Andromeda (constellation)

Andromeda

Constellation
List of stars in Andromeda
Abbreviation	And
Genitive	Andromedae
Pronunciation	/ænˈdrɒmɨdə/, genitive /ænˈdrɒmɨdiː/
Symbolism	Andromeda, the Woman Chained[1]
Right ascension	1
Declination	+40
Quadrant	NQ1
Area	722 sq. deg. (19th)
Main stars	4, 18
Bayer/Flamsteed stars	65
Stars with planets	8
Stars brighter than 3.00m	3
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly)	3
Brightest star	α And (Alpheratz) (2.07m)
Messier objects	3
Meteor showers	Andromedids (Bielids)
Bordering constellations	Perseus Cassiopeia Lacerta Pegasus Pisces Triangulum
Visible at latitudes between +90° and −40°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of November.

Andromeda is a constellation in the northern sky. It is named after the princess Andromeda in Greek mythology. It is sometimes called "Princess of Ethiopia" or "the Chained Woman" in English.^[2] It has also been called Persea ("Perseus's wife")^[2] or Cepheis ("Cepheus's daughter").^[2] The astronomer named Ptolemy listed Andromeda when he made a list of 48 constellations. It is also one of the 88 constellations made by the International Astronomical Union.^[3]

The Andromeda Galaxy is inside Andromeda. It is the closest spiral galaxy to Earth, at about 2.2 million light-years from Earth (estimates range up to 2.5 million light-years).^[4] The brightest star in Andromeda is called Alpha Andromedae, which is a binary star.^[5]

1. ↑ Allen (1899) p.31.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Allen (1899) pp.32, 33.
3. ↑ Ridpath, Ian. "Chapter One continued". Star Tales. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
4. ↑ Schoening, Bill; Harvey, Vanessa. "The Andromeda Galaxy". REU program/NOAO/AURA/NSF. Archived from the original on 22 November 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
5. ↑ Darling, David. "Alpheratz (Alpha Andromedae)". Retrieved 28 January 2013.