Dictionary term
Cepheus
Direct answer
Cepheus is a northern circumpolar constellation represented as a king and shaped roughly like a child's drawing of a house.
Cepheus is the King, a house-shaped constellation near the north celestial pole.
Cepheus is the King, a house-shaped constellation near the north celestial pole.
A symbolic locator, not a substitute for an observational chart at a specific place and time.Quick reference
- Use when
- Find Cepheus between Cassiopeia and Draco, using its pentagonal outline and the Milky Way as guides.
- Do not use it for
- The house-shaped stick figure is an observing aid, not the official IAU boundary.
- Reference category
- Constellations & Star Lore
- Related terms
- Carina, Centaurus, Cetus, Chamaeleon
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The story behind Cepheus
Cepheus is one of Ptolemy's ancient constellations and belongs to the traditional Andromeda-Perseus sky group.
Cepheus in spiritual tradition
Cepheus connects a modest circumpolar outline with a method for measuring the scale of the universe.
Cepheus: fact and faith, kept distinct
This is a factual sky reference. It can support wonder and orientation without turning a measured position or inherited pattern into a claim of fate or private revelation.
Cepheus in numerology
Cepheus is not a numerology claim. Any numbers attached to it should retain their ordinary scientific, calendrical, navigational, or historical meaning unless a separate symbolic interpretation is clearly labeled.
Why Cepheus matters
It contains Delta Cephei, prototype of the pulsating variables used to establish the cosmic distance scale.
Cepheus at work: an example
Repeated brightness estimates of Delta Cephei reveal its regular pulsation over several nights.
Where interpretation stops
Cepheus is presented as sourced astronomy, calendrical, Earth-science, cultural, or instrument-history reference. Definitions should distinguish measured phenomena from civil convention and historical interpretation, preserve location and time dependencies, and avoid turning factual sky data into a deterministic personal claim.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- International Astronomical Union: The Constellations - Official names, abbreviations, and boundaries for the 88 modern constellations.
- NASA Space Place: What Are Constellations? - NASA introduction to constellation regions, patterns, visibility, and seasonal sky changes.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Constellations & Star Lore
- Also appears in
- Constellations & Star Lore
- Aliases
- None listed
- Last updated
- 2026-07-16
Circle the pole through Cepheus
Cepheus in a book is one thing; Cepheus in your own birth chart is your life. The Oracle casts your real chart and tells you what it means for your love, your work, and your year ahead, in conversation, free.
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More in Constellations & Star Lore
Common questions
What is Cepheus?
Cepheus is a northern circumpolar constellation represented as a king and shaped roughly like a child's drawing of a house.
How is Cepheus used in an almanac?
Find Cepheus between Cassiopeia and Draco, using its pentagonal outline and the Milky Way as guides.
What should I avoid when interpreting Cepheus?
The house-shaped stick figure is an observing aid, not the official IAU boundary.
