Constellation Chart

Cetus

Constellation of Cetus is seen at southern sky in autumn with the third largest size in heavens. It doesn't have so many bright stars; it's fairly hard to recognize that as a monster. The constellation is the monster "Tiamat" that tried to threaten Andromeda before Perseus killed it and rescued the princess. Though the "Cetus" means Whale in any case, the constellation has no relation with a kind of mammal in the ocean. This constellation is famous for the prototype of long range variables and the earliest variables ever discovered. The variable star of "Mira", omicron Ceti, is positioned at the neck of the monster. The star has a magnitude range from about 10 to as bright as 2.0 with the average period of about 330 days. It's considered that Mira is a red supergiant, and has a diameter of over 400 times of that of the sun.

Galaxies In Cetus

M77 (NGC1068)

M77 (NGC1068) is a small spiral galaxy at 50 arc minutes ESE of delta Ceti. The constellation of Cetus includes a number of galaxies, but most of which are very faint and generally unnoticeable. The galaxy has a size of 7-by-6 arc minutes and 9th magnitude, and is one of the brightest in the constellation, distance is estimated about 47 million light years. You can recognize the figure of an ellipse with only small scopes, but the galaxy has no evoluted spirals, so detailed structures do not come visible with larger telescopes. M77 is one of the so-called Seyfert galaxies, which have strong radio sources.

NGC246

NGC246 is a very dimmed planetary nebula at about 6 degrees north of beta Ceti marking a tail of Cetus. You need high magnifying power over 100 to appreciate the nebula with telescopes because it has very small diameter like many other planetary nebulae. And the nebula has very low surface brightness, so you need very conditioned dark sky to enjoy the complicated structure of NGC246. The nebula may give us an impression like very dimmed Helix Nebula (NGC7293), has a central dwarf star with 12th magnitude. And you can detect a fine galaxy of NGC255 just north of NGC246.

NGC247

NGC247 is a large, but extraordinary dimmed galaxy positioned at 3 degrees south of beta Ceti forming the tail of Cetus. The galaxy has a major axis of about 20 arc minutes and 9.7 in magnitude, you might be needed good conditioned night sky to appreciate the galaxy through a medium-sized telescopes over 6-inch in aperture. NGC247 has a visual figure stretched in north south direction, with a very small and dimmed central nucleus but no spiral structures at all. At 4.5 degrees south of the galaxy, you can find a bright and splendid spiral galaxy of NGC253. This bright galaxy is attracted considerable attention rather than NGC247. But please challenge to find out this minor galaxy in autumnal night with high atmospheric transparency.

NGC1042

These are two compact galaxies positioned at forefoot of Cetus, about 7.5degrees SE from Mira. Spiral one positioned in lower center is NGC1042, and an elliptic one in upper left has an ID of NGC1052. They're floating with an interval of 15 arc minutes

NGC1052

Both have a size of 3 arc minutes in diameter and very dimmed with a visual brightness of 11th magnitude or so, you need a fairly large telescope to detect them with your own eyes. But it might be interested in that two galaxies with different types are snuggling up.

NGC1087

This image shows you two small galaxies lying about 1 degree ESE from M77, the brightest galaxy in Cetus. The lower one is NGC1087 and upper one has a number of NGC1090. Both galaxies are inconspicuous with sizes about 3 or 4 arc minutes at most, and have visual magnitudes of 11th or 12th, or dimmer magnitude. You can see NGC1087 with dimmed spiral structure in this image. And this galaxy has been classified in a group of bared-galaxy.

NGC1090

Ngc 1090 is a small spiral galaxy in the constellation of Cetus. R.A. 02h 46m 33.5s and DEC. -00 14'48".

NGC116

Ngc 116 is a small galaxy in the constellation of Cetus. R.A. 0027 05.2 and DEC. -07 40 09.

Planetary Destinations In Cetus

79 Ceti

Parent Star: 79 Ceti system / HD 16141 (G5 IV) in the constellation of Cetus is located at a distance of 117 Light Years from our Solar system. Co-ordinates of Right Ascension: 02 35 19.9283 & Declination: -03 33 38.167. The apparent Magnitude of the star is 6.78. The Inner Edge of Habitability Zone is 0.78 AU & the Outer Edge of Habitability Zone: 2.44 AU. Orbiting around 79 Ceti is planet 79 Ceti b the planet is believed to be a Clarified Jovian, Eccentric and its existence has been confirmed. The planets appearance is Blue and cloudless. The planet is out side of the habitability Zone at Mean Orbital Distance of 0.35 AU and the estimated mass of the planet is Mass 0.23 Jupiters. The planet Orbits around the star every 75.56 ± 0.4 Days and was discovered by MARCY G., BUTLER P. & VOGT S. Discovered in 2000.