The most active meteor shower, known as the Perseid meteor shower, is happening above observers in the Northern Hemisphere. That makes it the perfect time to check out the constellation Perseus! The Perseids peak August 11-12, but you can check out Perseus鈥 stars and deep-sky objects any time.
In Greek mythology, the hero Perseus is known for slaying the snake-haired Medusa and rescuing and marrying princess Andromeda. The constellation, too, has been known since ancient times, showing up in the records of Egyptian astronomer Ptolemy during the second century A.D. It鈥檚 the 24th-largest constellation, just larger than Cassiopeia and Orion, and is visible all year long in the Northern Hemisphere, and mid-spring to early summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
Stars in Perseus
Image captured by Unistellar eVscope user David Rowe (United Kingdom)
Notable stars in Perseus include:
- Mirfak, the brightest star, with a spectrum so stable it鈥檚 used to classify other stars.
- Algol, also known as the Demon Star, is actually a triple star system with regular eclipses that cause variations in brightness.
- Atik听is a giant star with a blue hue, part of a triple star system.
- Miram听is a binary star that鈥檚 in turn part of a triple star system.
- Misam鈥檚 energy comes from the nuclear fusion of helium at its core: It鈥檚 known as a red clump giant.
- Menkib听is a blue giant, one of the hottest stars we can see with the naked eye.
Deep-Sky Objects in Perseus
Don鈥檛 miss these three deep-sky objects in the Perseus constellation: the听Double Cluster,听Little Dumbbell Nebula, and听NGC 1491!
Above: h Persei & khi Persei, the pair of star clusters in the Double Cluster imaged by Unistellar eVscope user David Rowe (United Kingdom). Below: h Persei & khi Persei stitched together by David Rowe.
Double Cluster (Caldwell 14)
This pair of star clusters sits between Perseus and Cassiopeia. Each contains a supergiant sun. In very dark skies, they can be spotted with the naked eye!
Image captured by Unistellar eVscope user Jacques B茅rard (Quebec)
Little Dumbbell Nebula
Also known as Messier 76, this nebula was discovered by French astronomer Pierre M茅chain in 1780. It鈥檚 the remnants of two dying stars, creating a bipolar planetary nebula.
Image captured by Unistellar eVscope user Scott Kardel (USA)
NGC 1491
This emission nebula has a blue star at its center, surrounded by a cloud of ionized hydrogen and oxygen that glows a rich red.
We encourage you to share your observations and join the conversation through our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages using the hashtag #UnistellarChallenge!
If you鈥檇 like to send us your observations by email, send them to听[email protected].
Clear skies!听馃敪
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