"About Andromeda, who innocently suffered for her mother's sin:
Andromeda is close, and you can distinguish its outline
Even before the darkness deepened in the night - so bright
Her face shines and her flame shines so brightly
Around the shoulders and the cloak, where the fiery belt sparkles..."
Arat from Sol "Apparitions", 3rd century BC
“Astronomy is currently not a compulsory subject in school and is taught as an elective... Therefore, I hope someone will be interested in the Andromeda constellation in pictures, myths and diagrams.
Seosnews9, 2017
Rice. 1 Constellation Andromeda, diagram
The constellation Andromeda is a well-known constellation thanks to the galaxy located in it, called the Andromeda Nebula. It is the 11th largest constellation in the northern sky in terms of angular area; among all the constellations of the celestial sphere (nebosphere), Andromeda ranks 19th (722 sq. degrees), after the Giraffe. The prime celestial meridian passes through the constellation Andromeda, passing through the vernal equinox.
The main attraction of the constellation is the Andromeda Nebula, which is actually a galaxy. The three brightest stars of the constellation do not exceed the third magnitude. There are no classical historical asterisms inside the Andromeda constellation, but this gap is planned to be filled here in the future, in a modern way...
Andromeda directly borders on 5 constellations, these are: Cassiopeia; Perseus; Triangle; Fish; Pegasus and Lizard are part of the Perseus group of constellations, created by Donald Menzel based on the classic myth of Perseus and Andromeda.
The best conditions for viewing the constellation Andromeda occur between September 9 and November 3, when Andromeda culminates at midnight.
Stars and contour diagram of the constellation Andromeda
There are only three bright stars in the Andromeda constellation and all of them are navigational: these are Alferats(α And; variable from 2.06 m to 2.02 m), Mirakh(β And; 2.07 m), Alamak(γ 1 And; 2,1). The boundaries of the constellation and most of the visible stars are presented in Figure 2. View of the constellation towards the north at the moment of culmination:
Sergey Ov
Rice. 2 Constellation Andromeda. Names of the brightest stars. The thin turquoise line passing close (deviation 2°) to the star Alferats is the prime celestial meridian.
In addition to the three brightest stars, in the constellation Andromeda you can find five more stars with a brightness of the fourth magnitude, and the Andromeda Nebula should be added to them - its brightness is 3.44 m. Oddly enough, only two stars out of five received their own names - Nembus (51 And; 3.51) and Sadr Elazra (δ And; 3.27). The name Sadr Elazra comes from Arabic al-sadr al-adhra, which can be translated as the Heart of a Girl.
In total, only seven stars in the Andromeda constellation received names within the Euro-Middle Eastern tradition. Two more named stars of the fifth magnitude are in the star chain, called by Ptolemy “the fringe of the dress” - these are Azab (Adhab, Azab, Titawin; υ And; 4.01) and Adhil (ξ And; 4.87).
A list of more than 160 Andromeda stars, their attractions and features can be found by calling up the list:
.
When creating an outline drawing of a constellation, it is desirable to solve two problems: firstly, the image must correspond to the name, and secondly, it must occupy as much of the area as possible within the boundaries of the constellation.
To construct our own version of the outline drawing of the constellation Andromeda, almost all more or less bright stars are used (up to magnitude 5). According to the resulting diagram of the constellation (Fig. 3), it is quite possible to imagine a woman chained to a rock, which fully corresponds to the legend of Perseus and Andromeda:
Sergey Ov
Rice. 3. Diagram of the Andromeda constellation. Star chart (outline image) of a chained woman - to see the star designations, move the cursor to the picture with JavaScript enabled.
Chart outline by stars:
head: Alferats (α And);
neck: Alferats (α And) - Pi Andromeda (π And, node);
right hand: Lambda Andromeda (λ And) - Kappa Andromeda (κ And, knot) - Sigma Andromeda (σ And, knot);
chain on the right hand: - Omicron Andromeda (ο And) - Kappa Andromeda (κ And, knot)
torso: Sigma Andromeda (σ And, node) - Pi Andromeda (π And, knot) - Sadr Elazra (δ And, knot) - Mirach (β And, knot) - Mu Andromeda (μ And, knot) ;
left hand - Sadr Elazra (δ And, node)- Epsilon Andromeda (ε And) - Zeta Andromeda (ζ And - Eta Andromeda (η And));
legs (dress): Mu Andromeda (μ And, node)- Phi Andromeda (φ And) - Nembus(51 And)- Phi Perseus (φ Per) - Nembus (51 And)- Alamak (γ And, knot)- 60 Andromeda (b And)- Alamak (γ And, knot)- Azab (υ And) - Mirah (β And, node);
chain on left leg: Alamak (γ And, knot)- 58 Andromeda (58 And).
The resulting schematic drawing of a woman chained includes 19 stars of the constellation, while even in the first extant star catalog of Ptolemy, known as the Almagest, the constellation Andromeda contains 23 stars (+1 from Horse).
In general, Ptolemy had a somewhat strange attitude towards Andromeda. He attributed the current Alpha Andromeda to the constellation Horse (now Pegasus), only adding the explanation: “The star on the navel (of the Horse) is common with the star on the head of Andromeda.”
I compared the girl’s head with the horse’s navel and that’s it, there are no more mentions of Anromeda’s head! - What a disrespectful attitude towards the princess!
Further more! In describing the position of the stars in the constellation, Ptolemy quite clearly connects them with various parts of the body: three stars above the belt, “a star between the shoulder blades”, “a star on the right shoulder” and so on...
Following this description, we get the following picture:
Sergey Ov
Rice. 4. Diagram of the constellation Andromeda according to Ptolemy. Diagram by stars - outline image of Rubens's woman.
If, with JavaScript enabled, you move the cursor to the picture and hold it, you can see other versions of the schematic image of the constellation.
The first thing that comes to mind when looking at Fig. 4:
"And this sea monster, Cetus (Ketus), had something to eat..."
And then, looking closer, you begin to suspect that such an Andromeda could have dealt with the monster even without Perseus...
- What tricks do ladies go to just to get married!
In addition, the resentment of the skinny Nereids, looking at this picture, becomes humanly understandable! (according to one version of the myth about Perseus and Andromeda, the monster was sent following a complaint from the Nereids, who were very offended by Cassiopeia, Andromeda’s mother, when she said that her daughter was much more beautiful than them).
Andromeda's brightest star, Alpharanz, is part of the Great Square asterism, but the Andromeda constellation does not contain any historical asterisms within itself. Let's try to eliminate this injustice. In our time, when the Andromeda Nebula glows as the fifth brightest star in the constellation (and over time it will become even brighter), no one can stop us from using it to build a modern, well-recognized asterism. This is what happened (Fig. 5):
Asterism "UFO" (Flying Saucer), constellation Andromeda
Sergey Ov
Rice. 5. Asterism "UFO" in the constellation Andromeda, diagram of the constellation and photo of a section of the starry sky. An image of a classic UFO - "Flying Saucer", with a hint of the sender's address...
And we got a real gift for ufologists - the “Flying Saucer” asterism! Now, looking at the Andromeda constellation, you can always find a Flying Saucer on it. And then, after you find it, following O. Beder, you can say: “Whoever now proves that there are no Flying Saucers in the sky, let him be the first to throw a stone at me.”
Now in the heavens every starry night you can see the Flying Saucer UFO in the constellation Andromeda!
After the contours, asterisms and brightest stars of the constellation are well studied, until complete visual memorization, you can begin to search for Andromeda directly in the starry sky.
The constellation Andromeda is usually found using the stars Cassiopeia. True, for the very first time it is best to look for Andromeda using two constellations: Ursa Minor and Cassiopeia (Fig. 5).
If you draw a line from North Star to the lowest star of the Throne of Cassiopeia asterism Cafe and continue it further, then it will lead exactly to the brightest star of Andromeda Alferatsu, and the angular distances from the Polar Star to Kaf and from Kaf to Alpheratz are approximately equal (31° and 30°). Please note that in reverse order, the Alpherats - Kaf beam points exactly to the North Star - this is the second ancient way of determining the direction to the north. In addition, it is worth recalling once again that our wonderful line is very close to the prime meridian.
Rice. 6. How to find the constellation Andromeda? - Very simple! You need to mentally draw a line through Polar Star and Kaf(β Cassiopeia) And it will lead to Alpha Andromeda Alferatsu. There is another option: from the North Star through Segin Cassiopeia, also draw a line to Andromeda, it will lead to Alamak - the foot of Andromeda, but here the stars are not very bright.
Experienced stargazers immediately look for Andromeda starting from Cassiopeia. If you draw rays from Navi and Kafa through Alpha Cassiopeia Shedar (Fig. 7, emerald lines), then they form an angle within which all the brightest stars and the Andromeda Nebula are located, and the Navi-Ahird line will almost exactly point to Alferats (Fig. 7, red arrow)
Rice. 7. How to find the constellation Andromeda using the stars of Cassiopeia? - Very simple! All of Andromeda's brightest bright stars are located between the Kaf Shedar and Navi Shedar rays. The red line in the direction of Navi Akhird leads to Alferats.
Now all that remains is to correctly determine the angular dimensions of the constellation. Even from the schematic drawings it is clear that the Flying Saucer asterism of Anromeda is twice as large as the Throne of Cassiopeia asterism.
Rice. 8. Estimating the angular size of the constellation Andromeda using an outstretched arm. This image seems to emphasize the mutual distance of the bright stars of Andromeda
The largest angular distance between Andromeda's brightest stars is the distance from Alferatsa before Alamaka, which is 30°. The angular distance between the thumb and index finger of an outstretched hand of a person of normal build is 16-18° (regardless of gender and age over 7 years), so the Andromeda star against the background of an outstretched hand will look approximately as shown in Figure 8.
Andromeda Nebula (Andromeda Galaxy)
Surprisingly, the first written mention of the Andromeda Nebula dates back to the end of the 10th century. The Persian astronomer al-Sufi completed his work “The Book of Fixed Stars” in 964, in which, when describing the Greco-Persian image of Andromeda (Fig. 12), he mentions a certain “foggy spot” (var. speck) where the mouth of the Andromeda fish is,” and introduces a special designation for it in the drawing.
Remains a mystery, why did no one notice this fifth brightest object in the Andromeda constellation before al-Sufi?
The first detailed description of the Andromeda Nebula appeared only six centuries later in 1612. German astronomer S. Mayr (Simon Marius) studied the “foggy speck” of Andromeda using a telescope and described it as an extended nebula with a bright core and recorded celestial coordinates. For the next three centuries, this extended nebulous object was called the Great Andromeda Nebula.
In the 18th century, the Great Comet Hunter, Charles Messier, created a catalog of “foggy” objects that interfered with the hunt. Andromeda Nebula You were thirty-first on this list and received the designation M31.
By the middle of the 19th century, improvements in the optics of astronomical telescopes made it possible to detect the spiral structure of the nebulous formation, and the use in astronomy of a then new branch of optics, spectroscopy, led to the assumption that this nebula consists of many stars. In addition, in 1885, astronomers around the world observed the only supernova explosion in history, S-Andromeda.
Therefore, already at the end of the 19th century, when D. Dreyer compiled the New General Catalog (NGC), which is now popular among astronomy enthusiasts, the Andromeda nebula was already known as a galaxy and received the designation NGC 224. The final, unconditional conclusion that the Andromeda Nebula is a galaxy was made in the 1920s after new processing of materials about the Andromeda supernova and an estimate of the distance to it at two and a half million light years. At that time, the English-speaking astronomical community changed the majestic “Great Andromeda Nebula” into the short “Andromeda galaxy” - the Andromeda Galaxy.
Here, following the historical tradition and remembering I. Efremov, the name “Andromeda Nebula” or, if you prefer, “Andromeda Nebula Galaxy” will be used; this majestic object of deep space (Fig. 9), in my opinion, deserves such a name more.
Rice. 9. Galaxy "Andromeda Nebula". Large spiral galaxy in the constellation Andromeda
Currently, the Andromeda Nebula is approaching our Solar System at a speed of about 300 km/s. The speed of convergence of the core of our Milky Way galaxy with the core of the Andromeda galaxy is estimated at 120 km/s. The galaxies will enter into direct gravitational interaction in 4 billion years, while some “lucky” star systems will be able to “transfer from one galactic express to another "Who knows, maybe our solar system will move into the Andromeda galaxy? - It has a chance...
It is worth noting that at this time the “portrait” of the galaxy will occupy a quarter of the northern sky, and its core will shine brighter than the Moon now (Fig. 10.)
Rice. 10."Andromeda Nebula" + 3 billion years. Galaxy sunrise, solar system, Mars (fantastic collage, Sergey Ov)
Now, let’s try to find the answer to the question: “Why did no one notice the Andromeda galaxy until the 10th century?” - there are no written mentions about her.
1. Answer: “In those days it was not customary to write about foggy spots; they only wrote about stars!” - doesn't count.
2. Most likely, the reason is that the brightness (brilliance) of the Andromeda Nebula was significantly lower than it is now.
The factor of the galaxy's direct approach to us can have an influence of no more than one hundred thousandth of a percent (approaching us by less than 1 light year per millennium).
Three factors remain at our disposal: the rotation of stars and interstellar gas in the plane of the galaxy, a change in the inclination of the most visible plane of the galaxy, and an increase in the brightness of the central star cluster - the core of the galaxy.
- It is quite possible that at the beginning of our era the bright part of the galactic core was hidden from us by a cloud of interstellar gas; due to the rotation of the galaxy, the cloud shifted...
- Now we observe the “Andromeda Nebula” galaxy at a rather acute angle of 15° to its plane; at the beginning of our era, the galaxy was visible at an even sharper angle, perhaps with the brightest part of the core being obscured.
- Due to the gravitational compaction of the central cluster, the stars become closer to each other, and the apparent brightness of the core increases.
I believe that the most likely reason for the "increase in visibility" of the Andromeda Nebula is the gravitational compaction of its core.
What do you think?
One way or another, the brightness of the Andromeda Nebula should grow over time and change noticeably even within the lifetime of one generation (unless the next gas cloud arrives).
Oddly enough, for the not yet bright galaxy the Andromeda Nebula, an accurate star sight has been prepared in the heavens. The ray emanating from the Polar Star to Shedar Cassiopeia passes exactly through the Andromeda Nebula, and the distance from Shedar to the Nebula is exactly half the distance from the Polar Star to Shedar (Fig. 11), so that, at the latitude of Moscow, the Andromeda Nebula can be found at any starry night.
Rice. eleven. How to find the Andromeda Nebula? - You need to mentally draw a line through Polar Star and Shedar(Alpha Cassiopeia) And it will lead to the Andromeda Nebula.
The method of searching for the Andromeda Nebula from the North Star is good for its visual observation.
If you view the Andromeda Nebula through binoculars or an amateur telescope (school), you need nearby landmarks. An option for pointing optics at the stars of the Andromeda constellation is presented in Figure 12.
Rice. 12. How to find the Andromeda Nebula by the stars of the constellation, starting from Alpheratz.
Please note that the “close-in” line to the Andromeda galaxy from Mira almost coincides with the bisector of the obtuse angle formed by the stars Alamak - Mirak - Alferats.
History and mythology of the constellation Andromeda
The constellation Andromeda is part of the mythological stellar fabric, which at times occupies more than a quarter of our northern sky (Fig. 15) and is called the Perseus group. It is worth repeating here once again that for the ancient Greeks the starry sky is the world, a whole panorama of legends, a picture of the universe for initiates, in the images on which the same stars could be used for creating different images - different constellations in their understanding, many of these images have survived to this day.
A clear example of a “dual purpose” star is Alpha Andromeda - Alferaz, formerly Delta Pegasus. Take a look at the table describing the stars of the Andromeda constellation presented by Ptolemy in the Almagest:
Table 1. Claudius Ptolemy. Constellation Andromeda. Description of stars, their coordinates and brightness
| N | Description | Longitude | Latitude | Equatorial coordinates | Magnitude | Modern identification |
| Horse | ||||||
| 1 | The star on the navel, common with the star on the head of Andromeda | ♓ 17 1/2 1/3 | N 26 | 0h 10m 23s; +29° 39′ 36″ |
2,3 | Alferats - α And, HR 15 |
| ... Andromeda |
||||||
| 1 | Star between the shoulder blades | ♓ 25 1/3 | N 24 1/2 | 0h 41m 44s; +31° 16′ 21″ |
3 | HR 165 |
| 2 | Star on right shoulder | ♓ 26 1/3 | N 27 | 0h 40m 26s; +33° 54′ 56″ |
4 | Pi Andromeda - π And, HR 154 |
| 3 | Star on left shoulder | ♓ 24 1/3 | N 23 | 0h 40m 53s; +29° 31′ 31″ |
4 | |
| 4 | Southern of three on right forearm | ♓ 23 2/3 | N 32 | 0h 19m 6s; +37° 19′ 15″ |
4 | |
| 5 | Of these [of the three on the right forearm], the more northern | ♓ 24 2/3 | N 33 1/2 | 0h 19m 16s; +39° 2′ 24″ |
4 | |
| 6 | Middle of three [on right forearm] | ♓ 25 | N 32 1/3 | 0h 23m 21s; +38° 8′ 36″ |
5 | Rho Andromeda - ρ And, HR 82 |
| 7 | Southern of the three at the end of the right hand | ♓ 19 2/3 | N 41 | 23h 40m 56s; +43° 32′ 52″ |
4 | |
| 8 | The middle one [the three at the end of the right arm] | ♓ 20 2/3 | N 42 | 23h 41m 32s; +44° 47′ 34″ |
4 | |
| 9 | The northern one [three at the end of the right arm] | ♓ 22 1/6 | N 44 | 23h 40m 36s; +47° 4′ 5″ |
4 | |
| 10 | Star on left forearm | ♓ 24 1/6 | N 17 1/2 | 0h 50m 31s; +24° 27′ 29″ |
4 | |
| 11 | Star on left elbow | ♓ 25 2/3 | N 15 1/2 1/3 | 0h 59m 13s; +23° 30′ 46″ |
4 | |
| 12 | The more southern of the three is above the belt | ♈ 3 1/2 1/3 | N 26 1/3 | 1h 11m 23s; +36° 12′ 26″ |
3 | |
| 13 | The middle one [of three above the waist] | ♈ 2 | N 30 | 0h 56m 1s; +38° 48′ 34″ |
4 | Mu Andromeda - μ And, HR 269 |
| 14 | The northern one [of three above the waist] | ♈ 1 1/2 1/3 | N 32 1/2 | 0h 49m 27s; +40° 58′ 25″ |
4 | ν Andromeda - ν And, HR 226 |
| 15 | Star above left foot | ♈ 16 1/2 1/3 | N 28 | 2h 2m 35s; +42° 26′ 18″ |
3 | |
| 16 | Star on the right foot | ♈ 17 1/6 | N 37 1/3 | 1h 41m 12s; +51° 2′ 1″ |
4,3 | Phi Perseus - φ Per, HR 496 |
| 17 | The star south of this [on the right foot] | ♈ 15 1/6 | N 35 2/3 | 1h 36m 56s; +48° 49′ 20″ |
3,7 | |
| 18 | Northern of the two on the left knee bend | ♈ 12 1/3 | N 29 | 1h 40m 53s; +41° 46′ 26″ |
4 | HR 458 |
| 19 | The southern one [two on the left knee bend] | ♈ 12 | N 28 | 1h 41m 39s; +40° 44′ 30″ |
4 | |
| 20 | Star on the right knee | ♈ 10 1/6 | N 35 1/2 | 1h 15m 48s; +46° 49′ 30″ |
5 | Phi Andromeda - φ And, HR 335 |
| 21 | Of the two on the fringe, the more northern | ♈ 12 2/3 | N 34 1/2 | 1h 29m 8s; +46° 51′ 54″ |
5 | 49 Andromeda - 49 And, HR 430 |
| 22 | The southern one [two on the fringe] | ♈ 14 1/6 | N 32 1/2 | 1h 40m 41s; +45° 36′ 43″ |
5 | Chi Andromeda - χ And, H.R. 469 |
| 23 | Preceding three on the right hand, outside the hand | ♓ 11 2/3 | N 44 | 23h 4m 45s; +42° 57′ 5″ |
3 | |
It would seem that with such a presentation of the material, Ptolemy is trying to show a not very positive attitude towards Andromeda, in fact, he does not mean anything bad towards the princess, it’s just that parchment in those days was incredibly expensive, and wasting space on it on a tautology would be an unforgivable waste.
I’ll make a reservation here right away: the excessively wide belt of Anromeda’s stars (Fig. 4) has nothing in common with the ancient Greek image of a young princess, although their ideal of a woman’s figure is still close to Rubens’s (for example Venus de Milo).
But let's return to our myth. At the site of the constellation, the ancient Greeks mentally painted the image of the young Andromeda chained to a rock. Andromeda is an unwitting victim of mother's love and pride. One day, Queen Cassiopeia was walking with her daughter Andromeda along the seashore and saw the daughters of the sea king of the Nereids swimming. Involuntarily admiring the spectacle, she stopped. And then Andromeda ran up to her - “No, after all, you are the most beautiful of all!” - she burst out. What mother would not praise her child! But what is allowed to a simple mother is not allowed to a queen!
The Nereids turned out to have an unusual hearing - they picked up the phrase, retelling it to each other, and ultimately distorted it so that everyone burst into tears and swam to complain to the sea king Poseidon: “Cassiopeia said that her daughter is the most beautiful of all, and we are real monsters!”
- I'll show them the monster! - said the angry Poseidon.
No sooner said than done, the coast began to be ravaged by a sea monster, the terrible Cetus. Moreover, an oracle was sent to inform the will of the gods: “Chain Andromeda with chains to a rock on the seashore.” Alas, even kings are forced to obey the will of the gods!
And now a scene is depicted in heaven: Andromeda is chained to a rock, Queen Cassiopeia asks Perseus, who successfully flew nearby, to save her daughter from a terrible monster. According to the myth of Perseus and Andromeda, at this moment next to Cassiopeia, in addition to Perseus, are: King Cepheus; Princess Andromeda chained to a rock; a little further the winged horse Pegasus and the people (in our group the people are represented by the extras Auriga, Lizard and for some reason Triangle), in the distance the terrible Cetus emerges from the depths... (this scene will have a happy ending).
Claudius Ptolemy was an absolute authority for many generations of astronomers. Even in the east, in the already Arabized Islamic Iran, in Mesopotamia, where Pisces was depicted in the place of the constellation Andromeda since Sumerian times, the Persian astronomer al-Sufi (Abu-l-Hussein Abdurrahman ibn Umar al-Sufi) in his “Book of Fixed Stars” he preserved the image of a “woman chained in chains.” True, to this image he adds two more drawings of a “woman with a fish” when describing the last of them; he mentions the Andromeda Nebula in writing for the first time (Fig. 13). But he preserves the order of description of the stars exactly “according to Ptolemy,” only updating the coordinates; this can be seen by looking at the table from al-Sufi: Stars of a Woman Chained
Rice. 13. The constellation Andromeda in the Book of Fixed Stars by al-Sufi (Al Sufi. Book of the constellations, or fixed stars. - Bodleian copy: Suwar al-Kawakib al-Thabitah (Book of fixed Stars) - copy written by the son of al-Sufi in 1009 in Iran).
Jan Hevelius, in his atlas "Uranography" (published 1690), usually tries to follow the descriptions of Ptolemy, but in the case of Andromeda, the astronomer-artist delicately turned the beauty with her back to the viewer,
The original atlas was created in the projection of a “divine gaze” - as if you are looking at the celestial sphere from the outside, so that the picture corresponds to the “earthly” view of the Andromeda constellation; in the collage offered to your attention, the image is presented in a mirror image:
Rice. 14. The constellation Andromeda is a collage based on a drawing in the atlas of Jan Hevelius (only those stars that were included in the atlas by Hevelius himself are highlighted). If you wait, the traditional asterism of the constellation is highlighted in the picture
Table 2. As Sufi. Stars Women in chains
| N | Longitude | Latitude | Magnitude | Modern identification |
| Pegasus | ||||
| 1 | zodiac 0 deg:0 min:32 | N deg:26 min:0 | 2.25 | Alferats - α And, HR 15 |
| Andromeda | ||||
| 1 | zodiac 0 deg:8 min:2 | N deg:24 min:30 | 3.25 | Sadr Elazra, Andromeda Delta - δ And, HR 165 |
| 2 | zodiac 0 deg:9 min:2 | N deg:27 min:0 | 4.00 | Pi Andromeda - π And, HR 154 |
| 3 | zodiac 0 deg:7 min:2 | N deg:23 min:0 | 4.00 | Epsilon Andromeda - ε And HR 163 |
| 4 | zodiac 0 deg:6 min:22 | N deg:32 min:0 | 4.25 | Sigma Andromeda - σ And, HR 68 |
| 5 | zodiac 0 deg:7 min:22 | N deg:33 min:30 | 4.25 | Theta Andromeda - θ And, HR 63 |
| 6 | zodiac 0 deg:7 min:42 | N deg:32 min:20 | 5.25 | Rho Andromeda - ρ And, HR 82 |
| 7 | zodiac 0 deg:2 min:22 | N deg:41 min:0 | 3.50 | Iota Andromeda - ι And, HR 8965 |
| 8 | zodiac 0 deg:3 min:22 | N deg:42 min:0 | 3.50 | Kappa Andromeda - κ And, HR 8976 |
| 9 | zodiac 0 deg:4 min:52 | N deg:44 min:0 | 3.50 | Lambda Andromeda - λ And, HR 8961 |
| 10 | zodiac 0 deg:6 min:52 | N deg:17 min:30 | 4.25 | Zeta Andromeda - ζ And, HR 215 |
| 11 | zodiac 0 deg:8 min:22 | N deg:15 min:50 | 4.50 | Eta Andromeda - η And, HR 271 |
| 12 | zodiac 0 deg:16 min:32 | N deg:26 min:20 | 2.25 | Mirach, Beta Andromeda - β And, HR 337 |
| 13 | zodiac 0 deg:14 min:32 | N deg:30 min:0 | 4.00 | Mu Andromeda - μ And, HR 269 |
| 14 | zodiac 0 deg:14 min:42 | N deg:32 min:30 | 4.25 | ν Andromeda - ν And, HR 226 |
| 15 | zodiac 0 deg:29 min:32 | N deg:28 min:0 | 3.00 | Alamak, Andromeda Gamma - γ 1 and γ 2 And HR 603 / 604 |
| 16 | zodiac 0 deg:29 min:52 | N deg:37 min:20 | 4.00 | Phi Perseus - φ Per, HR 496 |
| 17 | zodiac 0 deg:27 min:52 | N deg:35 min:20 | 3.50 | Nembus, 51 Andromeda - 51 And, HR 464 |
| 18 | zodiac 0 deg:25 min:2 | N deg:29 min:0 | 3.50 | Azab, Upsilon Andromeda - υ And, HR 458 |
| 19 | zodiac 0 deg:24 min:42 | N deg:28 min:0 | 4.00 | Tau Andromeda - τ And, HR 477 |
| 20 | zodiac 0 deg:22 min:52 | N deg:35 min:30 | 5.00 | Phi Andromeda - φ And, HR 335 |
| 21 | zodiac 0 deg:25 min:22 | N deg:34 min:30 | 6.00 | HR 390 |
| 22 | zodiac 0 deg:26 min:52 | N deg:32 min:30 | 6.00 | Chi Andromeda - χ And, H.R. 469 |
| 23 | zodiac 11(330) deg:24 min:22 | N deg:44 min:0 | 3.50 | Omicron Andromeda - ο And, HR 8762 |
Note:
As Sufi used the numbering of the 30-degree zodiac sectors, rather than their Greek designations and names.
The catalog does not provide a description of the stars, since they are numbered directly in the illustration for the description of the constellation
The drawing of Andromeda in the atlas of Jan Hevelius shows two bright objects, one of them is the star Alferatz (where the head is), and the other is the Andromeda galaxy (where the belt is). Hevelius painted with a reserve for centuries; the Andromeda Nebula has not yet reached such brightness in our century...
Sergey Ov(Seosnews9)
List of notable and visible stars in the constellation Andromeda
| Star designation | Bayer sign | Right ascension | Declension | Magnitude | Distance, St. year |
Spectral class | Star name and notes |
| Alpha Andromeda | αAnd | 00 h 08 m 23.17 s | +29° 05′ 27.0″ | 2,04 | 97 | B9p | Alpheratz, Sirrah; spectral double; variable type α² Canes Venatici, Vmax = +2.02m, Vmin = +2.06m |
| Beta Andromeda | βAnd | 01h 09m 43.80s | +35° 37′ 15.0″ | 2,07 | 199 | M0IIIvar | Mirach (Al Mizar); variable |
| Gamma 1 Andromeda | γ1 And | 02h 03m 53.92s | +42° 19′ 47.5″ | 2,1 | 355 | B8V | Alamak, Almach; triple star |
| Delta Andromeda | δ And | 00 h 39 m 19.60 s | +30° 51′ 40.4″ | 3,27 | 101 | K3III… | Sadr Elazra (Saderazra, Sadir Elazra - transl. "Heart of the Virgin"); spectral double; possibly variable |
| M31 | 00 h 42 m 44.31 s | +41° 16′ 09.4″ | 3,44 | 2540000 | Andromeda Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy | ||
| 51 Andromeda | 51 And | 01 h 37 m 59.50 s | +48° 37′ 42.6″ | 3,59 | 174 | K3III | Nembus (Anfal, Nembus); multiple star |
| Omicron Andromeda | ο And | 23 h 01 m 55.25 s | +42° 19′ 33.5″ | 3,62 | 692 | B6pv SB | quadruple star system; γ Cassiopeia type variable, Vmax = +3.58m, Vmin = +3.78m |
| Lambda Andromeda | λAnd | 23 h 37 m 33.71 s | +46° 27′ 33.0″ | 3,81 | 84 | G8III-IV | variable type RS Canes Venatici, Vmax = 3.69m, Vmin = 3.97m, P = 54.20 d |
| Mu Andromeda | μ And | 00 h 56 m 45.10 s | +38° 29′ 57.3″ | 3,86 | 136 | A5V | multiple star |
| Zeta Andromeda | ζ And | 00 h 47 m 20.39 s | +24° 16′ 02.6″ | 4,08 | 181 | K1II | variable type β Lyra/variable type RS Canes Venatici, Vmax = 3.92m, Vmin = 4.14m, P = 17.7695 d |
| Upsilon Andromeda | υ And | 01 h 36 m 47.98 s | +41° 24′ 23.0″ | 4,1 | 44 | F8V | Azab (Azab, Titawin); has four planets b, c, d and e |
| Kappa Andromeda | κ And | 23 h 40 m 24.44 s | +44° 20′ 02.3″ | 4,15 | 170 | B9IVn | triple star |
| Phi Andromeda | φ And | 01 h 09 m 30.12 s | +47° 14′ 30.6″ | 4,26 | 736 | B7III | star with emission lines |
| Iota Andromeda | ι And | 23 h 38 m 08.18 s | +43° 16′ 05.1″ | 4,29 | 502 | B8V | |
| Pi Andromeda | πAnd | 00 h 36 m 52.84 s | +33° 43′ 09.7″ | 4,34 | 656 | B5V | spectral double; possibly variable |
| Epsilon Andromeda | ε And | 00 h 38 m 33.50 s | +29° 18′ 44.5″ | 4,34 | 169 | G5III… | |
| This Andromeda | η And | 00 h 57 m 12.43 s | +23° 25′ 03.9″ | 4,4 | 243 | G8III-IV | spectrally double |
| Sigma Andromeda | σ And | 00 h 18 m 19.71 s | +36° 47′ 07.2″ | 4,51 | 141 | A2V | possibly variable |
| ν Andromeda | ν And | 00 h 49 m 48.83 s | +41° 04′ 44.2″ | 4,53 | 679 | B5V SB | spectrally double |
| 7 Andromeda | 23 h 12 m 32.92 s | +49° 24′ 21.5″ | 4,53 | 80 | F0V | ||
| Theta Andromeda | θ And | 00h 17m 05.54s | +38° 40′ 54.0″ | 4,61 | 253 | A2V | possibly variable |
| 3 Andromeda | 23 h 04 m 10.83 s | +50° 03′ 06.1″ | 4,64 | 179 | K0III | ||
| 65 Andromeda | 02 h 25 m 37.40 s | +50° 16′ 43.2″ | 4,73 | 345 | K4III | triple star | |
| 58 Andromeda | 02 h 08 m 29.15 s | +37° 51′ 33.1″ | 4,78 | 198 | A5IV-V | ||
| 8 Andromeda | 23 h 17 m 44.62 s | +49° 00′ 55.0″ | 4,82 | 655 | M2III | possibly variable | |
| Omega Andromeda | ω And | 01 h 27 m 39.09 s | +45° 24′ 25.0″ | 4,83 | 92 | F5IV | has four planets |
| Gamma 2 Andromeda | γ2 And | 02h 03m 54.70s | +42° 19′ 51.0″ | 4,84 | component of the Andromeda γ system (Alamak); spectrally double | ||
| 60 Andromeda | b And | 02h 13m 13.34s | +44° 13′ 54.1″ | 4,84 | 556 | K4III | possibly variable |
| Xi Andromeda | ξ And | 01h 22m 20.39s | +45° 31′ 43.5″ | 4,87 | 195 | K0III-IV | Adhil |
| Tau Andromeda | τ And | 01 h 40 m 34.80 s | +40° 34′ 37.6″ | 4,96 | 681 | B8III | possibly variable |
| HD 10307 | 01 h 41 m 46.52 s | +42° 36′ 49.7″ | 4,96 | 41 | G2V | ||
| Psi Andromeda | ψ And | 23 h 46 m 02.04 s | +46° 25′ 13.0″ | 4,97 | 1309 | G5Ib | multiple star |
| 22 Andromeda | 00 h 10 m 19.24 s | +46° 04′ 20.2″ | 5,01 | 1006 | F2II | ||
| Chi Andromeda | χ And | 01 h 39 m 21.02 s | +44° 23′ 10.1″ | 5,01 | 242 | G8III… | |
| 41 Andromeda | 01 h 08 m 00.72 s | +43° 56′ 32.1″ | 5,04 | 196 | A3m | ||
| 2 Andromeda | 23 h 02 m 36.34 s | +42° 45′ 28.1″ | 5,09 | 349 | A3Vn | multiple star | |
| V428 Andromeda | 00 h 36 m 46.47 s | +44° 29′ 18.6″ | 5,14 | 656 | K5III | semi-regular variable star, ΔV = 0.06m; maybe there is a planetary system | |
| Rho Andromeda | ρ And | 00h 21m 07.23s | +37° 58′ 07.3″ | 5,16 | 160 | F5III | |
| HD 2421 | 00 h 28 m 13.59 s | +44° 23′ 40.2″ | 5,18 | 265 | A2Vs | spectrally double | |
| 64 Andromeda | 02 h 24 m 24.89 s | +50° 00′ 23.9″ | 5,19 | 375 | G8III | ||
| 28 Andromeda | 00 h 30 m 07.34 s | +29° 45′ 06.1″ | 5,2 | 185 | A7III | GN Andromeda; weak-amplitude variable of the δ Scuti type, Vmax = +5.18m, Vmin = +5.22m, P = 0.0689797 days | |
| 14 Andromeda | 23 h 31 m 17.20 s | +39° 14′ 11.0″ | 5,22 | 249 | K0III | possibly variable | |
| 49 Andromeda | A And | 01 h 30 m 06.10 s | +47° 00′ 26.6″ | 5,27 | 290 | K0III | |
| 32 Andromeda | 00h 41m 07.20s | +39° 27′ 31.2″ | 5,3 | 344 | G8III | ||
| 4 Andromeda | 23h 07m 39.28s | +46° 23′ 14.3″ | 5,3 | 342 | K5III | double star | |
| 6 Perseus | 02 h 13 m 36.02 s | +51° 03′ 58.4″ | 5,31 | 199 | G8III:var | spectrally double; possibly variable | |
| 62 Andromeda | c And | 02h 19m 16.85s | +47° 22′ 48.0″ | 5,31 | 255 | A1V | |
| 18 Andromeda | 23 h 39 m 08.35 s | +50° 28′ 18.3″ | 5,35 | 390 | B9V | ||
| 55 Andromeda | 01h 53m 17.35s | +40° 43′ 47.3″ | 5,42 | 540 | K1III | double star | |
| 11 Andromeda | 23 h 19 m 29.79 s | +48° 37′ 30.7″ | 5,44 | 328 | K0III | ||
| HD 3421 | 00 h 37 m 21.23 s | +35° 23′ 58.2″ | 5,45 | 1022 | G5III | ||
| 36 Andromeda | 00 h 54 m 58.02 s | +23° 37′ 42.4″ | 5,46 | 127 | K1IV | possibly variable | |
| 15 Andromeda | 23 h 34 m 37.55 s | +40° 14′ 11.6″ | 5,55 | 233 | A1III | V340 Andromeda; weak-amplitude variable of the δ Shield type, ΔV = 0.007m | |
| 63 Andromeda | 02 h 20 m 58.17 s | +50° 09′ 05.5″ | 5,57 | 356 | B9p Si | PZ Andromeda; variable type α² Canes Venatici, ΔV = 0.045m | |
| 47 Andromeda | 01 h 23 m 40.56 s | +37° 42′ 54.0″ | 5,6 | 211 | A1m | ||
| HD 10204 | 01 h 40 m 39.56 s | +43° 17′ 51.9″ | 5,63 | 268 | A9IV: | ||
| 44 Andromeda | 01h 10m 18.85s | +42° 04′ 53.7″ | 5,67 | 172 | F8V | ||
| 5 Andromeda | 23h 07m 45.25s | +49° 17′ 43.6″ | 5,68 | 111 | F5V | ||
| HD 5788 | 01 h 00 m 03.55 s | +44° 42′ 47.9″ | 5,69 | 420 | A2Vn | double star | |
| 56 Andromeda | 01h 56m 09.23s | +37° 15′ 06.5″ | 5,69 | 320 | G8III… | multiple star | |
| 23 Andromeda | 00 h 13 m 30.94 s | +41° 02′ 08.6″ | 5,71 | 114 | F0IV | ||
| HD 16028 | 02 h 35 m 38.74 s | +37° 18′ 44.2″ | 5,72 | 676 | K4III | triple star | |
| 13 Andromeda | 23 h 27 m 07.33 s | +42° 54′ 43.1″ | 5,75 | 294 | B9III | V388 Andromeda; variable type α² Canes Venatici, Vmax = +5.73m, Vmin = +5.77m | |
| 12 Andromeda | 23 h 20 m 53.17 s | +38° 10′ 56.9″ | 5,77 | 138 | F5V | triple star | |
| HD 1632 | 00 h 20 m 45.54 s | +32° 54′ 40.4″ | 5,79 | 646 | K5III | ||
| 45 Andromeda | 01h 11m 10.29s | +37° 43′ 26.9″ | 5,8 | 916 | B7III-IV | double star | |
| HD 14622 | 02 h 22 m 50.36 s | +41° 23′ 47.5″ | 5,81 | 154 | F0III-IV | has two optical components | |
| 10 Andromeda | 23 h 19 m 52.38 s | +42° 04′ 40.9″ | 5,81 | 542 | M0III | ||
| HD 222109 | 23 h 37 m 32.03 s | +44° 25′ 44.5″ | 5,81 | 823 | B8V | double star | |
| HD 224635 | 23 h 59 m 29.33 s | +33° 43′ 26.9″ | 5,81 | 95 | F8 | multiple star | |
| OU Andromeda | 23 h 49 m 40.96 s | +36° 25′ 31.4″ | 5,86 | 440 | G1IIIe | variable type FK Veronica's Hair, ΔV = 0.036m | |
| HD 1439 | 00 h 18 m 38.22 s | +31° 31′ 02.0″ | 5,88 | 543 | A0IV | ||
| HD 2767 | 00 h 31 m 25.61 s | +33° 34′ 54.1″ | 5,88 | 467 | K1III… | double star | |
| HD 1606 | 00 h 20 m 24.39 s | +30° 56′ 08.2″ | 5,89 | 582 | B7V | possibly variable | |
| HD 11727 | 01 h 55 m 54.47 s | +37° 16′ 40.1″ | 5,89 | 991 | K5III | optical component 56 Andromeda | |
| KK Andromeda | 01 h 34 m 16.60 s | +37° 14′ 13.9″ | 5,9 | 392 | B8Vp(Si) | variable type α² Canes Venatici, ΔV = 0.012m, P = 0.6684 d | |
| HD 16176 | 02 h 36 m 57.08 s | +38° 44′ 02.3″ | 5,91 | 177 | F5V | ||
| 6 Andromeda | 23 h 10 m 27.36 s | +43° 32′ 41.1″ | 5,91 | 92 | F5IV | ||
| HD 10975 | 01 h 48 m 38.84 s | +37° 57′ 10.6″ | 5,94 | 308 | K0III | ||
| 39 Andromeda | 01h 02m 54.28s | +41° 20′ 42.7″ | 5,95 | 344 | A5m | double star | |
| HD 8671 | 01 h 26 m 18.60 s | +43° 27′ 28.4″ | 5,98 | 135 | F7V | ||
| 9 Andromeda | 23 h 18 m 23.33 s | +41° 46′ 25.3″ | 5,98 | 472 | A7m | AN Andromeda; β Lyrae type variable, Vmax = +6.0m, Vmin = +6.16m, P = 3.2195665 d | |
| HD 5608 | 00 h 58 m 14.19 s | +33° 57′ 03.8″ | 5,99 | 190 | K0 | ||
| HD 224165 | 23 h 55 m 33.48 s | +47° 21′ 21.0″ | 6,01 | 1614 | G8Ib | ||
| HD 224342 | 23 h 57 m 03.63 s | +42° 39′ 29.7″ | 6,01 | 1442 | F8III | ||
| HD 4335 | 00 h 46 m 10.80 s | +44° 51′ 41.4″ | 6,03 | 452 | B9.5IIIMNp. | ||
| HD 13594 | 02h 14m 02.53s | +47° 29′ 03.8″ | 6,05 | 135 | F5V | ||
| HD 3883 | 00 h 41 m 35.98 s | +24° 37′ 44.6″ | 6,06 | 462 | A7m | possibly variable | |
| HD 166 | 00 h 06 m 36.53 s | +29° 01′ 19.0″ | 6,07 | 45 | K0V | possibly variable | |
| HD 5118 | 00 h 53 m 28.22 s | +37° 25′ 05.9″ | 6,07 | 374 | K3III: | ||
| HD 221293 | 23 h 30 m 39.54 s | +38° 39′ 44.0″ | 6,07 | 621 | G9III | ||
| HD 223229 | 23 h 47 m 33.05 s | +46° 49′ 57.3″ | 6,08 | 1320 | B3IV | possibly variable | |
| HD 225239 | 00h 04m 53.21s | +34° 39′ 34.4″ | 6,09 | 120 | G2V | ||
| 59 Andromeda | 02 h 10 m 52.83 s | +39° 02′ 22.5″ | 6,09 | 263 | B9V | double star | |
| 26 Andromeda | 00 h 18 m 42.15 s | +43° 47′ 28.1″ | 6,1 | 692 | B8V | double star | |
| HD 5526 | 00 h 57 m 39.64 s | +45° 50′ 21.8″ | 6,1 | 439 | K2III | ||
| HD 225218 | 00 h 04 m 36.60 s | +42° 05′ 33.2″ | 6,11 | 1680 | B9III | double star | |
| HD 7647 | 01h 17m 05.05s | +44° 54′ 07.5″ | 6,11 | 590 | K5 | ||
| HD 1185 | 00 h 16 m 21.50 s | +43° 35′ 42.4″ | 6,12 | 303 | A2V | double star | |
| HD 218416 | 23 h 07 m 10.05 s | +52° 48′ 59.6″ | 6,12 | 423 | K0III | ||
| GO Andromeda | 00 h 50 m 18.21 s | +45° 00′ 08.1″ | 6,13 | 296 | A0p… | variable type α² Canes Venatici, ΔV = 0.03m, P = 2.156 d | |
| HD 7158 | 01 h 12 m 34.06 s | +45° 20′ 14.9″ | 6,13 | 698 | M1III | ||
| 66 Andromeda | 02 h 27 m 51.75 s | +50° 34′ 12.7″ | 6,16 | 173 | F4V | spectrally double | |
| HD 14372 | 02 h 20 m 41.50 s | +47° 18′ 39.0″ | 6,17 | 836 | B5V | ||
| HD 743 | 00 h 11 m 59.03 s | +48° 09′ 08.5″ | 6,18 | 550 | K4III | ||
| HD 3411 | 00 h 37 m 07.20 s | +24° 00′ 51.3″ | 6,18 | 334 | K2III | ||
| HD 221776 | 23 h 34 m 46.73 s | +38° 01′ 26.3″ | 6,18 | 678 | K5 | double star | |
| HD 16327 | 02 h 38 m 17.86 s | +37° 43′ 36.6″ | 6,19 | 270 | F6III | triple star | |
| HD 221246 | 23 h 30 m 07.39 s | +49° 07′ 59.3″ | 6,19 | 856 | K5III | member of the star cluster NGC 7686 | |
| OP Andromeda | 01 h 36 m 27.21 s | +48° 43′ 22.2″ | 6,2 | 420 | K1III: | BY Dragon type variable, ΔV = 0.09m | |
| HD 400 | 00 h 08 m 41.02 s | +36° 37′ 38.7″ | 6,21 | 108 | F8IV | ||
| HD 14213 | 02h 19m 10.84s | +46° 28′ 20.2″ | 6,21 | 452 | A4V | ||
| HD 952 | 00h 14m 02.29s | +33° 12′ 21.9″ | 6,22 | 293 | A1V | ||
| HD 895 | 00 h 13 m 23.93 s | +26° 59′ 15.4″ | 6,24 | 403 | G0III | triple star | |
| HD 222451 | 23 h 40 m 40.47 s | +36° 43′ 14.6″ | 6,24 | 144 | F1V | ||
| HD 224906 | 00 h 01 m 43.85 s | +42° 22′ 01.7″ | 6,25 | 1331 | B9IIIp Mn | ||
| HD 11613 | 01 h 54 m 53.75 s | +40° 42′ 07.9″ | 6,25 | 345 | K2 | ||
| HD 220105 | 23 h 20 m 44.11 s | +44° 06′ 58.5″ | 6,25 | 261 | A5Vn | double star | |
| HD 221661 | 23 h 33 m 42.99 s | +45° 03′ 29.1″ | 6,25 | 548 | G8II | ||
| HD 2942 | 00 h 32 m 49.09 s | +28° 16′ 48.8″ | 6,26 | 469 | G8II | triple star | |
| HD 8774 | 01h 27m 06.21s | +34° 22′ 39.3″ | 6,27 | 139 | F7IVsvar | ||
| HD 2507 | 00 h 28 m 56.67 s | +36° 53′ 58.9″ | 6,28 | 464 | G5III | ||
| HD 8375 | 01 h 23 m 37.31 s | +34° 14′ 44.2″ | 6,28 | 192 | G8IV | ||
| HD 11624 | 01 h 54 m 57.63 s | +37° 07′ 42.0″ | 6,28 | 525 | K0 | member of the star cluster NGC 752 | |
| HD 7758 | 01h 18m 10.14s | +47° 25′ 11.0″ | 6,29 | 1531 | K0 | ||
| HD 16350 | 02 h 38 m 27.94 s | +38° 05′ 21.0″ | 6,29 | 734 | B9.5V | ||
| HD 219962 | 23 h 19 m 41.37 s | +48° 22′ 51.1″ | 6,29 | 475 | K1III | ||
| HD 217314 | 22 h 59 m 10.37 s | +52° 39′ 16.0″ | 6,31 | 672 | K2 | ||
| HD 10597 | 01 h 44 m 26.53 s | +46° 08′ 23.2″ | 6,32 | 540 | K5III | ||
| HD 219290 | 23 h 14 m 14.34 s | +50° 37′ 04.5″ | 6,32 | 411 | A0V | ||
| HD 10486 | 01 h 43 m 16.39 s | +45° 19′ 21.5″ | 6,33 | 181 | K2IV | ||
| HD 10874 | 01 h 47 m 48.00 s | +46° 13′ 47.6″ | 6,33 | 190 | F6V | ||
| HD 1075 | 00 h 15 m 06.93 s | +31° 32′ 08.7″ | 6,34 | 1320 | K5 | ||
| HD 8673 | 01 h 26 m 08.62 s | +34° 34′ 47.7″ | 6,34 | 125 | F7V | has an unconfirmed planet or brown dwarf b | |
| HD 1083 | 00 h 15 m 10.55 s | +27° 17′ 00.5″ | 6,35 | 412 | A1Vn | double star | |
| HD 1527 | 00 h 19 m 41.58 s | +40° 43′ 46.2″ | 6,35 | 541 | K1III | ||
| HD 221970 | 23 h 36 m 30.52 s | +32° 54′ 15.1″ | 6,35 | 251 | F6V | ||
| CG Andromeda | 00 h 00 m 43.62 s | +45° 15′ 12.0″ | 6,36 | 678 | B9p SiEu | variable type α² Canes Venatici, Vmax = +6.32m, Vmin = +6.42m, P = 3.73975 d | |
| HD 16004 | 02 h 35 m 27.89 s | +39° 39′ 52.1″ | 6,36 | 580 | B9MNp… | triple star | |
| HD 13818 | 02 h 15 m 57.69 s | +47° 48′ 43.4″ | 6,37 | 462 | G9III-IV | ||
| LN Andromeda | 23 h 02 m 45.15 s | +44° 03′ 31.6″ | 6,37 | 1177 | B2V | double star; short-period β Cephei type variable, Vmax = 6.38m, Vmin = ?m, P = 0.0196 d | |
| V385 Andromeda | 23 h 24 m 08.88 s | +41° 36′ 46.3″ | 6,37 | 1249 | M0 | irregular variable, Vmax = +6.36m, Vmin = +6.47m | |
| GY Andromeda | 01 h 38 m 31.84 s | +45° 23′ 58.9″ | 6,38 | 455 | B9Vp (Cr-Eu) | promethium lines; variable type α² Canes Venatici, Vmax = +6.27m, Vmin = +6.41m | |
| HD 13013 | 02h 08m 33.55s | +44° 27′ 34.4″ | 6,38 | 430 | G8III | ||
| HD 218365 | 23h 07m 04.99s | +35° 38′ 11.3″ | 6,38 | 638 | K0 | ||
| HD 9712 | 01 h 35 m 52.46 s | +41° 04′ 35.1″ | 6,39 | 388 | K1III | ||
| HD 8801 | 01 h 27 m 26.67 s | +41° 06′ 04.0″ | 6,42 | 182 | Am... | δ Shield type variable, Vmax = +6.48m, Vmin = +6.51m | |
| HD 217731 | 23 h 02 m 11.32 s | +44° 34′ 22.4″ | 6,43 | 359 | K0 | ||
| HD 222641 | 23 h 42 m 14.68 s | +44° 59′ 30.3″ | 6,43 | 786 | K5III | possibly variable | |
| HD 7853 | 01 h 18 m 47.02 s | +37° 23′ 10.7″ | 6,44 | 456 | A5m | double star | |
| HD 14221 | 02h 19m 22.77s | +48° 57′ 19.0″ | 6,44 | 210 | F4V | ||
| HD 219668 | 23 h 17 m 16.59 s | +45° 09′ 51.5″ | 6,44 | 241 | K0IV | ||
| HD 6114 | 01 h 03 m 01.47 s | +47° 22′ 34.3″ | 6,46 | 337 | A9V | double star | |
| HD 11884 | 01 h 57 m 59.23 s | +47° 05′ 43.9″ | 6,48 | 1140 | K0 | ||
| ET Andromeda | 23 h 17 m 55.99 s | +45° 29′ 20.2″ | 6,48 | 545 | B9Vp(Si) | variable type α² Canes Venatici, Vmax = +6.48m, Vmin = +6.50m, P = 2.604 days | |
| HD 222399 | 23 h 40 m 02.82 s | +37° 39′ 10.2″ | 6,49 | 291 | F2IV | double star | |
| HD 800 | 00 h 12 m 34.08 s | +44° 42′ 26.1″ | 6,5 | 517 | K0 | ||
| 59 Andromeda B | 02 h 10 m 53.67 s | +39° 02′ 36.0″ | 6,82 | 1698 | A1Vn | component of system 59 Andromeda | |
| R Andromeda | 00 h 24 m 02.00 s | +38° 34′ 38.0″ | 7,39 | mirid, Vmax = +5.8m, Vmin = +14.9m, P = 409.33 d | |||
| Groombridge 34 | 00 h 18 m 22.9 s | +44° 01′ 22.0″ | 8,01 | 11,62 | M6Ve + M1Ve | GX Andromeda; 16th in distance from the Solar System; double; has a satellite, also variable GQ Andromeda Vmax = +12.2m, Vmin = +12.8m, Vmax = +9.45m, Vmin = +9.63m | |
| Z Andromeda | 23 h 33 m 39.95 s | +48° 49′ 05.9″ | 10,53 | 1393 | M2III+B1eq | prototype of Andromeda's type Z variables, Vmax = +8.0m, Vmin = +12.4m | |
| WASP-1 | 00 h 20 m 40 s | +31° 59′ 24″ | 11,79 | 1000 | F7V | has planet b | |
| Ross 248 | 23 h 41 m 54.7 s | +44° 10′ 30″ | 12,29 | 10,32 | M5.5v | HH Andromeda; 8th in terms of distance from the Solar System; variable star | |
| S Andromeda | 00 h 42 m 44 s | +41° 16′ 00″ | 2.5 106 | Ia | SN 1885; Type Ia supernova in the Andromeda Galaxy, Vmax = +5.8m, Vmin = |
Notes:
1. To designate stars, Bayer's signs (ε Leo), as well as Flamsteed's numbering (54 Leo) and Draper's catalog (HD 94402) are used.
2. Remarkable stars include even those that are not visible without the help of optics, but in which planets or other features have been discovered.
1. An asterism is a group of stars that forms a characteristic pattern and has its own name. An asterism can be part of a constellation, for example, the Throne, or combine several constellations, for example, the Spring Triangle.
2.
The Perseus group includes constellations:
Whale, Pegasus, Andromeda, Charioteer, Perseus, Andromeda, Cepheus, Lizard, Triangle.
Rice. 15.
The constellations Cetus (Cetus), Pegasus, Andromeda, Perseus, Andromeda, Cepheus are united by a common mythical plot, and so to speak, “crowded into the group” Auriga, Lizard and Triangle got here thanks to common borders (or because there is nowhere else to put them...).
The Myth of Perseus and Andromeda(summary)
When Perseus, after defeating the Gorgon Medusa, was returning home on his winged horse Pegasus, flying near the seashore, he noticed a girl chained to a rock and a crowd of people in the distance. He landed next to a girl whom he immediately liked, and her name was Andromeda.
After questioning the girl, Perseus learned that she, the princess of this country, was sacrificed to the monster Cetus by the will of the gods in order to stop the disasters caused by this monster. King Cepheus and Queen Andromeda were nearby. Perseus told Andromeda's parents that he was ready to fight the monster, but if he won, he would ask for their daughter's hand. The parents agreed. At that moment, the terrible Cetus appeared from under the water in the distance (which is depicted on the heavenly canvas).
In a difficult battle, thanks to the sword donated by the gods, Perseus defeated the monster, married Andromeda and their children became the ancestors of the Persian people...
3. Navigation stars are stars used in navigation and aviation to determine the location of ships and aircraft in the event of failure of technical means. Currently, the stars listed in the “Nautical Astronomical Yearbook” are classified as navigation stars.
4. Right ascension and declination - the name of coordinates in the second equatorial reference system
Description
Andromeda is a constellation of the northern hemisphere that has a characteristic pattern called an asterism. These are the three brightest stars located in a line stretching from northeast to southwest.
Alamak (γ Andromedae) is a triple system consisting of a yellow main star with a magnitude of 2 m and its satellites - two physically connected bluish stars. The star Alferaz (α Andromeda, 2.1 m) has two more names: Alpharet and the full Arabic name “Sirrah al-Faras”, which means “navel of the horse”. Both belong to the so-called navigation stars, by which sailors determine their position at sea.
Among other, less noticeable stars, very interesting ones can be identified: υ Andromeda, around which a planetary system similar to the Solar one was discovered, and ο Andromeda - a variable star of an unknown type, changing the amplitude of its brightness from 3.5 to 4.0 magnitude. The spectrum of this star shows that it consists of two stars orbiting a common center of mass. The rotation period is one and a half days.
The most important object in the constellation is probably the most famous nebula - the Andromeda Nebula; This is the M31 galaxy. It can be seen on a moonless night even with the naked eye as a small foggy spot.
M31 is the closest spiral galaxy to us, which is approximately 2.2 million light years away from Earth. Inside the nebula there are about 170 globular star clusters, and outside it is surrounded by four much smaller star systems, the so-called dwarf galaxies. With the discovery of M31, systematic observations of galaxies began, in which the Hubble Space Telescope plays a special, significant role.
The most interesting objects
Andromeda nebula or galaxy M31. Visible to the naked eye as a nebulous spot in the constellation Andromeda
M31 - NGC 224 - Andromeda Nebula- a spiral galaxy, the brightest in the earth's sky (excluding the Magellanic Clouds). This is the largest galaxy closest to the Milky Way, which, together with its satellites, is part of the Local Group of galaxies M31, visible to the naked eye as a large nebulous cloud with a brightness of 3.4 m. In 1923, Edwin Hubble discovered the first Cepheid in the Andromeda nebula and, by determining its distance, established the true nature of M31 and the real intergalactic scale. Today, the distance to the Andromeda nebula is estimated at 2 million 900 thousand light years. years. This is the most studied of the known galaxies, because it is much easier to learn the structure of our Galaxy by studying its similarity from the outside. Research in recent years has shown that the Andromeda nebula is in interaction with its satellite M32, which, in turn, causes disturbances in its spiral structure. Modern astronomical instruments make it possible to study individual objects located in the Andromeda nebula. So, it turned out that there are more than 300 globular star clusters in this galaxy. Among them, a real giant was discovered - the G1 cluster, which is the brightest in the Local Group of galaxies. The angular dimensions of M31 are 178×63", which corresponds to linear dimensions of 200 thousand light years. The mass of this galaxy is approximately equal to 300-400 billion solar masses. According to modern estimates, this is less than the mass of our Galaxy. The Milky Way is smaller in size Andromeda nebula, but denser. Studies carried out by the Hubble Space Telescope have shown that M31 has a double core. Recently, the space telescope has discovered many double cores in galaxies. This may be due to the constant process of collision of galaxies. The Andromeda nebula could have absorbed the dwarf galaxy, the core. which is located next to its own M31 is moving towards our Galaxy, and in about 4-5 billion years the neighbors should collide. The Andromeda nebula has about 10 satellite galaxies. The two brightest of them are M110 (NGC 205) and M32. are easily observed in small amateur telescopes.
γ Andromeda- a double star consisting of two components with a magnitude of 2.2 m and 5.0 m. 56 Andromeda is a double star consisting of two 6th star components. quantities.
NGC 752- an open star cluster occupying an area in the sky equal to two lunar disks (60"). It is best observed through a telescope with low magnification or binoculars. Contains about 60 stars. Brightness - 5.7 m. Distance from the Sun at a distance of 1300 light . years.
S Andromeda- a supernova belonging to the Andromeda nebula (M31). It was observed on August 20, 1885, but if we take into account that the light from M31 travels for about 3 million years, then this star flared up much earlier. The star's brightness reached 6th magnitude. quantities. By February 16, 1890, the star ceased to be observed.
NGC 7662- a planetary nebula, clearly visible in a small amateur telescope. When using the powerful tool, a beautiful blue-green disc is visible. Brightness - 9 m, angular diameter - 5".
M32 - NGC 221- elliptical galaxy type E2, satellite of the Andromeda nebula. It is a member of the Local Group of galaxies. It has a brightness of 8.1 m and is easily observed in small amateur telescopes. It is a dwarf galaxy with a mass of 3 billion solar masses. The angular dimensions in the sky are 8×6", linear - 8 thousand light years. M32 consists mainly of old stars. In galaxies of this type, only low-mass stars are observed, because they are longer-lived. All high-mass stars have already evolved and become into white dwarfs, neutron stars or black holes. Studies of M32 show that there are no interstellar gas and dust clouds, planetary nebulae, or open star clusters in this galaxy. The youngest stars are about 2-3 billion years old. Study of the core. M32 showed that its mass is almost equal to the core of the Andromeda nebula and is equal to approximately 100 million solar masses. It is possible that this galaxy was previously more massive and lost its stars and globular star clusters when interacting with other galaxies, in particular with M31. It may be that the stars of the spiral arms and diffuse matter were captured by the Andromeda nebula and are now part of its halo. On August 31, 1998, a new star erupted in M32. Its brilliance reached 16.5 m.
M110 - NGC 205- an elliptical galaxy of the E6p class, a satellite of the Andromeda nebula. This galaxy is a member of the Local Group of galaxies M110. It has a somewhat unusual structure and contains clouds of dust unusual for elliptical galaxies. It is called a dwarf spherical galaxy. The mass of M110 is small - about 3.6-15 billion solar masses. But despite this, a system of eight globular star clusters is observed around this dwarf galaxy. Brightness - 8.5 m, angular dimensions - 17"x10".
NGC 891- the second brightest galaxy in the constellation Andromeda. It is located at a distance of 3.4° from the star Al Maak (γ Andromeda). Brightness - 10 m, angular dimensions - 14"x2".
NGC 7640- SBb-class barred spiral galaxy. Brightness - 10.9 m, angular dimensions - 10.7"x2.5".
IC 239- barred spiral galaxy, class SBc. Brightness - 11.22 m, angular dimensions - 4.6"x4.3".
History of the study
The constellation Andromeda has been known since the Middle Ages and is included in the star atlas of Claudius Ptolemy “Almagest”.
The Andromeda nebula was discovered by the Arab astronomer Al-Sufi. He described it in his Book of the Fixed Stars (964 AD) as a "little cloud" which he observed for 60 years. In Europe, seven hundred years later, the nebula was described by Galileo's contemporary and colleague in the first telescopic observations, Simon Marius. Another European, Giovanni Batista Odierna (1597-1660), independently of Al-Sufi and Marius, discovered the site in late 1653.
Observation
The constellation Andromeda is clearly visible throughout Russia. It is located high in the night sky, making it accessible to study throughout the night. The best time for observations is November, but you can start from September.
Finding the constellation is not difficult. On an autumn evening on the southern side of the sky you need to find the Great Square of the constellation Pegasus. In its northeastern corner (“upper left”) is the star Alferaz (α-Andromeda), from which the constellation Andromeda stretches to the northeast.
To the left is the “compass” of Perseus, and above is the constellation Cassiopeia, with a characteristic pattern in the form of a large letter “W”.
> Andromeda
| An object | Designation | Meaning of the name | Object type | Magnitude |
| 1 | M31 | Andromeda Galaxy | Spiral galaxy | 3.44 |
| 2 | M32 | No | 8.08 | |
| 3 | M110 | No | Dwarf elliptical galaxy | 8.92 |
| 4 | Alferats | "Horse's navel" | Binary star system | 2.07 |
| 5 | Mirakh | "Belt" | Red giant | 2.07 |
| 6 | Alamak | "Desert Lynx" | Orange giant | 2.26 |
| 7 | Delta Andromeda | No | Double star | 3.28 |
| 8 | 51 Andromeda | Origin unknown | Orange giant | 3.57 |
| 9 | Omicron Andromeda | No | Binary star system | 3.62 |
| 10 | Lambda Andromeda | No | Binary star system | 3.82 |
| 11 | Mu Andromeda | No | White dwarf | 3.87 |
| 12 | Zeta Andromeda | No | Orange giant | 4.08 |
| 13 | Upsilon Andromeda | No | Yellow-white dwarf | 4.09 |
| 14 | Kappa Andromeda | No | Blue-white subgiant | 4.14 |
| 15 | Phi Andromeda | No | Binary star system | 4.25 |
| 16 | Iota Andromeda | No | Blue-white dwarf | 4.29 |
| 17 | Pi Andromeda | No | Blue-white dwarf | 4.36 |
| 18 | Epsilon Andromeda | No | Yellow giant | 4.37 |
| 19 | This Andromeda | No | Binary star system | 4.40 |
| 20 | Sigma Andromeda | No | White dwarf | 4.51 |
| 21 | Nude Andromeda | No | Binary star system | 4.52 |
| 22 | Theta Andromeda | No | White dwarf | 4.61 |
| 23 | Adhil | "Tail/Hem" | Red giant | 4.90 |
What does it look like Andromeda constellation in the northern sky: the main stars in the photo, star map, how to find, description, facts, myth, celestial objects of the constellation.
Andromeda - constellation, which is located in the northern sky between Cassiopeia and Pegasus. It got its name from the mythical princess Andromeda.
Andromeda was married to Perseus and is also known as Perseus or Cepheus (daughter of Cepheus). It was first cataloged in the 2nd century by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy. Among the famous astronomical objects in it are the Andromeda Galaxy and dwarf elliptical galaxies and.
Facts, location and map of the constellation Andromeda
The constellation Andromeda is the 19th largest star group in the night sky. Its area is 722 square degrees. It is located in the first quadrant of the northern hemisphere (NQ1) and is visible at latitudes from +90° to -40°. Next to it are , and . The constellation belongs to the Perseus family, along with , Lizard, Pegasus, Perseus and Triangulum.
| Andromeda | |
|---|---|
| Lat. Name | Andromeda (genus Andromedae) |
| Reduction | And |
| Symbol | Andromeda, woman with chain |
| Right ascension | from 22 h 52 m to 2 h 31 m |
| Declension | from +21° to +52° 30` |
| Square | 722 sq. degrees (19th place) |
| Brightest stars (value< 3 m ) |
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| Meteor showers |
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| Neighboring constellations |
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| The constellation is visible at latitudes from +90° to -37°. The best time for observation on the territory of Ukraine is November. |
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The stars of the constellation Andromeda include three objects brighter than magnitude 3. Its three stars are separated from us by 10 parsecs (32.6 light years). The brightest is Alferaz, the closest is Ross 248 (spectral class - M6V), located only 10.3 light years away.
There are several stars that have exoplanets. Upsilon Andromedae (F8V) has four, the triple star Kappa Andromeda (B9IVn) has one, but it is 13 times larger than Jupiter (found in 2012). There is one extrasolar planet on the variable star 14 Andromeda (Veritate), discovered in 2008.
HD 5608 (K0IV) has a transiting planet, and HD 8673 (F7 V) is accompanied by a substellar companion found in 2005 (possibly a brown dwarf). V428 Andromedae (K5III) has two suspicious planets discovered in 1996. Other host stars include: HD 222155 (G2V), HD 16175 (F8 IV), HD 1605 (K1IV, two), HD 13931 (G0), HD 5583 (K0), HD 15082 (kA5 hA8 mF4), HAT-P-6 (F), HAT-P-16 (F8), HAT-P-32 (F/G), WASP-1 (F7V), Kepler-63, HAT-P-19 (K), HAT-P-28 (G3) and HAT-P-53.
Andromeda also has three Messier objects: (M31), and .
The constellation is associated with the Andromedids (Bielids) - a meteorite shower. It was first recorded over Russia on December 6, 1741. Since its discovery it has lost its brightness, but still appears in mid-November. The main body is Comet 3D/Biela, recorded in 1772.
The myth of the constellation Andromeda
In the myths of Ancient Greece, Andromeda was the child of the Ethiopian king Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia. She incurred the wrath of the Nereids (sea nymphs) because she said that she was superior to them in beauty. The nymphs got angry and complained to Poseidon, who sent a sea monster (Cetus) to hunt. The king asked the oracle for advice. It was important for him to protect the kingdom and its inhabitants. He advised him to respect Poseidon and sacrifice his daughter. The king agreed, but Perseus saved her. They got married and had 6 children.
After everything that happened, the goddess Athena decided to capture Andromeda among the constellations, placing her next to her husband and mother.
The main stars of the constellation Andromeda
This is the brightest star, sometimes called Sirrah. It is 97 light years away from us.
It is a double star with an apparent magnitude of +2.06. The hot blue star qualifies as a B8 subgiant. The brighter one in the vapor consists of mercury, manganese and other elements. The mass is equal to 3.6 solar, and the temperature reaches 13800 K. It is 200 times brighter than the Sun, so this is the brightest mercury-manganese star.
The star's companion is also more massive than the Sun and is 10 times brighter. The two stars orbit each other every 96.7 days.
Alpherats was once considered part of Pegasus, so it bore two names - Alpha Andromeda and Delta Pegasus. Alferaz and Sirrah come from the Arabic phrase "al surrat al-faras" - "the navel of the horse."
Alferaz is the northeastern star of Pegasus. There are three more stars that together form a square. Among them: Markab, Sheat and Algenib. Alferats connects Andromeda with Pegasus, depicting the episode when Perseus's horse rushed to save Andromeda.
Mirach – Beta Andromeda
Converges in apparent magnitude with Alferats (it varies from +2.01 to +2.10). It is a suspected semiregular variable star. Here is an M-type red giant, 200 light years away. It exceeds the Sun in brightness by 1900 times and by 3-4 times in mass. Has a star burning hydrogen for a magnitude 14 satellite. Mirach is part of an asterism called a belt.
The name itself is a corruption of the Arabic word for “belt” (placed in Andromeda’s left thigh). It is located 7 arc minutes from the galaxy NGC 404.
Almak – Andromeda Gamma
It ranks third in terms of brightness level. The name comes from the Arabic “al-‘anaq al-‘ard” - “desert lynx”. It is 350 light years away from us. This is a double star. The brighter one is Gamma-1, a golden-yellow giant with a blue companion. They are separated by 10 arc seconds. The first is a bright K-type giant with a magnitude of 2.26 and a distance of 355 light years. 2000 times brighter than the Sun. The weaker one is a double star represented by white dwarfs.
Delta Andromeda
A double star with an apparent magnitude of 3.28, located 101 light years from our system. One star is a bright K-type giant, and the second is a white dwarf or G-type main sequence star.
Iota Andromeda
A B-type main sequence dwarf star, bluish-white in color. It has a magnitude of +4.29 and is 503 light years away.
Upsilon Andromeda
A binary star system consisting of a yellow-white dwarf and a fainter red dwarf. There are 4 planets in orbit the size of Jupiter. Younger than the Sun (3.1 billion years old), it is also more massive and brighter. Planet b is a red dwarf, 750 AU distant from the star.
Upsilon Andromeda is 44 light years away. Ranks 21st on NASA's list of the top 100 places to find terrestrial planets.
Adhil – Xi Andromeda
This is a double star. The name comes from the Arabic word al-dhayl - “train” (“tail”). It is located 196 light years away with a magnitude of +4.875. Spectral class – G9.
51 Andromeda
With a magnitude of 3.57, it is the fifth brightest star in the constellation. You see a K-type orange giant 177 light-years away. Initially, Ptolemy attributed the star to the constellation Andromeda, but Johan Bayer later transferred it to Perseus. English astronomer John Flamsteedo brought it all back.
Mu Andromeda
An A-type white dwarf located 136 light years from Earth. The value is +3.86.
Other famous stars:
Groombridge 34 is a double star consisting of two red dwarfs. At 11.7 light years distant, it is one of the closest double stars to the Sun. Designated Groombridge 34 A and Groombridge 34 B.
Pi Andromedae is a double star 660 light years away. The magnitude of one is 4.3, and the weaker companion is 9.
RX Andromedae is a Z Giraffe variable star with a brightness of 10.3 to 14 over 14 days.
R Andromedae is a Mira-type variable star located approximately 4 degrees southwest of the Andromeda Galaxy. Brightness: from 5.8 to 14.9 in 409 days.
56 Andromeda is a double star consisting of two magnitudes of six elements.
Celestial objects of the Andromeda constellation
Andromeda Galaxy (M 31)
The Andromeda Galaxy is the closest spiral galaxy to the Milky Way, and its most distant object can be seen without the use of technology. Located 2.5 million light years away. It used to be called the Great Andromeda Nebula. The apparent visual magnitude is 3.4, (the brightest Messier object). There are a trillion stars in it (in ours there are 200-400 million).
Andromeda belongs to the Local Group of galaxies, along with the Milky Way, the Triangulum Galaxy (M33) and thirty other smaller galaxies. Andromeda is the largest in this group. The mass is roughly equal to the Milky Way galaxy, which it will likely collide with in 4.5 billion years.
Moons of Andromeda
There are at least 14 dwarf galaxies orbiting Andromeda, including M32 and M110. Other satellite galaxies are much fainter and were not discovered until the 1970s. These include the dwarf spheroidal galaxies NGC 147, NGC 185 and Andromeda VII in the constellation Cassiopeia, Andromeda I, Andromeda II, Andromeda III, Andromeda V, Andromeda VIII, Andromeda IX and Andromeda X in the constellation Andromeda, Andromeda VI in the constellation Pegasus and Andromeda XXII in the constellation Pisces. The Triangulum Galaxy (M33) is also believed to be part of the Andromeda Galaxy.
This star cloud in the Andromeda Galaxy is the brightest to an observer on Earth and one of the largest star-forming regions in the Local Group of galaxies.
It has very bright stars and is located in a zone free of neutral hydrogen, in one of the spiral arms of Andromeda. Spanning about 400 light years and has an apparent size of 4.2 feet.
Andromeda Cluster - MayaallII
This globular cluster is 130,000 light-years distant from the core of M31 and is the brightest globular cluster in the Local Group of galaxies. The apparent magnitude is 13.7.
Twice the mass of Omega Centauri (the largest in the Milky Way). It is believed that there is an intermediate mass black hole at the center. Some astronomers suspect it is the remnant core of a dwarf galaxy consumed by the larger M31. It was named in honor of Nicholas Mayall in 1953.
It is the first discovered dwarf elliptical galaxy in history, 2.65 million light years away. Found by French astronomer Guillaume Le Gentil in 1749. Despite its size, it is quite bright, making it easy to see with a weak telescope.
Located 22 arc minutes south of the center of Andromeda. It appears to be spreading along the spiral arms of Andromeda and is believed to be on the side closest to us. M32 does not contain globular clusters.
It is speculated that the galaxy was much larger at one point, but then lost its outer stars and globular clusters when it collided with the Andromeda Galaxy.
Mostly contains old stars and lacks star formation. The center is occupied by a supermassive black hole with 1.5-5 million solar masses. It is one of the closest bright elliptical galaxies to our solar system.
Dwarf elliptical (maybe spheroid) galaxy. Contains 8 globular clusters in the halo. Shows signs of recent star formation. Does not have a supermassive black hole (there is no evidence of its presence in the center). Located at a distance of 2.9 million light years.
First spotted by Charles Messier in 1773, along with the Andromeda Galaxy and other objects he discovered, but M110 was not included in the original list.
The galaxy was independently discovered by Caroline Herschel 10 years later. The discovery was celebrated by her brother William Herschel in 1785, but the number was not assigned until 1967.
An open cluster with an apparent magnitude of 5.7, located 1300 light-years from Earth. The cluster was discovered by Caroline Herschel in 1783. But some think that it was found by Giovanni Batista Hodierna in 1654. Registered in 1786.
Thanks to its brightness and size, it is easily visible through binoculars. Under good conditions, it can even be seen with the naked eye. None of the individual stars exceed 9th magnitude.
An extreme spiral galaxy four degrees east of Almak. Opened on October 6, 1784 by William Herschel. Can be seen with a 4.5-inch telescope. The apparent value is 10.8. It is 27.3 million light years away from Earth. Area – 13.5 x 2.5 feet. Belongs to the group NGC 1023. On August 21, 1986, a supernova was noticed in it (designated SN 1986J with a magnitude of 14).
NGC 7686
An open cluster with an apparent magnitude of 5.6. Distance – 900 light years. Contains about 80 stars and is easily visible through binoculars and small telescopes.
A planetary nebula with a magnitude of 8.6 and located one degree west of the magnitude 4 star Kappa Andromedae. The distance of the nebula is uncertain and is estimated to be 2000-6000 light years. The central star is a bluish dwarf with a temperature of 75,000 K. Radius - 0.8 light years.
More than 40 galaxies centered around the elliptical galaxy NGC 68. Located 300 million light years away. Discovered in 1784 by William Herschel, who cataloged them as a single object. Danish-Irish astronomer John Louis Emil Dreyer was able to find individual objects and registered them as NGC 68, NGC 70 and NGC 71 in the 1880s.
Contains: NGC 68, NGC 67, NGC 67a, NGC 69, NGC 70, NGC 71, NGC 72, NGC 72a and NGC 74. In a smaller cluster: AGC 102760, UGC 152 and UGC 166.
NGC 68 is an E1 type elliptical galaxy. It has a visual magnitude of 12.9 and is 260 million light years away from us. Covers 90,000 light years. Apparent size - 1.288" x 1.202".
NGC 67 is a magnitude 14.2 elliptical (E5) galaxy located 275 million light years away. Found October 7, 1855 by R.J. Mitchell along with NGC 69, NGC 70 and NGC 72. The galaxy is 40,000 light-years wide.
NGC 67a is also an E5 elliptical galaxy. It has a visual magnitude of 14.7 and is 287 million light years away.
NGC 69 is a lenticular (S0) galaxy with an apparent magnitude of 14.7. The distance is 300 million light years and covers 80,000 light years.
NGC 70 is a spiral galaxy spanning 180,000 light years. It has a visual magnitude of 13.5 and is located 320 million light years away. Area - 1.7 x 1.4 inches.
NGC 71 is an elliptical or lenticular galaxy (E5/S0), about 130,000 light-years wide, 310 million light-years from the Sun. It is the second largest galaxy in the group, second only to NGC 70. Its apparent magnitude is 13.2.
NGC 72 is a spiral galaxy with an apparent magnitude of 13.5 located approximately 320 million light-years away. Covers about 120,000 light years.
NGC 72a is an elliptical (E3) galaxy 308 light-years distant and has an apparent magnitude of 14.7. The apparent size is 0.3 x 0.3 inches, which corresponds to an actual size of 25,000 light years.
NGC 74 is a spiral galaxy spanning 65,000 light years. The apparent magnitude is 15.3. It was discovered on October 7, 1855 by William Parsons.
NGC 90 and NGC 93
A pair of connected spiral galaxies. NGC 90 is located 333.8 million light years away, and NGC 93 is 259.7 million light years away. They were found by R.J. Mitchell in 1854. The apparent value of the first is 13.7 and the size is 2.4" x 0.91". There are two distorted, elongated spiral arms, providing evidence of star formation likely caused by interactions. NGC 93 has a visual magnitude of 14.34 and covers an area of 1.4" x 0.7" in size.
Ghost of Mirach – NGC 404
NGC 404 is an isolated dwarf lenticular galaxy located just outside our Local Group. The apparent magnitude is 11.2 and is 10 million light years away. Discovered in 1784 by William Herschel.
Visible size is 3.5" x 3.5". It is located 7 arcminutes from Mirach and is sometimes called Mirach's Ghost because its proximity to the star makes observation and filming difficult.
Andromeda contains a number of other objects that were included in the New General Catalog:
Open clusters NGC 272, as well as spiral galaxies NGC 11, NGC 13, NGC 21, NGC 228, NGC 48, NGC 214, NGC 218, NGC 226, NGC 260, NGC 280, NGC 39, NGC 27, NGC 19, NGC 169 , NGC 184, NGC 140, NGC 109, NGC 160 and NGC 112.
Lenticular galaxies: NGC 81, NGC 149, NGC 20, NGC 69, NGC 229, NGC 243, NGC 304, NGC 43, NGC 80, NGC 393, NGC 389, NGC 94, NGC 258, NGC 96, NGC 108, NGC 86 and NGC 252.
Andromeda is a constellation that can be seen in the northern hemisphere of our planet. It has three stars of the second magnitude in its arsenal. A constellation has a characteristic pattern created by the stars included in it. The chain of these luminaries stretches from the northeast towards the southwest.
The Andromeda constellation is very clearly visible throughout Russia. You can watch it almost all night, because the constellation is located high in the sky. It is best observed in October and November, but you can start in September.
Finding the Andromeda constellation itself is not difficult. First of all, you need to find the Great Square of Pegasus. In the northeast corner of this square is a star called Alpheraz. It is this luminary that is the beginning of Andromeda. The constellation occupies approximately 722 square degrees in the sky.
Where is M31 located?
On a moonless, dark and cloudless night, about 160 stars can be observed in the constellation with the naked eye. These are luminaries that have a brightness of up to 6.5 magnitudes.
Overview of the Andromeda Nebula Galaxy or M31
Among all the objects in the constellation, you can see the most remarkable one - the spiral galaxy or M31.
Andromeda Galaxy or M31 in the UV range
Galaxy M31 was noticed by astronomers back in the 10th century, but its true nature was revealed only in the 19th, with the advent of powerful telescopes. Andromeda also contains variables, star clusters, planetary nebulae, dwarf galaxies and other interesting objects.
What M31 looks like through a telescope
Stars
Almak is a system that consists of three objects. The main one is a yellow star, which has a brilliance of the second magnitude. There are two satellites around it: blue stars are physically connected.
Alferats - has a magnitude of 2.1 magnitude. Refers to navigation (like Almak). Using them as a guide, ancient sailors found their way home.
R Andromedae is a variable star. It has a brightness variation amplitude of nine magnitudes.
υ Andromeda is a main sequence star in which astronomers discovered a planetary system. Planet b is similar to Jupiter. The other two are eccentric giants.
Galaxies
The Andromeda nebula is the most famous galaxy. It was observed by a Persian astronomer back in the 10th century. It has satellites - small galaxies M32 and NGC 205.
Dwarf elliptical galaxy M32, satellite of the Andromeda Galaxy
The nebula is easy to see on a moonless night with the naked eye. It has a diameter of approximately 220 thousand light years. It contains more than 300 billion stars. This closest spiral galaxy is 2.2 million light years away from us. Within the nebula itself there are many globular clusters. Starting with M32, systematic observation of galaxies began. The Hubble telescope was of particular importance in these observations.
NGC 891 is the most impressive galaxy. It is located edge-on to us and looks very beautiful.
NGC 891 seen through a telescope
In addition to the galaxies, there is a planetary nebula called NGC 7662 and a star with the exoplanet WASP-1.
Collision of the Milky Way and M31
At the moment, the two largest galaxies, the so-called local cluster, are ours and M31. We are moving towards each other and in a few billion years both of our galaxies will merge into one large one. This will be a grandiose spectacle of universal proportions. Astronomers have even modeled what this merger would look like.
Story
The constellation is included in the Almagest and is the most ancient. Greek myth tells about the beautiful princess Andromeda, who was given over by King Kepheus to be devoured by a sea monster. She was freed by Perseus, and after her death the gods placed her in the starry sky.
Cold autumn evening... Distant stars tremble and twinkle above the tops of yellowed trees. In the south you can see the Great Summer Triangle - the three brightest stars. But its time passes: closer to midnight, the triangle approaches the horizon, and on the southern slope the place is occupied by a large bucket of the constellations Pegasus and Andromeda.
For more than two thousand years, since the times of Hipparchus and Eratosthenes, the constellation of the autumn sky Andromeda has been flickering brightly among a scattering of distant stars.
Legend of the constellation Andromeda
In a time when magic ruled the world, in the era of the gods of Olympus, King Cepheus ruled in a distant country called Ethiopia. He had a wife, Cassiopeia, and a daughter, Andromeda.
And everything would be fine in the country of King Cepheus, if not for the boasting of his lovely wife Cassiopeia. Once the king’s wife boasted that she was more beautiful than the Nereids and nymphs. The sea beauties heard about this. The resentment overflowed, and they complained to the god of the seas, Poseidon. Being his daughters and granddaughters, they understood that he would listen to them and would not leave the terrible insult unpunished.
Then Poseidon became angry and sent a terrible monster to Ethiopia. The Terrible Whale constantly came out of the sea and destroyed the country. Then King Cepheus was saddened, having learned the whole truth from his wife, and went for advice to the oracle of Zeus. He listened to him and advised him to give his daughter Andromeda to the monster - Keith, in order for peace to come in the country. But how could you sacrifice your own daughter? In complete confusion, Cepheus wandered home. After some time, the people learned about the oracle's advice and forced the king to resolve this issue.
Pay
Andromeda, chained to a rock, awaited her death with horror.
But suddenly Perseus suddenly appeared, having learned the whole truth, he began to wait for the monster to fight him.
Happy ending to the story
As in any good mythical legend, good triumphed over evil.
But there were some incidents. Andromeda was betrothed to Finney, brother of Cepheus. He appeared at the wedding of Perseus and Andromeda and demanded the return of the bride. But Perseus was not going to give up the beautiful bride. He took out the head of the Gorgon Medusa and turned Phineus into stone. This is the story of the times of magic and the gods. And we will involuntarily remember her, watching in the sky how brightly Andromeda flickers - the constellation, the legend of which is so beautiful and instructive.
How to find Andromeda in the sky?
After reading an interesting legend, most likely you will want to see Andromeda with your own eyes. It's not difficult to find. The easiest time to spot the constellation is in the fall. Between September and early December, the constellation Andromeda can be seen from early twilight until morning. In the evening, the asterism is in the east, a little closer to midnight - in the south. Closer to the morning it shifts in a westerly direction. First you will need to find a giant quadrangle - the Pegasus Square.
To the left of the Square you can see a chain of stars of the same luminosity. These are precisely the stars of the Andromeda constellation.
You can find the desired asterism in another way. First, find the constellation Cassiopeia, it looks like the letter M or W, depending on the position of the asterism in the sky. The Andromeda stars are located directly below this “letter”. With the onset of December, the constellation Andromeda shifts to the west. Closer to spring, the asterism is already in the northwest direction. And with the approach of summer, it comes out only at dawn, and it is quite difficult to notice it.
The city lights are fading and the stars are shining
Of course, it’s difficult even for a person with a rich imagination to imagine a girl looking at the “handle” in the sky. However, these three stars are not the entire constellation - Andromeda (photo below) occupies a much larger area in the sky. On the northern side, the asterism is bordered by the constellations Pegasus and Cassiopeia, on the south by the Triangle and Pisces, and on the west by the Lizard and Pegasus.
However, to see all the stars of the Andromeda constellation, you will need to travel outside the city limits, where there is no night light. Once you get used to the darkness a little, you will be amazed at the huge number of stars in the sky that are visible to the naked eye. Take a look at our constellation Andromeda - Alpha Andromeda forms the upper left corner of Pegasus Square - the girl's head. The following objects δ, σ and θ form Andromeda's shoulders, β, μ and ν constellations form her waist. Other objects are γ and M51 Andromeda - her legs. The girl's hands are marked with stars λ on one side and ζ on the other.
You see that the girl’s arms are spread out to the sides. Why? The answer is obvious: she is chained to a rock. If you look closely, the Andromeda constellation really resembles the figure of a girl chained to a rock.
Taking a walk away from the city lights, you saw how the “handle” took on the shape of a girl from an ancient legend.
Some terms in simple language
It may be a little difficult to remember or understand some of the description.
We will explain to you in simple language some of the terms and expressions used in the article:
- Giants are stars much larger than our Sun (which is a yellow dwarf).
- Temperature in Kelvin is 273 degrees higher than Celsius (0 degrees Celsius translates to 273 degrees Kelvin).
- A light year is the distance that light travels in one year (for example, light travels from the Sun to Earth in 8 minutes 19 seconds).
- Often referred to as "spectral class" - scientists determine the temperature of a distant star using a certain spectrum (like a rainbow with different widths of bands of all colors).
- The stars of constellations (objects) are designated, starting with the brightest, using the Greek alphabet: α, β, γ and so on. They may also have a separate name. For example: Alferats or α Andromeda.
Constellation Andromeda: description of stars
Let's start with the brightest star of our asterism.
Alferaz is the brightest star in the constellation Andromeda, translated from Arabic as “the navel of a horse.” From antiquity and the Middle Ages to the 17th century, this star belonged simultaneously to two constellations - Pegasus and Andromeda.
Alferaz is a blue subgiant with a temperature of 13,000 degrees Kelvin, emitting light 200 times more than the Sun. It is located 97 light years from Earth. A study of the spectrum showed that Alferats is a pair star. It is considered a prominent representative of an amazing class of mercury-manganese stars.
Their atmosphere may contain an excess of europium, gallium, mercury and manganese, and the proportion of all other elements is insignificant. Scientists suggest that the main reason for the anomaly may be the strong influence of radiation and gravity of the star.
β constellation Andromeda - Mirax, a fairly large object, belongs to the group of red giants.
Alamak - γ Andromedae, is the third brightest star in the constellation. This is a complex system that consists of four bright components. Alamak is one of the beautiful double stars that can be observed even through a small telescope. Its main yellow star has a bluish companion and is considered a giant of spectral class K3. The object's temperature reaches about 4500 K. Almak's radius is 70 times greater than that of our star.
These are the main characteristics of the three brightest stars in the Andromeda constellation.
So where was the rock that Andromeda was chained to? This question was asked by many geographers of the past. According to Strabo, the rock was located in Iop, near the city of Tel Aviv. The Jewish chronicler Josephus (1st century AD) even claimed that imprints of Andromeda's chains and the remains of a monster could be found on the shore!
As for Ethiopia, it is quite far from Israel. Obviously, this rock was located on the shores of the Red Sea, and Andromeda herself was a black woman. True, according to Herodotus, all the events described took place on the territory of India. Definitely the question remains open. It is quite possible that the legend told about real events, but transformed into some kind of myth that has survived to our time.