Cassiopeia

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

One of the 88 IAU constellations.

Etymology and History

The Greek constellation ...

Origin of Constellation

Babylonian

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)

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}

References

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