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Cassiopeia

Cassiopeia: A constellation in the northern sky named after a vain queen in Greek mythology. It is easily recognizable by its distinctive 'W' shape formed by five bright stars.
Stars and variables: Cassiopeia contains many stars, some of which are variable or part of multiple star systems. The brightest stars form the 'W' asterism and include Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon Cassiopeiae. Gamma Cassiopeiae is the prototype of a class of variable stars that have a disc of material flung off by their high rotation. Rho Cassiopeiae is a yellow hypergiant, one of the most luminous stars in the galaxy.
Supernovae and remnants: Cassiopeia was the site of two historical supernovae, one observed by Tycho Brahe in 1572 and the other by John Flamsteed in 1680. Their remnants, Cassiopeia A and Tycho's Supernova Remnant, are strong radio sources. Cassiopeia A is also the first object imaged by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory.
Clusters and nebulae: Cassiopeia lies in a rich section of the Milky Way and contains many open clusters, young luminous stars, and nebulae. Two Messier objects, M52 and M103, are open clusters in Cassiopeia. The Heart Nebula and the Soul Nebula are two neighboring emission nebulae. NGC 457 is another open cluster, also known as the Owl Cluster or the E.T. Cluster.
Galaxies: Cassiopeia contains two members of the Local Group of galaxies, NGC 185 and NGC 147, both elliptical galaxies that are satellites of the Andromeda Galaxy. IC 10 is an irregular galaxy that is the closest known starburst galaxy. Maffei 1 and Maffei 2 are two galaxies in the IC 342/Maffei Group, the closest galaxy group to the Local Group.
Mythology and culture: Cassiopeia was named after the queen of Aethiopia, who boasted about her beauty and was punished by Poseidon. She was placed in the sky as a constellation that circles the north celestial pole. Cassiopeia has been depicted differently by various cultures, such as a queen, a camel, a hand, or an elk. The constellation also has a meteor shower, the December Phi Cassiopeiids, and has inspired various works of art, literature, and music.
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