cassiopeia: the lady in the chair

When Cassiopeia declared herself prettier than the Nerieds, Poseidon sent a monster to ravage the shoreline of her kingdom. She and her husband, King Cephus sacrificed their daughter Andromeda. To appease the beast, they chained her to a sea cliff as an offering. As the sea creature approached Andromeda, Perseus flew to her rescue riding the winged Pegasus. He turned it to stone by showing the head of Medusa. Cassopeia and Cephus were thrown into the night sky by Poseidon as punishment. The more deeply notched part of Cassiopeia’s W shape reaches for her daughter Andromeda in supplication. 4 billion years from now Cassiopeia and Andromeda will meet again. In northern locations she is visible year-round and in the (sub)tropics she can be seen at her clearest from September to early November.