Other circumpolar constellations include Cassiopeia, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, Draco, and Camelopardalis. This means Cepheus is visible all night long and can be observed to swing around the northern celestial pole, anchored by Polaris, the current North Star. However, many present-day observers see the outline of a simple house, complete with peaked roof, instead – quite a difference! Astronomers have another association with this northern constellation inside its borders lies the namesake of one of the most important types of stars in modern astronomy: Delta Cephei, the original Cepheid Variable.Ĭepheus is a circumpolar constellation for most observers located in mid-northern latitudes and above, meaning it does not set, or dip below the horizon. These stars represent Cepheus, the King of Ethiopia, sitting on his throne. That’s the case for many stargazers upon identifying the constellation of Cepheus for the first time.
Sometimes constellations look like their namesake, and sometimes these starry patterns look like something else entirely. Just look northwards! Image created with assistance from Stellarium. The stars of Cepheus are visible all year round for many in the Northern Hemisphere, but fall months offer some of the best views of this circumpolar constellation to warmly-dressed observers.
