Star lore
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.
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At a glance
- Found in
- Constellations & Star Lore
- Related
- 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.
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The Road of the Sun
Where the twelve signs came from, and why they carry the names they do.
Why Cepheus matters
Cepheus contains Delta Cephei, prototype of the pulsating variables used to establish the cosmic distance scale.
How to read Cepheus
Find Cepheus between Cassiopeia and Draco, using its pentagonal outline and the Milky Way as guides.
Cepheus in practice: an example
Repeated brightness estimates of Delta Cephei reveal its regular pulsation over several nights.
Where readings of Cepheus go wrong
The house-shaped stick figure is an observing aid, not the official IAU boundary.
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
- Last updated
- 2026-09-26
Circle the pole through Cepheus
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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.
What do people get wrong about Cepheus?
The house-shaped stick figure is an observing aid, not the official IAU boundary.
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