Cepheus
The Constellation
The myth
The constellation represents Cepheus, the king of Ethiopia and Cassiopeia’s husband in Greek mythology. Zeus placed him in the sky after his tragic death because he was descended from one of Zeus’ loves, the nymph Io. Cepheus ruled not the modern-day Ethiopia, but the stretch of land between the southeastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea, the area that contains parts of the modern-day Egypt, Israel and Jordan.
Cepheus’ wife Cassiopeia was a very vain woman. Once, she boasted that she was more beautiful than the Nereids (sea nymphs, one of them the wife of the sea god Poseidon), which angered the nymphs and Poseidon, who then sent a sea monster, represented by the constellation Cetus, to ravage Cepheus’ land.
All About Cepheus
It was named after the mythical king Cepheus of Ethiopia, husband of Cassiopeia and father of Andromeda, both represented by neighboring constellations. It's in the northren hemisphere. Cepheus is the 27th largest constellation in the night sky, occupying an area of 588 square degrees. The constellation is home to Garnet Star, the famous red super giant, and several well-known objects : the Wizard Nebula, the Iris Nebula, and the Fireworks Galaxy.