Cassiopeia - Revision history

Sushoff: /* Eratosthenes */

2026-06-12T06:40:04Z

Eratosthenes

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:40, 12 June 2026
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	===== Eratosthenes =====		===== Eratosthenes =====
	Pamias and Zucker (2013,<ref>Pamìas, Jordi und Zucker, Arnaud (2013). Ératosthènes de Cyrène: Catastérrismes, Belles Lettres, Paris</ref> 82-84)		Pamias and Zucker (2013,<ref>Pamìas, Jordi und Zucker, Arnaud (2013). Ératosthènes de Cyrène: Catastérrismes, Belles Lettres, Paris</ref> 82-84)<blockquote>'''Var. 1 (Περὶ τῆς Κασσιεπίασ)''': Cassiopeia, of whom we speak, according to the account given by the tragic poet Sophocles in his Andromeda, issued a challenge of beauty, and thus she fell into misfortune, and Poseidon sent the sea monster to ravage her country because of her. That is why, as has been said, this figure has been placed amongst the constellations. She herself is depicted seated against the chair. </blockquote><blockquote>Cassiopeia has a bright star on her head, one on each shoulder, one on her right elbow, a bright one at the tip of her right hand, a large and bright one at the small of her back, two bright ones on her left thigh, one on her knee, and a bright one on each corner of the seat. Thirteen in all.</blockquote><blockquote>'''Var. 2 (Κασσιεπίασ)''': According to the account given by the poet Sophocles in his tragedy Andromeda, she defied the Nereids in a beauty contest, and thus she fell into misfortune, and Poseidon sent a sea monster to ravage her country. It is because of her that her daughter is exposed to the monster. Cassiopeia is depicted beside her daughter, [comfortably] seated in an armchair. </blockquote><blockquote>Cassiopeia has a bright star on her head, one on each shoulder, one on her right breast, a dim one on her right elbow, one on her hand, a large and bright one at the small of her back, two bright ones on her left thigh, one on her knee, and, on the seat of the chair on which she sits, one on each corner. Fourteen in all.</blockquote>

	'''Var. 1 (Περὶ ~~τοῦ~~ )''':

	'''Var. 2 ()''':

	===== Hipparchus =====		===== Hipparchus =====

Sushoff: /* Eratosthenes */

2026-06-12T06:35:34Z

Eratosthenes

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:35, 12 June 2026
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	===== Eratosthenes =====		===== Eratosthenes =====
			Pamias and Zucker (2013,<ref>Pamìas, Jordi und Zucker, Arnaud (2013). Ératosthènes de Cyrène: Catastérrismes, Belles Lettres, Paris</ref> 82-84)

			'''Var. 1 (Περὶ τοῦ )''':

			'''Var. 2 ()''':

	===== Hipparchus =====		===== Hipparchus =====

YoulaAzkarrula: /* Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation */

2026-06-04T06:31:04Z

Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:31, 4 June 2026
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	===Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation===		===Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation===
			<gallery>
			File:H.A. Rey's stick figure stellarium-017.png\|(1952) H.A. Rey's stick figure of Cassiopeia
			File:O. Hlad's stick figure stellarium-017.png\|(1988) O. Hlad's stick figure of Cassiopeia
			</gallery>

	==Mythology==		==Mythology==

IanRidpath: /* Almagest Κασσιέπεια */ OCR errors

2026-05-20T11:53:17Z

Almagest Κασσιέπεια: OCR errors

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:53, 20 May 2026
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	\|		\|
	\|ὁ ἐπὶ μέσου τοῦ ἀνακλίθρου		\|ὁ ἐπὶ μέσου τοῦ ἀνακλίθρου
	\|The star on the ~~middlil~~ of ~~the·~~ back of the throne		\|The star on the middle of the back of the throne
	\|bet Cas		\|bet Cas
	\|-		\|-
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	\|		\|
	\|ἀστέρες τῇ, ὥυ γ’ μεγέθους ὅ, δ’ ὅ, ε’ ἂ, ϛ’ β		\|ἀστέρες τῇ, ὥυ γ’ μεγέθους ὅ, δ’ ὅ, ε’ ἂ, ϛ’ β
	\|13 stars, 4 of the third magnitude, 6 of the fourth, 1 of the fifth, 2 of the sixth}		\|{13 stars, 4 of the third magnitude, 6 of the fourth, 1 of the fifth, 2 of the sixth}
	\|		\|
	\|}		\|}

IanRidpath: /* Weblinks */ Added Warburg link

2026-05-19T16:56:55Z

Weblinks: Added Warburg link

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:56, 19 May 2026
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	==Weblinks==		==Weblinks==
			* [https://iconographic.warburg.sas.ac.uk/category/vpc-taxonomy-017048 Warburg Institute Iconographic Database – Cassiopeia]
	*

	==References==		==References==

Sushoff at 12:06, 19 May 2026

2026-05-19T12:06:33Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:06, 19 May 2026
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	[[Category:88 IAU-Constellations]] [[Category:Cas]]		[[Category:88 IAU-Constellations]] [[Category:Cas]]
	[[Category:European]]		[[Category:European]]
	~~[[Category:4work]]~~

YoulaAzkarrula at 01:45, 18 May 2026

2026-05-18T01:45:22Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:45, 18 May 2026
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	[[Category:Eurasia]]		[[Category:Eurasia]]
	[[Category:Constellation]]		[[Category:Constellation]] [[Category:Asterism]]
	[[Category:Almagest]]		[[Category:Almagest]]
	[[Category:Mesopotamian]]		[[Category:Mesopotamian]]
	[[Category:West Asian]]		[[Category:West Asian]] [[Category:Asian]]
	[[Category:Modern]]		[[Category:Modern]]
	[[Category:88 IAU-Constellations]]		[[Category:88 IAU-Constellations]] [[Category:Cas]]
	[[Category:European]]		[[Category:European]]
	[[Category:4work]]		[[Category:4work]]

Sushoff at 11:52, 27 February 2026

2026-02-27T11:52:06Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:52, 27 February 2026
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	==Etymology and History==		==Etymology and History==
	===Origin of Constellation===		===Origin of Constellation===
	Cassiopeia is the name of a queen, which is not translated but only written in Latin with a ‘c’. The queen sits on a throne – in Eratosthenes' version it may be an armchair, but in general it is understood to be a throne. On star charts from the last 250 years, Cassiopeia is often depicted fussing with her hair or even – as in modern planetariums – looking in a mirror. These are supposed to be signs of her vanity. Her throne has a backrest that reaches up to her shoulders, and one of the bright stars sits in its upper third.		<ref>Hoffmann, Susanne M. Wie der Löwe an den Himmel kam. Franckh Kosmos Verlag, Stuttgart 2021</ref>Cassiopeia is the name of a queen, which is not translated but only written in Latin with a ‘c’. The queen sits on a throne – in Eratosthenes' version it may be an armchair, but in general it is understood to be a throne. On star charts from the last 250 years, Cassiopeia is often depicted fussing with her hair or even – as in modern planetariums – looking in a mirror. These are supposed to be signs of her vanity. Her throne has a backrest that reaches up to her shoulders, and one of the bright stars sits in its upper third.

	In ancient times, the figure was seen differently: on the Farnese Globe, whose pictorial model dates back to the Hellenistic period, the seat has no backrest. The queen also holds up one arm, but there is nothing in her raised hand – Aratos believes she is lamenting her child. Her other hand (her left) is stretched out towards her husband, as if the two were about to hold hands. Her hair is draped in a strict bun, as was and is customary for older women. This contrasts with the looser hair of her daughter [[Andromeda]].		In ancient times, the figure was seen differently: on the Farnese Globe, whose pictorial model dates back to the Hellenistic period, the seat has no backrest. The queen also holds up one arm, but there is nothing in her raised hand – Aratos believes she is lamenting her child. Her other hand (her left) is stretched out towards her husband, as if the two were about to hold hands. Her hair is draped in a strict bun, as was and is customary for older women. This contrasts with the looser hair of her daughter [[Andromeda]].

Sushoff: /* Mythology */

2026-02-26T19:25:58Z

Mythology

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:25, 26 February 2026
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	==Mythology==		==Mythology==
	The tragedian Sophocles is quoted by Eratosthenes as the source of the story: he recounts that Cassiopeia competed with the Nereids for beauty and thus fell into disfavour. Because of her, the sea god Poseidon is said to have sent a sea monster to ravage the land she ruled with her husband Cepheus. To save the land from the monster, the princess was to be sacrificed – but she was saved in the face of danger. The poets agree that Cassiopeia was punished for her vanity with her uncomfortable position in the sky (rapidly ascending and descending, and sometimes upside down).[[File:IauWGSN Cassiopeia SadeghFaghanpour2025.jpg\|thumb\|Cassiopeia with WGSN-names (CC BY Sadegh Faghanpour and Susanne M Hoffmann for WGSN 2025).]]		The tragedian Sophocles is quoted by Eratosthenes as the source of the story: he recounts that Cassiopeia competed with the Nereids for beauty and thus fell into disfavour. Because of her, the sea god Poseidon is said to have sent a sea monster to ravage the land she ruled with her husband [[Cepheus]]. To save the land from the monster, the princess was to be sacrificed – but she was saved in the face of danger. The poets agree that Cassiopeia was punished for her vanity with her uncomfortable position in the sky (rapidly ascending and descending, and sometimes upside down).[[File:IauWGSN Cassiopeia SadeghFaghanpour2025.jpg\|thumb\|Cassiopeia with WGSN-names (CC BY Sadegh Faghanpour and Susanne M Hoffmann for WGSN 2025).]]

	== IAU Star Naming ==		== IAU Star Naming ==

Sushoff at 19:25, 26 February 2026

2026-02-26T19:25:38Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:25, 26 February 2026
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	----		----
	[[File:Cassiopeia IAU.svg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Cas star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).]]		[[File:Cassiopeia IAU.svg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Cas star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).]]
	~~One~~ of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]].		Cassiopeia, The Queen, one of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]].

	==Etymology and History==		==Etymology and History==
	The Greek ~~constellation .~~..		===Origin of Constellation===
			Cassiopeia is the name of a queen, which is not translated but only written in Latin with a ‘c’. The queen sits on a throne – in Eratosthenes' version it may be an armchair, but in general it is understood to be a throne. On star charts from the last 250 years, Cassiopeia is often depicted fussing with her hair or even – as in modern planetariums – looking in a mirror. These are supposed to be signs of her vanity. Her throne has a backrest that reaches up to her shoulders, and one of the bright stars sits in its upper third.

			In ancient times, the figure was seen differently: on the Farnese Globe, whose pictorial model dates back to the Hellenistic period, the seat has no backrest. The queen also holds up one arm, but there is nothing in her raised hand – Aratos believes she is lamenting her child. Her other hand (her left) is stretched out towards her husband, as if the two were about to hold hands. Her hair is draped in a strict bun, as was and is customary for older women. This contrasts with the looser hair of her daughter [[Andromeda]].

			In Greek art, women are not depicted naked – except for Aphrodite – so Cassiopeia, like her daughter, wears a long dress in the original. Bare-breasted depictions since the Middle Ages (Leiden Aratea) show the frivolous image of antiquity that was invented in retrospect.

			It is unclear where the image of the queen comes from, as it is not the first thing that comes to mind when we see the zigzag pattern in the sky. Aratos does not describe the five bright stars that we call the ‘celestial W’ with a letter. The Greek sigma would have been a natural choice: Σ, but only a few people could write and the didactic poem was intended for everyone. Aratos compares the shape of the constellation to a key (bit) that opens a folding door. It is not entirely clear whether the folded door is also an allusion to the arrangement of the stars. In any case, the key is not a constellation, but, like our W in the sky, merely a mnemonic device.

	~~===Origin~~ of ~~Constellation===~~		It is unclear what this constellation was in Mesopotamia, but in any case it was not a queen. It could be the constellation of the deer or the plough – or something else entirely, which unfortunately cannot be determined with certainty based on the available data. Current philological research gives reason to believe that this is the constellation of the seed funnel plough, an innovation of the 2nd millennium that made it possible to scatter seeds from a storage funnel directly into the furrow.

	==== Babylonian ====		==== Babylonian ====
			see

			* [[APIN]]

	[[File:Kugel family.JPG\|thumb\|Kugel Globe (1st c.BCE): Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Perseus, Cepheus, drawing by SMH 2024.]]		[[File:Kugel family.JPG\|thumb\|Kugel Globe (1st c.BCE): Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Perseus, Cepheus, drawing by SMH 2024.]]

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	==Mythology==		==Mythology==
	[[File:IauWGSN Cassiopeia SadeghFaghanpour2025.jpg\|thumb\|Cassiopeia with WGSN-names (CC BY Sadegh Faghanpour and Susanne M Hoffmann for WGSN 2025).]]		The tragedian Sophocles is quoted by Eratosthenes as the source of the story: he recounts that Cassiopeia competed with the Nereids for beauty and thus fell into disfavour. Because of her, the sea god Poseidon is said to have sent a sea monster to ravage the land she ruled with her husband Cepheus. To save the land from the monster, the princess was to be sacrificed – but she was saved in the face of danger. The poets agree that Cassiopeia was punished for her vanity with her uncomfortable position in the sky (rapidly ascending and descending, and sometimes upside down).[[File:IauWGSN Cassiopeia SadeghFaghanpour2025.jpg\|thumb\|Cassiopeia with WGSN-names (CC BY Sadegh Faghanpour and Susanne M Hoffmann for WGSN 2025).]]

	== IAU Star Naming ==		== IAU Star Naming ==