Cassiopeia

constellation · greek mythology · northern sky

Shaped like a W. Cassiopeia's five brightest stars form a distinctive 'W' pattern that makes it super easy to spot in the night sky, even from cities with light pollution.

Named after a queen. The constellation is named after Queen Cassiopeia from ancient Greek stories, who was so proud of her beauty that she boasted she was more beautiful than the sea nymphs.

Ancient and famous. Cassiopeia was one of the original 48 constellations listed by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy around 2,000 years ago and is still recognized as one of the 88 official constellations today.

Lives in the north. You can see Cassiopeia from the Northern Hemisphere, and it's visible year-round from most northern locations because it circles around the North Star.

Part of a family. Cassiopeia's constellation family includes her daughter Andromeda and other characters from the same Greek myth, all grouped together in the northern sky.