Cetus

Abbreviation: Cet
Genitive: Ceti
Right Ascension: 1.42 hours
Declination: -11.35 degrees

Cetus, the whale or the sea monster, is the fabled creature sent by Neptune to devour Andromeda.

Cetus was turned to stone when Perseus showed the monster the head of Medusa. Pliney and Solinus wrote that the monsters bones were taken to Rome by Scaurus, the skeleton measured forty feet in length and the vertebrae were six feet in circumference. Cetus actually occurs in writing long before the Greeks, and some debate has insued whether the sea monster was actually Draco, Hydra or Serpens. Cetus is drawn sometimes swimming in the river Eridanus, but is more usually drawn resting on the banks of the river with its forepaws dipping into the river.

Cetus is a large constellation, occupying 50 degrees in length and 20 degrees in width of the sky, yet it has no stars brighter than 2nd magnitude, and only one of 2nd magnitude.

Bright Stars | Deep Sky | Other Deep Sky | Variable Stars | Double Stars

Best Known Stars

(Yale Bright Star Catalog)

Common Name or Bayer Number 1	RA	DEC	Magnitude 2
DIPHDA; DENEB KAITOS	0.00:43.00:35.37	-17.00:59.00:11.82	2.04
MENKAR	3.00:2.00:16.77	+4.00:5.00:22.93	2.53
ETA CET	1.00:8.00:35.39	-10.00:10.00:56.17	3.45
TAU CET	1.00:44.00:4.09	-15.00:56.00:14.89	3.50
IOT CET	0.00:19.00:25.67	-8.00:49.00:26.14	3.56
THE CET	1.00:24.00:1.40	-8.00:11.00:0.29	3.60
BATEN KAITOS	1.00:51.00:27.64	-10.00:20.00:6.20	3.73
UPS CET	2.00:0.00:0.30	-21.00:4.00:40.21	4.00
DEL CET	2.00:39.00:28.95	+0.00:19.00:42.58	4.07
PI CET	2.00:44.00:7.35	-13.00:51.00:31.37	4.25
MU CET	2.00:44.00:56.53	+10.00:6.00:50.76	4.27
XI2 CET	2.00:28.00:9.54	+8.00:27.00:36.19	4.28
XI1 CET	2.00:13.00:0.00	+8.00:50.00:48.18	4.37
2 CET	0.00:3.00:44.39	-17.00:20.00:9.59	4.55
CHI CET	1.00:49.00:35.10	-10.00:41.00:11.09	4.67
LAM CET	2.00:59.00:42.89	+8.00:54.00:26.51	4.70
SIG CET	2.00:32.00:5.23	-15.00:14.00:40.62	4.75
20 CET	0.00:53.00:0.49	-1.00:8.00:39.47	4.77
KAP CET	3.00:19.00:21.69	+3.00:22.00:12.59	4.83
NU CET	2.00:35.00:52.46	+5.00:35.00:35.60	4.86
RHO CET	2.00:25.00:57.00	-12.00:17.00:25.72	4.89
94 CET	3.00:12.00:46.43	-1.00:11.00:45.88	5.06
48 CET	1.00:29.00:36.13	-21.00:37.00:45.61	5.12
PI2 CET	0.00:50.00:7.59	-10.00:38.00:39.54	5.19
47 CET	1.00:26.00:51.57	-13.00:3.00:23.51	5.50
67 CET	2.00:16.00:59.04	-6.00:25.00:19.71	5.51
80 CET	2.00:36.00:0.04	-7.00:49.00:53.84	5.53
12 CET	0.00:30.00:2.36	-3.00:57.00:26.39	5.72
26 CET	1.00:3.00:49.02	+1.00:22.00:0.46	6.04

Deep Sky Objects

(PAS Catalog)

M-77

This galaxy is unique and peculiar because of several reasons. First of all, its spectrum shows peculiar features in the form of broad emission lines, indicating that giant gas clouds are rapidly moving out of this galaxy's core, at several 100 km/sec.

Other Deep Sky Objects

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)

Only Objects less than 10.0 Mag.

Object	R.A.	Dec.	Object Type 3	Mag.	Uranometria	Tirion
NGC 247	00 47.0	-20 45	GALXY	09.1	306	18
NGC 246	00 47.1	-11 53	PLNNB	08.5	261	10
IC 1613	01 04.8	+02 07	GALXY	09.2	217	10
NGC 1068	02 42.7	-00 02	GALXY	08.9	220	10

Variable Stars

(General Catalog of Variable Stars)

Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude

GCVS ID	R.A. (hh mm ss.ss)	Dec. (deg mm ss)	Variable Type 4	Mag. Min	Mag. Max
T Cet	0.00:19.00:14.50	-20.00:20.00:6.00	SRC	6.90	5.00
AA Cet	1.00:56.00:40.60	-23.00:9.00:45.00	EW/KE	6.70	6.20
AB Cet	2.00:23.00:37.60	-15.00:33.00:54.00	ACV:	5.88	5.71
AD Cet	0.00:11.00:54.20	-8.00:3.00:31.00	LB:	5.16	4.90
AE Cet	0.00:12.00:6.10	-19.00:12.00:35.00	LB:	4.46	4.26
AG Cet	0.00:25.00:28.30	-11.00:56.00:7.00	SRB	7.45	6.99
AK Cet	0.00:58.00:0.30	-12.00:27.00:52.00	LB	7.94	7.68
AM Cet	1.00:8.00:48.40	-13.00:46.00:8.00	SRB	7.12	6.84
AR Cet	1.00:57.00:57.80	-8.00:45.00:54.00	SR:	5.61	5.40
AV Cet	1.00:21.00:31.50	-8.00:16.00:1.00	DSCTC	6.22	6.20
AY Cet	1.00:14.00:3.80	-2.00:45.00:47.00	RS	5.58	5.35
BB Cet	0.00:36.00:2.00	-20.00:34.00:18.00	ACV	6.64	6.63
BC Cet	0.00:55.00:1.80	-10.00:44.00:45.00	ACV	7.66	7.64
BE Cet	0.00:20.00:18.00	-12.00:29.00:15.00	BY	6.43	6.38
BG Cet	0.00:33.00:37.60	-23.00:7.00:0.00	DSCTC	0.00	6.35
BK Cet	1.00:50.00:27.80	-17.00:10.00:28.00	DSCTC	5.81	5.73
BS Cet	2.00:38.00:3.70	-14.00:39.00:46.00	DSCTC	6.73	6.65
BU Cet	0.00:32.00:40.40	-3.00:52.00:4.00	RS	3.96	3.86
alf Cet	2.00:59.00:39.70	+3.00:53.00:41.00	LB:	2.54	2.45
del Cet	2.00:36.00:55.00	+0.00:6.00:50.00	BCEP	4.10	4.05

Double Stars

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)

Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude

Name	R.A. (hh mm.m)	Dec. (deg mm)	Mag 5	Sep 6	PA 7	Tirion	Uranometria
S 390	00 58.2	-15 40	7.8, 7.8	6.40	216	10/ 17	262
STF 113	01 19.8	-00 31	6.4, 7.4	1.60	14	10	217/ 218
HJ 2036	01 19.9	-15 48	7.5, 7.7	2.10	344	10	262/ 263
HJ 2052	01 31.6	-19 01	7.1, 7.4	78.40	117	10	308
STF 147	01 41.7	-11 18	6.1, 7.4	1.70	90	10	263
CHI CET	01 49.6	-10 41	4.8, 6.8	183.80	250	10	263/ 264
H 58	01 59.0	-22 54	7.2, 7.5	8.40	304	18	309
STF 231	02 12.8	-02 23	5.8, 7.6	16.50	234	10	219
STF 274	02 31.5	01 05	7.3, 7.8	13.50	220	10	220
STF 299	02 43.3	03 14	3.6, 7.4	2.80	296	10	220