The three stars located in this constellation once mentionned above (Gamma Cephei, Beta Cephei and Alpha Cephei) will be the pole stars in 2000, 4000 and 6000 years, respectively.

This constellation is often difficult to find on account of its partially overlapping the brightness of the bands of the Milky Way, but Cepheus can be located by following the path described by the pointers along the outer edge of the Big Dipper through Polaris to the top of Cepheus' triangular head.

Cepheus is a character from Greek Mythology (and possibly history - see below) and as such is located in the same part of the sky as Cassiopeia the Queen of Ethiopia (and his wife), Perseus, his son-in-law who saved Andromeda his daughter from Cetus the Whale with the assistance of Pegasus the flying horse. They're all up there in roughly the same area.

Some have identified the mythological character Cepheus (Kepheus in Greek spelling) with the constructor of the Great Pyramid, Cheops (or Khufu in Greek) who lived at approximately 2700 B.C.

Ce"pheus (?), n.

(Astron.) A northern constellation near the pole. Its head, which is in the Milky Way, is marked by a triangle formed by three stars of the fourth magnitude. See Cassiopeia.

 

© Webster 1913.

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