Cassiopeia Constellation
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Cassiopeia, representing a mythical queen, is a W-shaped constellation prominent in the northern sky and easy to recognize due to its unique shape.
Cassiopeia (The Queen)
Cassiopeia is a prominent constellation in the northern sky, easily recognizable by its distinctive "W" or "M" shape, formed by five bright stars. It represents the mythological queen Cassiopeia, known for her legendary beauty and vanity. The constellation is visible year-round in the Northern Hemisphere and is located near the North Star, Polaris.
Key Features
- Bright Stars: The stars that form Cassiopeia's unique shape are:
- Deep-Sky Objects: Cassiopeia is home to several notable astronomical objects:
- Messier 52 (M52): A rich open star cluster located about 5,000 light-years away.
- NGC 281 (Pacman Nebula): A bright emission nebula resembling the video game character Pac-Man.
- Heart and Soul Nebulae: Large emission nebulae located near the border of Cassiopeia and Perseus.
- NGC 7789: An open cluster also known as "Caroline’s Rose," located about 8,000 light-years away.
Mythological Background
In Greek mythology, Cassiopeia was the queen of Ethiopia, wife of King Cepheus, and mother of Andromeda. She was known for her vanity, boasting that her beauty surpassed that of the sea nymphs, the Nereids. This angered Poseidon, the god of the sea, who sent a sea monster to devastate their kingdom. To appease Poseidon, Andromeda was chained to a rock as a sacrifice but was ultimately rescued by Perseus.
As punishment for her arrogance, Cassiopeia was placed in the sky, where she circles the celestial pole. At certain times of the year, she appears upside down, a reminder of her humiliation.
Cultural Significance
Cassiopeia has been a key constellation for navigation due to its proximity to the North Star, Polaris. Its distinctive "W" shape makes it one of the easiest constellations to identify in the night sky. It is often used as a reference point to locate other constellations and deep-sky objects.
The constellation’s mythological associations with beauty, vanity, and redemption have made it a popular subject in art and literature. Its rich field of stars and nebulae also makes it a favorite target for amateur astronomers.
Cassiopeia Rise and Set Timetable
| Time | Elevation | |
| Cassiopeia is always above the horizon | ||
| Sunset | 18:12 | 14° |
| Civil sunset | 18:41 | 17° |
| Astrosession begin | 19:16 | 20° |
| Cassiopeia is always above the horizon | ||
Moon Rise, 72.5% illuminated  | 20:44 | 29° |
| Cassiopeia Transit | 03:00 | 68° |
| Astrosession end | 03:11 | 68° |
| Civil sunrise | 03:46 | 67° |
| Sunrise | 04:16 | 65° |
| Moon Set | 10:28 | 21° |
Track Cassiopeia Position Throughout the Night
← Tue, 4 August 2026 →
| Time | |
| Altitude | |
| Azimuth |
Shift the map to change the time and observe Cassiopeia changing position in the night sky.
Nebulae in the constellation Cassiopeia
IC0059
Reflection Nebula
IC0059 is a reflection nebula with apparent magnitude in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 10 arcseconds in the sky.
IC1590
Star cluster + Nebula
IC1590 is a star cluster + nebula with apparent magnitude in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 6.3 arcseconds in the sky.
IC1795
HII Ionized region
IC1795 is a hii ionized region with apparent magnitude in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 12 arcseconds in the sky.
IC1805
Star cluster + Nebula
IC1805 is a star cluster + nebula with apparent magnitude 6.50 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 1 arcminute in the sky.
IC1831
Nebula
IC1831 is a nebula with apparent magnitude in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 2 arcminutes in the sky.
IC1848
Star cluster + Nebula
IC1848 is a star cluster + nebula with apparent magnitude 6.50 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 40 arcseconds in the sky.
IC1871
HII Ionized region
IC1871 is a hii ionized region with apparent magnitude in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 4 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0103
Open Cluster
NGC0103 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude 9.80 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 2.7 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0110
Open Cluster
NGC0110 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 3.9 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0129
Open Cluster
NGC0129 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude 6.50 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 5.4 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0133
Open Cluster
NGC0133 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude 9.40 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 2.1 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0136
Open Cluster
NGC0136 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 3.3 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0146
Open Cluster
NGC0146 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude 9.10 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 3.6 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0147
Galaxy
NGC0147 is a galaxy with apparent magnitude 9.72 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 9.4 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0185
Galaxy
NGC0185 is a galaxy with apparent magnitude 9.20 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 12.9 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0189
Open Cluster
NGC0189 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude 8.80 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 2.7 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0225
Open Cluster
NGC0225 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude 7.00 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 4.2 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0281
HII Ionized region
NGC0281 is a hii ionized region with apparent magnitude in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 35 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0366
Open Cluster
NGC0366 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 5.1 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0381
Open Cluster
NGC0381 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude 9.30 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 6 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0433
Open Cluster
NGC0433 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 3.6 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0436
Open Cluster
NGC0436 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude 8.80 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 5.7 arcseconds in the sky.
Owl Cluster (NGC0457)
Open Cluster
NGC0457 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude 6.40 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 7.8 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0559
Open Cluster
NGC0559 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude 9.50 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 9 arcseconds in the sky.
M103
Open Cluster
M103 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude 7.40 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 4.5 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0637
Open Cluster
NGC0637 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude 8.20 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 4.5 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0654
Open Cluster
NGC0654 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude 6.50 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 6.3 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0657
Open Cluster
NGC0657 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 3 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0659
Open Cluster
NGC0659 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude 7.90 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 4.2 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0663
Open Cluster
NGC0663 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude 7.10 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 6 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0743
Open Cluster
NGC0743 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 5.4 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0886
Open Cluster
NGC0886 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 4.8 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC0896
Nebula
NGC0896 is a nebula with apparent magnitude in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 10 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC1027
Open Cluster
NGC1027 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude 6.70 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 7.8 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC7438
Open Cluster
NGC7438 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 5.7 arcseconds in the sky.
M52
Open Cluster
An open star cluster containing over 200 stars, located approximately 5,000 light-years away in the constellation Cassiopeia.
NGC7788
Open Cluster
NGC7788 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude 9.40 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 2.4 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC7789
Open Cluster
NGC7789 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude 6.70 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 14.4 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC7790
Open Cluster
NGC7790 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude 8.50 in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 3.6 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC7795
Open Cluster
NGC7795 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 2.2 arcseconds in the sky.
NGC7801
Open Cluster
NGC7801 is an open cluster with apparent magnitude in the constellation Cassiopeia, spanning approximately 4.2 arcseconds in the sky.
Annual motion of Cassiopeia
| Date | Tue, 4 August 2026 |
| Twighlight start | 19:49 |
| Twighlight end | 02:27 |
| Twighlight duration | 7h 38m |
| Rise | Cassiopeia is always up |
| Set | Cassiopeia is always up |
| Elevation at transit | 68° |
| Transit time | 03:00 |
| Equatorial coordinates | RA: 00h 44m 49s", Dec: 59° 07' 01s |
| Magnitude | - |
| Constellation |
The graph illustrates the annual visibility pattern of a Cassiopeia, providing a comprehensive overview of its daily appearances and transit times throughout the year.
The graph is structured with the vertical axis showing the hours of the day, ranging from 12 AM to 12 AM the next day, while the horizontal axis spans each day of the year.
The reddish shaded area indicates the periods when the Cassiopeia is above the horizon, visible to observers. The white line marks the times when the celestial object reaches its highest point in the sky each day, known as the transit. You can also view detailed visibility information in a dedicated table, including exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.
The graph is structured with the vertical axis showing the hours of the day, ranging from 12 AM to 12 AM the next day, while the horizontal axis spans each day of the year.
The reddish shaded area indicates the periods when the Cassiopeia is above the horizon, visible to observers. The white line marks the times when the celestial object reaches its highest point in the sky each day, known as the transit. You can also view detailed visibility information in a dedicated table, including exact rise, transit, and set times for each date.
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the International Astronomical Union (IAU) for defining and standardizing the official constellation boundaries, which provide a consistent framework for celestial mapping.
Special thanks to Sky & Telescope Magazine and contributors Roger Sinnott and Rick Fienberg for their collaboration in producing the charts and tables. The constellation patterns, drawn by Alan MacRobert, were influenced by the work of H. A. Rey and thoughtfully adjusted to align with earlier traditions.