Andromeda
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The Andromeda constellation is located in the northern sky, between Cassiopeia’s W asterism and the Great Square of Pegasus. The constellation was named after the mythical princess Andromeda, the wife of the Greek hero Perseus. It is also known as the Chained Maiden, Persia (wife of Perseus), or Cepheus (daughter of Cepheus). Andromeda was first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. Among other notable deep sky objects, Andromeda constellation contains the famous Andromeda Galaxy (Messier 31) and the dwarf elliptical galaxies Messier 32(Le Gentil) and Messier 110.
FACTS
Andromeda is the 19th largest constellation in the sky, occupying an area of 722 square degrees. It is located in the first quadrant of the northern hemisphere (NQ1). Andromeda can be seen at latitudes between +90° and -40°. The neighboring constellations are Cassiopeia, Lacerta, Pegasus, Perseus, Pisces and Triangulum. Andromeda has three stars brighter than magnitude 3.00 and three stars located within 10 parsecs (32.6 light years) of Earth. The brightest star in the constellation is Alpha Andromedae, also known by its traditional name, Alpheratz. The nearest star is Ross 248 (spectral class M6V), also known as HH Andromedae, found at a distance of only 10.30 light years from Earth.
The Constellation of Andromeda has a number of stars with confirmed exoplanets. Titawin, Upsilon Andromedae (spectral class F8V), has four planets in its orbit. The triple star Kappa Andromedae (B9IVn) has one confirmed planet about 13 times the mass of Jupiter, first discovered in November 2012. The suspected variable star 14 Andromedae, also called Veritate (K0III), has a known extrasolar planet, discovered in 2008. HD 5608 (K0IV) has a transiting planet. HD 8673 (F7 V) has a substellar companion, detected in 2005, that could either be a brown dwarf or a planet. V428 Andromedae (HD 3346, spectral class K5III) has two suspected exoplanets, detected in 1996. Other stars with known planets are HD 222155 (G2V), HD 16175 (F8 IV), HD 1605 (K1IV, two exoplanets), HD 13931 (G0), HD 5583 (K0), HD 15082 (kA5 hA8 mF4), HAT-P-6 (F), HAT-P-16 (F8), HAT-P-32 (F/G), WASP-1 (F7V), Kepler-63, HAT-P-19 (K), HAT-P-28 (G3) and HAT-P-53.
Andromeda belongs to the Perseus family of constellations, along with Auriga, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Cetus, Lacerta, Pegasus, Perseus, and Triangulum. It contains three Messier objects – Messier 31 (Andromeda Galaxy), Messier 32 and Messier 110.
The constellation is associated with the Andromedids meteor shower (also known as the Bielids), first documented on December 6, 1741 over Russia. The meteor shower has faded since discovery, but some activity is still observable in mid-November. The parent body of the Andromedids is Biela’s Comet (3D/Biela), a periodic comet first recorded in 1772.
MYTHOLOGY
In Greek mythology, Andromeda was the daughter of King Cepheus of Ethiopia and Queen Cassiopeia, who offended the Nereids (sea nymphs) by claiming she was More beautiful than they were. The nymphs complained to the sea god Poseidon and he sent a sea monster, Cetus, to flood and destroy Cepheus’ lands as punishment for his wife’s boastfulness. When the king sought advice from the Oracle of Ammon on how to prevent complete destruction of his lands, he was told that the only way to appease the gods and nymphs was to sacrifice his daughter to Cetus.
Subsequently, Andromeda was chained to a rock and would have been left to the monster if Perseus had not come along and saved her. The two were later married and had six children, including Gorgophonte, who fathered Tyndareus, the famous Spartan king, and Perses, who was an ancestor of the Persians. In the story, it was the goddess Athena who commemorated the princess Andromeda by placing her image among the stars, next to the constellations representing her husband Perseus and mother Cassiopeia.