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Myths of Andromeda Galaxy

Andromeda is the name of a far-off galaxy as well as a princess from Greek mythology who can be seen in the evening sky as one of the constellations. In myth, she is the proverbial maiden in distress, often depicted as a woman chained by the wrists.
  1. Visibility

    • The constellation Andromeda can best seen from the Northern Hemisphere in the fall. Since this v-shaped arrangement of stars lines up near the North Pole, it is rarely visible in the Southern Hemisphere.

    Story

    • Daughter of King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia of Ethiopia, Andromeda was chained to a rock at the edge of the Mediterranean as punishment by her mother, who claimed that the princess was more beautiful that the sea nymphs. Fortunately, she was rescued by Perseus, who took her home and married her.

    Andromeda's Neighbors

    • Andromeda along with Perseus, Cepheus and Cassiopeia were all placed close together in the sky by the ancient Greeks. Also present is Cetus, an evil sea monster who threatened to eat Andromeda while she was chained to the rock.

    The Hero

    • Perseus is an important Greek figure who plays the major part in a series of adventure myths known as a hero cycle. Before Perseus rescued his bride-to-be, he had slayed the evil goddess Medusa.

    M 31

    • The Andromeda galaxy, which is known by astronomers as M 31, is the most distant object of the night sky that can be seen by the naked eye. At the same time it is the nearest spiral galaxy to the Milky Way, and it can be found in the Andromeda constellation.


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