Constellation Cepheus (King)

Properties

The constellation Cepheus revolves around the celestial north pole, followed by Cassiopeia on its eastern side and stands for Central Europe in the sky all year round. Despite its importance in Greek mythology, Cepheus is a less prominent constellation to the naked eye. In a dark sky you can see a figure that resembles a child's drawing of a house with a gable roof. The southern part of the constellation stands in a branch of the band of the Milky Way. The area is 588 square degrees and the center culminates on September 29 at midnight. Cepheus contains one of the most important variable stars for modern astronomy: delta Cephei. ^{[9, 15]}

Stars with Proper Names:

α Cephei: Alderamin, Alderaimin
β Cephei: Alfirk, Alphirk
γ Cephei: Alrai, Arrai, Errai, Er Rai
μ Cephei: Herschel's "Garnet Star"
ξ Cephei: Alkurhah, Al Kirdah, Kurhah
ρ² Cephei: Al Kalb Al Rai

Data for constellation Cepheus ^[150]
IAU Name	Cepheus
IAU Genitive	Cephei
IAU Abbr.	Cep
English Name	King
Season (47° N)	May … December
Right Ascension	20^h 01^m 57^s … 9^h 03^m 20^s
Declination	53° 21' 12" … 88° 39' 50"
Area	588 deg²
Neighbours (N↻)	UMi, Dra, Cyg, Lac, Cas, Cam

Deep-Sky Object Descriptions

Mythology and History

The constellation symbolizes Cepheus, the king of Ethiopia. He descended from Belos, the legendary Assyrian king. Cepheus' wife was the vain Cassiopeia, who boasted of being more beautiful than the nymphs of the sea. As punishment for Kassiopeia's vanity, the pretty princess Andromeda - daughter of this royal family in the sky - was chained to a rock by the sea to be sacrificed to the whale Cetus. The hero Perseus rode up through the air on Pegasus, freed Andromeda and married her. ^[82]

Catalogs

Yale Bright Star Catalogue, 5th Revised Ed. (Hoffleit+, 1991) ^[154]
HR	B	F	RA [hms]	Dec [dms]	vMag	spType	dMag	Sep ["]
7750	κ	1	20 08 53.3	+77 42 41	4.39	B9III	3.8	7.3
7850	θ	2	20 29 34.9	+62 59 39	4.22	A7III
7945		4	20 43 11.0	+66 39 27	5.58	A8V
7957	η	3	20 45 17.4	+61 50 20	3.43	K0IV	8.2	51.7
8162	α	5	21 18 34.8	+62 35 08	2.44	A7V	9.1	206.8
8171		6	21 19 22.2	+64 52 19	5.18	B3IVe
8227		7	21 27 46.1	+66 48 33	5.44	B7V
8238	β	8	21 28 39.6	+70 33 39	3.23	B1IV v	4.6	13.4
8279		9	21 37 55.2	+62 04 55	4.73	B2Ib v
8316	μ		21 43 30.4	+58 46 48	4.08	M2-Ia e	8.3	19.5
8317		11	21 41 55.3	+71 18 41	4.56	K1III
8334	ν	10	21 45 26.9	+61 07 15	4.29	A2Ia
8339		12	21 47 25.3	+60 41 34	5.52	M1IIIb
8371		13	21 54 53.2	+56 36 41	5.80	B8Ib v
8400		16	21 59 15.0	+73 10 48	5.03	F5V	6.8	131.4
8406		14	22 02 04.6	+58 00 02	5.56	O9Vn
8416		18	22 03 52.9	+63 07 11	5.29	M5IIIab
8417	ξ	17	22 03 47.4	+64 37 40	4.29	A3/6Vm	2.0	7.7
8426		20	22 05 00.5	+62 47 08	5.27	K4III
8428		19	22 05 08.9	+62 16 48	5.11	O9.5Ib	5.6	60.4
8465	ζ	21	22 10 51.3	+58 12 04	3.35	K1.5Ib
8468		24	22 09 48.4	+72 20 28	4.79	G7II-III
8469	λ	22	22 11 30.7	+59 24 52	5.04	O6I(n)fp
8494	ε	23	22 15 02.0	+57 02 37	4.19	F0IV	5.3	127.8
8511		25	22 18 12.7	+62 48 16	5.75	K3III
8561		26	22 27 05.3	+65 07 56	5.46	B0.5Ibe:
8571	δ	27	22 29 10.3	+58 24 55	3.75	F5Ib-G2Ib v	2.4	40.8
8578	ρ¹	28	22 26 42.5	+78 47 09	5.83	A2Vm
8591	ρ²	29	22 29 52.9	+78 49 27	5.50	A3V
8615		31	22 35 46.1	+73 38 35	5.08	F3III-IV
8627		30	22 38 39.0	+63 35 04	5.19	A3IV
8694	ι	32	22 49 40.8	+66 12 02	3.52	K0-III
8819	π	33	23 07 53.9	+75 23 15	4.41	G2III	2.2	1.0
8872	ο	34	23 18 37.5	+68 06 42	4.75	K0III	2.3	3.1
8974	γ	35	23 39 20.8	+77 37 57	3.21	K1III-IV

«Revised New General Catalogue and Index Catalogue», Dr. Wolfgang Steinicke, 2021 ^[277]
Name	RA	Dec	Type	Bmag	Vmag	Dim	Dreyer Description	Identification
NGC 40	00 13 01.0	+72 31 21	PN	10.7	12.3	1.23	F, vS, R, vsmbM, * 12 sp	PK 120+9.1, CS=10.6
NGC 188	00 47 30.0	+85 15 30	OCL (II2r)		8.1	15.00	Cl, vL, R, 150-200 st 10…18	OCL 309
NGC 1184	03 16 45.3	+80 47 35	Gx (S0-a)	13.3	12.4	2.80 × 0.6	F, pL, mE	UGC 2583, MCG 13-3-2, CGCG 346-2, IRAS 03088+8035
NGC 1544	05 02 36.2	+86 13 22	Gx (S?)	14.2	13.3	1.30 × 0.9	vF, vS	UGC 3160, MCG 14-3-6, CGCG 361-11, CGCG 370-1A, KARA 143, NPM1G +86.0007, CGCG 362-4
NGC 2276	07 27 13.6	+85 45 18	Gx (SBc)	11.9	11.4	2.30 × 1.9	F, 60", lbM	UGC 3740, MCG 14-4-28, CGCG 362-42, IRAS 07101+8550, KCPG 127A, CGCG 363-27, Arp 25, Arp 114, 7ZW 134, near SAO 1148
NGC 2300	07 32 20.3	+85 42 33	Gx (E-S0)	12.1	11.0	2.80 × 2.0	pB, pL, lE, bM	UGC 3798, MCG 14-4-31, CGCG 362-43, KCPG 127B, CGCG 363-29, Arp 114
NGC 6939	20 31 30.0	+60 39 42	OCL (I1m)		7.8	10.00	Cl, pL, eRi, pCM, st 11…16	OCL 217
NGC 6949	20 35 07.0	+64 48 12	Gx (S?)	14.7	13.8	1.40 × 1.2	eF, pS, iR	UGC 11600, MCG 11-25-1, CGCG 325-2, IRAS 20343+6437
NGC 6951	20 37 14.0	+66 06 21	SBbc	11.6	10.7	3.90 × 3.2	pB, pL, lE	NGC 6952, UGC 11604, MCG 11-25-2, CGCG 325-3, IRAS 20366+6555
NGC 6952	20 37 14.0	+66 06 21	Gx (SBbc)	11.6	10.7	3.90 × 3.2	pB, oval, dif, * 15 close f	NGC 6951, UGC 11604, MCG 11-25-2, CGCG 325-3, IRAS 20366+6555
NGC 6953	20 38 41.0	+65 48 12	*Grp			1.50	eeF, pL, R, v diffic
NGC 7023	21 01 35.5	+68 10 10	EN	7.1		10.00 × 8.0	* 7 in eF, eL neby	LBN 487, OCL 235
NGC 7055	21 19 25.8	+57 35 25	*Grp			4.00	Cl, F, pS, P
NGC 7076	21 26 24.1	+62 53 30	PN	14.5	13.5	0.93	vF, er	PK 101+8.1, Abell 75, CS=18.0
NGC 7129	21 42 58.9	+66 06 47	EN	11.5		7.00 × 7.0	!, cF, pL, gbM ***	IC 5134, LBN 497, OCL 240
NGC 7133	21 44 26.6	+66 10 06	NF				vF, pL
NGC 7139	21 46 08.4	+63 47 32	PN	13.0	13.3	1.28	vF, cS, R, r	PK 104+7.1, CS=18.1
NGC 7142	21 45 09.4	+65 46 28	OCL (II2r)		9.3	12.00	Cl, cL, cRi, pC, st 11...14	OCL 241
NGC 7160	21 53 40.2	+62 36 12	OCL (II3p)		6.1	5.00	Cl, P, vlC	OCL 236
NGC 7226	22 10 27.0	+55 23 55	OCL (I1p)		9.6	2.00	pB, L, in cluster	OCL 226
NGC 7234	22 12 24.0	+57 16 24	OCL (II3m)	8.6	7.7	6.00	Cl, S, P, lC	NGC 7235, OCL 229
NGC 7235	22 12 24.0	+57 16 24	II3m	8.6	7.7	6.00	Cl, pC, has a ruby * 10	NGC 7234, OCL 229
NGC 7261	22 20 10.0	+58 06 36	OCL (III1p)		8.4	6.00	Cl, L, pRi, lC	OCL 237
NGC 7281	22 24 55.7	+57 50 25	OCL (IV2p)			12.00	Cl, L, pRi, lC, st 10…16	OCL 238
NGC 7352	22 39 44.2	+57 23 06	*Grp			5.00	Cl, vL, pRi, vlC
NGC 7354	22 40 20.0	+61 17 10	PN	12.9	12.2	0.60	planetary, B, S, R, pgvlbM	PK 107+2.1, CS=15.0
NGC 7380	22 47 21.0	+58 07 54	OCL (III3pn)		7.2	20.00	Cl, pL, pRi, lC, st 9…13	OCL 244, LBN 511
NGC 7419	22 54 20.0	+60 48 56	OCL (II3r)		13.0	6.00	Cl, pRi, cC	OCL 250
NGC 7423	22 55 06.5	+57 05 41	OCL (II3m)			5.00	vF, pL, iF, er	OCL 246
NGC 7429	22 56 00.0	+59 58 24	OCL (III2p)			15.00	Cl, P, pC, st 9…11	OCL 249
NGC 7510	23 11 04.2	+60 34 08	OCL (II2m)		7.9	7.00	Cl, pRi, pC, fan-sh, st pB	OCL 256
NGC 7538	23 13 38.0	+61 30 42	EN			9.00 × 6.0	vF, L, 2 pB st inv	LBN 542, Sh2-158
NGC 7708	23 35 00.0	+72 50 00	*Grp			30.00	Cl, L, P, lC, st 10…15
NGC 7748	23 44 56.5	+69 45 19	*	7.2			vL neby, surrounds * 7	SAO 20818
NGC 7762	23 50 00.0	+68 02 18	OCL (II2p)		10.0	15.00	Cl, pRi, pC, st 11…15	OCL 280
NGC 7822	00 03 36.0	+67 09 00	EN			100.00	! eeF, eeL	LBN 583, CED 214A, in Sh2-171
IC 455	07 34 57.7	+85 32 16	Gx (S0)	14.3	13.3	1.10 × 0.7	vF, eS, sf 2300	UGC 3815, MCG 14-4-33, CGCG 362-44, CGCG 363-30, NPM1G +85.0020
IC 469	07 55 59.3	+85 09 31	Gx (SBab)	13.5	12.7	2.20 × 1.0	F, S, E, sf 2300	UGC 3994, MCG 14-4-38, CGCG 362-47, IRAS 07419+8516, CGCG 363-35, CGCG 364-1
IC 1378	21 22 52.0	+55 27 50	*Grp				F, dif, F st inv	CED 192
IC 1396	21 38 54.0	+57 29 20	EN			170.00 × 140.0	Neb part of M. Way	LBN 451/452, SG 1.19
IC 1396 A	21 35 30.0	+57 23 00	EN			14.00 × 2.0	Neb part of M. Way	LBN 452
IC 1396 B	21 34 30.0	+57 28 00	EN			12.00 × 4.0	Neb part of M. Way	LBN 451
IC 1454	22 42 24.5	+80 26 35	PN	14.8	14.0	0.63	vF, S, * 7 m 4' f	PK 117+18.1, Abell 81, CS=18.0
IC 1470	23 05 10.4	+60 14 32	EN			1.00 × 1.0	vF, vS, stellar N north edge	CED 208, Sh2-156
IC 1502	23 36 20.1	+75 38 51	Gx (S0-a)	14.8	13.9	1.10 × 0.3	vF, S, vF * close	UGC 12706, UGC 12105, MCG 13-1-2, CGCG 344-3, CGCG 359-5, MCG 12-1-1
IC 5132	21 42 40.1	+66 10 06	EN				2 st 13 magn in vF neb	LBN 497
IC 5133	21 42 47.1	+66 10 52	EN				2 st 13 magn in vF neb	LBN 1181
IC 5134	21 42 58.9	+66 06 47	EN	11.5		7.00 × 7.0	* 9.5 in neb, IV 75 close	NGC 7129, LBN 497, OCL 240

References

9	«Drehbare Sternkarte SIRIUS» von H. Suter-Haug; Hallwag-Verlag, Bern
15	«Hartung's Astronomical Objects for Southern Telescopes» by David Malin and David J. Frew; Melbourne University Press 1995; ISBN 0-522-84553-3
82	The Starry Sky: Cepheus by Deborah Byrd; Astronomy 9/95, p.63
150	IAU: The Constellations, 11. Oktober 2020; iau.org/public/themes/constellations
154	Yale Bright Star Catalog, 15. Oktober 2020; tdc-www.harvard.edu/catalogs/bsc5.html
277	«Historische Deep-Sky Kataloge» von Dr. Wolfgang Steinicke; klima-luft.de/steinicke (2021-02-17)