Cetus is a constellation that is often referred to as "the whale" in English. In Greek mythology, the Cetus was a sea monster that Perseus and Heracles had to destroy. Cetus is located in the sky near Aquarius, Pisces, and Eridanus, all of which are water-related constellations.
In the J2000 period, Cetus is not one of the twelve real zodiac constellations, nor is it part of the traditional 12-part zodiac. The ecliptic passes through one of its corners at a distance of less than 0.25°. Thus, the moon and planets will pass through Cetus in half of their orbits, briefly obscuring any stars as a foreground object, while the southern part of the sun will pass through Cetus for around one day each year. Many asteroids in belts, those with a somewhat greater inclination to the ecliptic than the moon and planets, have longer phases occulting the north-western region of Cetus. The ecliptic (apparent plane of the sun and also the average plane of the planets, which is nearly the same) passes over it as seen from Mars. |
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Mythology
Cetus could have been named after a whale, which would have had mythic value among Mesopotamian tribes. Though it is most connected with Cetus the sea monster, who was slain by Perseus as he protected the princess Andromeda from Poseidon's wrath, it is now known as the Whale. It is located in the middle of "The Sea," a collection of water-related constellations that includes Eridanus, Pisces, Piscis Austrinus, and Aquarius. (Staal 1988) Cetus has been portrayed in a variety of ways throughout history. Johann Bayer drew Cetus as a "dragon fish" in the 17th century. In the same century, Willem Blaeu and Andreas Cellarius both painted Cetus as a whale-like creature. Cetus, on the other hand, has been shown with diverse animal heads linked to a piscine body. (Staal 1988) The stars of Cetus can be found in two locations in Chinese astronomy: the Black Tortoise of the North (北方玄武, Běi Fāng Xuán Wǔ) and the White Tiger of the West (西方白虎, Xī Fāng Bái Hǔ). The Amazonian Tukano and Kobeua people created a jaguar out of the stars of Cetus, representing the deity of hurricanes and other severe storms. Its head was symbolised by Lambda, Mu, Xi, Nu, Gamma, and Alpha Ceti; its body was represented by Omicron, Zeta, and Chi Ceti; its legs and feet were indicated by Eta Eri, Tau Cet, and Upsilon Cet; and its tail was marked by Theta, Eta, and Beta Ceti. (Staal 1988) The constellation was known in Hawaii as Na Kuhi, and Mira (Omicron Ceti) was maybe known as Kane. (Makemson 1941) |
Dep-sky Objects
Messier 77 – M77 – Squid Galaxy – Barred Spiral Galaxy
NGC 1042 – Spiral Galaxy
NGC 1052-DF2 – Ultra Diffuse Galaxy
IC 1613 – Caldwell 51 – Irregular Dwarf Galaxy
NGC 246 – Planetary Nebula
Main stars - 14
Bayer stars - 88
Stars with planets - 23
Stars brighter than magnitude 3.0 - 2
Stars within 32 ly - 9
Bordering
constellations
Meteor showers
Messier 77 – M77 – Squid Galaxy – Barred Spiral Galaxy
NGC 1042 – Spiral Galaxy
NGC 1052-DF2 – Ultra Diffuse Galaxy
IC 1613 – Caldwell 51 – Irregular Dwarf Galaxy
NGC 246 – Planetary Nebula
Main stars - 14
Bayer stars - 88
Stars with planets - 23
Stars brighter than magnitude 3.0 - 2
Stars within 32 ly - 9
Bordering
constellations
- Aries
- Pisces
- Aquarius
- Sculptor
- Fornax
- Eridanus
- Taurus
Meteor showers
- Eta Cetids – Mid April to late May with a peak in early-May
- Omicron Cetids – Early-may to early June with a peak in mid-May