CETUS

The great long period variable Mira is the fairly prominent star just to the left of center. The bright star to the left of Mira (about half way across the picture) is Menkar, the bottom star of an irregular circle that marks the head of Cetus, the Whale; Kaffaljidhma is just up and to the right of Menkar and Delta Ceti is between it and Mira. Xi-2, also a part of the head, is directly above Delta, while Xi-1 is up and to the right of Xi-2, Mu to the left of Xi-2. Mu is actually to most northly star (the picture somwhat tilted). To the right of Mira near the edge of the picture is Deneb Kaitos, which marks the whale's tail. The left-hand star of the close pair to the right of center is Baten Kaitos; the right-hand star is Chi Ceti, which is blended with HR 11131 to the right. Tau Ceti is down and to the right of them (with Upsilon directly below Tau, Eta up and to the right of it). Kappa-1 Ceti is the right hand star of the pair just down and to the left of Menkar. Note Mira's reddish color. The pair of stars just up and to the left of Menkar belong to Taurus, Xi Tau on the left, Omicron on the right.

To see a labelled image, push the star:

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See Cetus from Flamsteed's Atlas Coelestis Edition of 1721.

Cetus has two stars with orbiting planets: 79 Ceti and 94 Ceti.

By Jim Kaler. Return to STARS.