Abbreviation: Â Cep
English Name: Â The Cepheus King
Genitive:Â Alderamin, sometimes spelt Al Deramin.
Hemisphere:Â Â Northern Hemisphere
Location:Â Between the constellations of Cassiopeia and Draco.
Visible between latitudes: Â +90 and -10 degrees
Best season: Autumn
Seen in three seasons:Â Summer, Autumn & Winter
Best seen in:Â October
Seen between:Â August and December
Right Ascension (RA):Â 22 hour
Declination (DEC):Â Â +70 degrees
Area (square degrees): Â 588Â (27th)
Cepheus (The Cepheus King)
- This far northern constellation, almost to the North Celestial Pole (NCP), represents a King but its helping shape makes easy to locate as a house pattern.
- In the sky, “northward†always means “toward the sky’s north pole,†or toward Polaris. Thus the roof of the house in Cepheus is pointing mostly north.
Messier Objects
- No Messier objects in Cepheus.
Features of Interest
- NGC 188 – Open Cluster, also known as Caldwell 1 (C01), very close to North Celestial Pole (NCP), under five degrees away.
- NGC 7023 – The Iris Nebula, also known as Caldwell 4 (C04), is a bright reflection nebula – actually the cluster within the nebula; LBN 487.
- NGC 6946 – The Firework Galaxy, also known as Caldwell 12 (C12), face-on spiral galaxy with colourful relating to a firework by the births and deaths of brilliant massive stars in the astrophotography.
Named Stars
- Alderamin (Alpha Cep)
- Alfirk (Beta Cep)
- Alrai (Gamma Cep)
- Herschel’s “Garnet Star” (Mu Cep)
- Alkurhah (Xi Cep)
- Al Kalb al Rai (Rho 2 Cep)
Others
- Photo of the constellation;Â Cepheus, as it appears to the naked eye. (Lines have been added for clarity.)
- Sky Chart  –  Cepheus
- List of stars in Cepheus.
Back to The 88 Constellations Lists page.