It had forefeet, huge jaws, and a scaly body like a giant sea serpent. He and Andromeda were later married.Ĭetus was commonly depicted by the Greeks as a hybrid creature. Perseus rescued the princess and defeated Cetus. To appease the sea god and the nymphs, Cassiopeia and her husband, King Cepheus, had to sacrifice their young daughter to Cetus, a sea monster sent by Poseidon to punish the king and queen, or watch the monster ravage their land.Īndromeda was chained to a rock and left to the sea monster, but to her good fortune, the hero Perseus was passing by just as Cetus was about to devour her. The star names approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) are Axólotl, Baten Kaitos, Diphda, Kaffaljidhma, Menkar, Mira, Mpingo, and Felixvarela.Ĭetus constellation map by IAU and Sky&Telescope magazine MythĬetus represents the sea monster from the Greek myth of the princess Andromeda, whose boastful mother Cassiopeia angered the sea god Poseidon and the Nereids (sea nymphs) by claiming that she was more beautiful than any of them. The constellation contains eight formally named stars. There are three meteor showers associated with Cetus: the October Cetids, the Eta Cetids, and the Omicron Cetids. The brightest star in the constellation is Diphda (Beta Ceti). The three-letter abbreviation, adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1922, is Cet.Ĭetus belongs to the Perseus family of constellations, along with Andromeda, Auriga, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Lacerta, Pegasus, Perseus, and Triangulum.Ĭetus has 14 stars with known planets and contains one Messier object, Messier 77 (M77, NGC 1068). The genitive form of Cetus, used in star names, is Ceti (pronunciation: /ˈsiːtaɪ). In English, the constellation is known as the Sea Monster. The constellation name Cetus is pronounced /ˈsiːtəs/. The neighboring constellations are Aquarius, Aries, Eridanus, Fornax, Pisces, Sculptor, and Taurus. It lies in the first quadrant of the southern hemisphere (SQ1) and can be seen at latitudes between +70° and -90°. It is one of the 15 equatorial constellations. Facts, location and mapĬetus is the fourth largest constellation in the sky, occupying an area of 1231 square degrees. It also hosts Earendel, the most distant star discovered to date. It was catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century.Ĭetus is home to the barred spiral galaxy Messier 77 and several well-known stars: Diphda (Beta Ceti), Menkar (Alpha Ceti), Tau Ceti and the famous variable star Mira (Omicron Ceti). The constellation Cetus lies in the region of the sky called the Water, along with several other constellations with names evocative of water: Eridanus (the river), Aquarius (the water bearer), Pisces (the fish), etc. In the myth, the princess was sacrificed to the monster as punishment for her mother Cassiopeia’s boastfulness. The constellation was named after Cetus, the sea monster from the Greek myth about Andromeda. Also known as the Whale, it is one of the largest constellations in the sky. It's finished with a satin white ribbon for hanging.Cetus constellation is located in the northern sky. We've sourced an amazing cherry wood in the UK for this special Christmas tree decoration. The stars of Cetus are faithfully recreated in this gorgeous Christmas decoration.Ĭreate a whole night sky of constellations by adding more from our constellation collection which includes Monocerous the Unicorn, Lupus the Wolf and Cygnus the Swan among others. Rather fittingly, Cetus sits in an area of the sky known as the "water" along with other constellations with a watery theme including Aquarius and Pisces. The constellation of Cetus the Whale is the fourth largest constellation in the sky and was first catalogued by Ptolemy in the 2nd Century. Hang on table centres, fireplaces, door knobs, kitchen cupboards and Christmas trees. Engraved on cherry wood.ĭreaming of a star filled Christmas? We adore adding Christmas touches to our home throughout December and these constellation inspired wooden Christmas decorations add a beautiful festive feel. A unique astrological Christmas decoration featuring a constellation of the stars and celestial bodies of Cetus the Whale.
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