Perseus - Rescuer of Andromeda

Learn about the constellation Perseus - Rescuer of Andromeda, location, facts, mythology, meteor showers and deep space objects.

Perseus is a northern constellation, named after the Greek hero who slew the monster Medusa.

Location: Northern Winter 3h RA 45° Dec

It contains the famous variable star Algol (ß Per) and is also the location of the radiant of the annual Perseids meteor shower.

Perseus Mythology

In Greek mythology, Medusa (Greek for guardian protectress), was a monstrous chthonic female character, essentially an extension of an apotropaic mask, gazing upon whom could turn onlookers to stone.

Perseus Deep Space Objects

The galactic plane of the Milky Way passes through Perseus but is much less obvious than elsewhere in the sky as it is mostly obscured by molecular clouds. The Perseus Arm is a spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy and stretches across the sky from the constellation Cassiopeia through Perseus and Auriga to Gemini and Monoceros.

Within the Perseus Arm lie two open clusters (NGC 869 and NGC 884) known as the Double Cluster. They are easily visible through binoculars and small telescopes.

M34 is an open cluster that appears at magnitude 5.5 and is approximately 1,500 light-years from Earth.

M76 is a planetary nebula, also called the Little Dumbbell Nebula.

In this table, the observation month represents the month in which the object reaches its highest point in the sky. It can also be viewed a few months before and after depending on your location. Direction is the compass direction in which the object is located, with Z meaning Zenith or overhead.

#		Common Name	Constellation	Month	Coords	Direction	Mag	Size (arcmin)	Type	Star Chart
C14 NGC 884		Sword Handle	Perseus	Oct	02h 20.0m RA +57° 08m Dec	Z	4.00	30	Open Cluster	🔍︎
C24 NGC 1275		Per A radio source	Perseus	Oct	03h 19.8m RA +41° 31m Dec	Z	11.60	2.2x1.7	Irregular Galaxy	🔍︎
M34 NGC 1039		Spiral Cluster	Perseus	Nov	02h 42.0m RA 42° 47m Dec	S	5.50	35	Open Cluster	🔍︎
M76 NGC 650		The Little Dumbbell	Perseus	Oct	01h 42.4m RA 51° 34m Dec	Z	10.10	2.7x1.8	Planetary Nebula	🔍︎