Perseus

Per 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

Aratus

The two feet of Andromeda will be pointers to her suitor Perseus, as they move for ever above his shoulders. [250] He runs taller than other figures in the north. His right hand is stretched out towards his bride’s mother’s chairseat, and as if on some immediate pursuit he takes long strides as he runs in the realm of his father Zeus. (Kidd 1997)

Almagest Περσεύς

id	Greek (Heiberg 1898)	English (Toomer 1984)	ident.
	Περσέως ἀστερισμός
1	ἡ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ ἀκροχείρου νεφελοειδὴς συστροφή	The nebulous mass on the right hand	NGC 884+869
2	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ ἀγκῶνος.	The star on the right elbow	eta Per
3	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ ὅμου	The star on the right shoulder	gam Per
4	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ ὤμου.	The star on the left shoulder	tet Per
5	ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς	The star on the head	tau Per
6	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ μεταφρέτου.	The star on the place between the shoulders	iot Per
	ὁ ἐν τῷ δεξιῷ πλευρῷ λαμπρός.	The bright star in the right side	alf Per
	τῶν μετὰ τόν ἐν τῷ πλευρῷ ν ὁ προηγούμενος.	The most advanced of the 3 stars next to the one in the side	sig Per
	ὁ μέσος τῶν τριῶν.	The middle one of the three	psi Per
	ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν.	The rearmost of them	del Per
	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ ἀγκῶνος.	The star on the left elbow	kap Per
	τῶν ἐν τῷ γοργουίῳ ὁ λαμπρός	Stars in the Gorgon-head: the bright one	bet Per
	ὁ τούτῳ ἑπόμενος	Stars in the Gorgon-head: the one to the rear of this	ome Per
	ὁ προηγούμενος τοῦ λαμπροῦ	Stars in the Gorgon-head: the one in advance of the bright star	rho Per
	ὁ ἔτι τούτου προηγούμενος καὶ λοιπός	Stars in the Gorgon-head: the remaining one, yet again in advance of this	pi Per
	ὁ ἐη τῷ δεξιῷ γόνατι.	The star m the nght knee	72 Per
	ὁ προηγούμενος αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑπὲρ τὸ γόνυ	The one in advance of this, over the knee	lam Per
	τῶν ἐπάνω τῆς ἀγκύλης β ὁ προηγούμενος.	The more advanced of the 2 stars above the bend in the knee	48 Per
	ὁ ἐπόμενος καὶ κατ’ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀγκύλης.	!he rearmost of them, just over the bend in the knee	mu Per
	ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς δεξιᾶς γαστροκυημίας.	fhe star on the right calf	53 Per
	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ σφυροῦ.	The star on the right ankle	58 Per
	ὁ ἐν τῷ ἀριστερῷ μηρῷ.	The star in the left thigh	nu Per
	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ γόνατος.	The star on the left knee	eps Per
	ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀριστερᾶς κυήμης.	The star on the left lower leg	xi Per
	ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀριστερᾶς πτέρνης.	The star on the left heel	omi Per
	ὁ ἑπόμενος αὐτῷ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ ἀκροποδίου,	The one to the rear of this, on the left foot	zet Per
	ἀστέρες πς, ὥν β’ μεγέθους β, γ’ ἓ, δ’ ἴς, ε’ β, νεφελοειδ.	26 stars, 2 of the second magnitude, 5 of the third, 16 of the fourth, 2 of the fifth, [1] nebulous
	Οἱ περὶ τὸν Περσέα ἀμόρφωτοι.	Stars around Perseus outside the constellation
	ὁ πρὺς ἀνατολὰς τοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ γόνατος.	The star to the east of the one on the left knee	52 Per
	ὁ ἀπ’ ἄρκτωυ τῶν ἐν τῷ δεξιῷ γόνατι.	The star to the north of the one in the right knee	HR 1314
	ὁ προηγούμενος τῶν ἐν τῷ γοργουίῳ.	The star in advance of those in the Gorgon-head	16 Per
	ἀστέρες ἢ, ὥν ἐ μεγέθους β, ἀμαυρὸς ἀ.	3 stars, 2 of the fifth magnitude, 1 faint

References

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