.5
4
s
+38 40'
54.0"
4.6
1
0.1
6
25
3
A2V suspected variable
[7]
How lucky we are to beneIit Irom centuries oI scientiIic astronomical observations and studies.
The stars were as beautiIul when everyone thought the Sun revolved around the Earth as they are today,
12
but the layers beneath them now show much more than just mythology. Entire other galaxies, vast
distances, planetary systems and the elements that they encompass are now common knowledge. Yet
with all this inIormation we can still appreciate the imaginative stories oI the stars, like a motion picture
playing itselI through the nights and the years across the heavens, heralding the seasons and reminding us
mortals to mind ourselves against vanity and cruelty, and to Iollow what is just and beautiIul, like the
brave rescuer Perseus and his Princess Andromeda.
|3|
Works Cited:
13
|1| Antique Night Sky Constellation and Zodiac Maps. 'Andromeda.` Photo, 5 Oct. 2014. Web,
20 Feb. 2014
|2| Astronomie.be. 'Alpherat: Star.` Photo, Skymap.org. Web, 20 Feb. 2014
|3| Bruce, Gary. 'M31 and Andromeda Constellation.` Photo, Reductionism.net, 8 Dec. 2007.
Web, 20 Feb. 2014
|4| Burnham, Robert Jr. Burnhams Celestial Handbook. New York: Dover, 1978. Print.
|5| Gendler, Robert. 'Andromeda Galaxv.` Photo, Astroimaging Gallery. Web, 20 Feb. 2014.
|6| Hubbelsite.org. 'Hubbel Zooms in on Double Nucleus in Andromeda Galaxv.` Photo, 11 Jan.
2012. Web, 20 Feb. 2014.
|7| 'List oI Stars in Andromeda. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Oct. 2013. Web, 20 Feb.
2014
|8| National Audubon Society. Field Guide to the Night Skv. New York: AlIred A KnopI, 1997.
Print.
|9| PasachoII, Jay M. Stars and Planets. New York: Houghton MiIIlin Company, 2000. Print.
|10| Staal, Julius D. W. The New Patterns in the Skv. Blacksburg, Virginia: McDonald and
Woodward Publishing, 1988. Print.