The main body of Perseus, surrounding the bright star Mirfak (Alpha Persei),
streams within the Milky Way to the left of center. Most of the stars
clumped around Mirfak are part of the
Alpha Persei cluster. To the right of
center and a bit above Mirfak is the bright and famed eclipsing double
star Algol, Beta Persei, which represents the head of the Medusa, one
of the Gorgons. Three other "Gorgonea" wrap around to the right of Algol,
from top to bottom Secunda (Pi), Tertia (Rho), and Quarta (Omega).
Gamma is the brightest of the stars toward the upper left, while
Eta is just up and to the left of it and Tau up and to the
right of it. Epsilon, Xi (Menkib),
and Zeta lie at lower right on a line roughly parallel to the bottom of the
photo. Atik (Omicron) is just above Zeta.
Delta is the brightest star just down and to the right of Mirfak, while
Iota is directly above it.
53 Persei is directly down from Delta toward the bottom of the picture;
48 Per is then up and just a bit to the left of 53.
Perseus is home to the famed Double Cluster,
not seen here but visible in the photo of the neighboring constellation
Cassiopeia.
|
