PERSEUS
The main body of Perseus, surrounding the bright star Mirfak (Alpha Persei),
streams within the Milky Way to the left of center. North is to the left. Most of the stars
clumped around Mirfak are part of the
Alpha Persei cluster. To the right of
center and a bit above Mirfak is the bright and famed eclipsing double
star Algol, Beta Persei, which represents the head of the Medusa, one
of the Gorgons. Three other "Gorgonea" wrap around to the right of Algol,
from top to bottom "Secunda (Pi), Tertia (Rho), and Quarta (Omega).
Gamma is the brightest of the stars toward the upper left, while Xi
and Zeta lie at lower right on a line parallel to the bottom of the
photo. Delta is the brightest star just down and to the right of Mirfak.
The high mass X-ray binary X Per is the faint star just down and to the
right of Zeta.
Perseus is home to the famed Double Cluster,
not seen here but visible in the photo of the neighboring constellation
Cassiopeia.