Cassiopeia is a very conspicuous constellation in the northern sky and circumpolar for Central Europe, i.e. a region of the sky visible all year round.
The five main stars of Cassiopeia form a prominent W in the sky, which is why it is also named as the celestial W.
The region of Cassiopeia is very rich in stars because the Milky Way runs through the constellation. Several open star clusters can be observed here. For example, below the first “spike” of the “W” is a double cluster consisting of h Persei and Chi Persei.
| Cassiopeia | |
|---|---|
| Latin name | Cassiopeia |
| Latin genitive | Cassiopeiae |
| Abbreviation | Cas |
| Brightest star | Schedir (α Cassiopeiae) |
| Fully visible | 90° N to 12° S |
| Observation time for Central Europe | all year round |
