Cassiopeia

views updated Jun 27 2018

Cassiopeia in Greek mythology, the wife of Cepheus, king of Ethiopia, and mother of Andromeda. She boasted that she herself (or, in some versions, her daughter) was more beautiful than the nereids, thus incurring the wrath of Poseidon.

In astronomy, Cassiopeia is a constellation near the north celestial pole, recognizable by the conspicuous ‘W’ pattern of its brightest stars.

Cassiopeia

views updated May 23 2018

Cassiopeia Distinctive n constellation, representing in mythology the mother of Andromeda. The five leading stars make up a “W” or “M” pattern.

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Cassiopeia

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