Cepheus is a constellation in the deep northern sky, named after Cepheus, a king of Aethiopia in Greek mythology. It is one of the 48 constellations listed by the second century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 constellations in the modern times.
Gamma Cephei is a binary star system approximately 45 light-years away in the northern constellation of Cepheus. The primary is a stellar class K1 orange giant or subgiant star; it has a red dwarf companion. An exoplanet has been confirmed to be orbiting the primary.
Alpha Cephei, officially named Alderamin, is a second magnitude star in the constellation of Cepheus near the northern pole. The star is relatively close to Earth at 49 light years (ly) and drifting closer with a heliocentric radial velocity of about −16 km/s.
Mu Cephei, also known as Herschel's Garnet Star, Erakis, or HD 206936, is a red supergiant or hypergiant star in the constellation Cepheus. It appears garnet red and is located at the edge of the IC 1396 nebula. Since 1943, the spectrum of this star has served as a spectral standard by which other stars are classified.
Delta Cephei is a quadruple star system located approximately 887 light-years away in the northern constellation of Cepheus, the King. At this distance, the visual magnitude of the star is diminished by 0.23 as a result of extinction caused by gas and dust along the line of sight. It is the prototype of the Cepheid variable stars that undergo periodic changes in luminosity.
Beta Cephei is a triple star system of the third magnitude in the constellation of Cepheus. Based on parallax measurements obtained during the Hipparcos mission, it is approximately 690 light-years distant from the Sun. It is the prototype of the Beta Cephei variable stars.
VV Cephei, also known as HD 208816, is an eclipsing binary star system located in the constellation Cepheus. It is both a B[e] star and shell star.
V354 Cephei is a red supergiant star located within the Milky Way. It is an irregular variable located over 13,000 light-years away from the Sun. It has an estimated radius of 1,139 solar radii. If it were placed in the center of the Solar System, it would extend to between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Alpha Muscae, Latinized from α Muscae, is a star in the southern circumpolar constellation of Musca. With an apparent visual magnitude of +2.7, it is the brightest star in the constellation. The distance to this star has been determined using parallax measurements, giving an estimate of about 315 light-years from Earth.
Epsilon Cephei, Latinized from ε Cephei, is a star in the northern constellation of Cepheus. Based upon an annual parallax shift of 38.17 mas as seen from the Earth, it is located about 85 light years from the Sun. The star is visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.18.
Nu Cephei is a class A2, fourth-magnitude blue supergiant star in the constellation Cepheus, visible to the naked eye. It is a white pulsating α Cygni variable star located about 4,700 light-years from Earth.
W Cephei is a spectroscopic binary and variable star located in the constellation Cepheus. It is thought to be a member of the Cep OB1 stellar association at about 8,000 light years. The supergiant primary star is one of the largest known stars and as well as one of the most luminous red supergiants.
MY Cephei is a red supergiant located in open cluster NGC 7419 in the constellation of Cepheus. It is a semiregular variable star with a maximum brightness of magnitude 14.4 and a minimum of magnitude 15.5.
PV Cephei is variable star of Orion type located in the constellation of Cepheus at a distance of over 1600 light-years from Earth. In visible light it varies in brightness from magnitude 17 to 19, making it far too faint to be seen by the naked eye.
RT Normae is an R Coronae Borealis type variable star in the constellation Norma. It has a baseline magnitude of 9.8, dropping down to 14.7 at its minima.
RZ Normae is an R Coronae Borealis type variable star in the constellation Norma. It has a baseline magnitude of 10.2, dropping down to dimmer than 16.2 at its minima. It was discovered by the astronomer Sergei Gaposchkin in 1952.
NR Vulpeculae is a red supergiant and irregular variable star in the constellation Vulpecula. It has an apparent magnitude varying between 9.13 and 9.61, which is too faint to be seen to the naked eye.
V1936 Aquilae is a blue supergiant and candidate Luminous blue variable located in the nebula Westerhout 51, in the constellation Aquila, about 20,000 light years away. The star was originally identified as a massive star in 2000, and was thought to be an O-type supergiant. However, subsequent analyses have shown it to be not O but B-type, as well as being possibly an LBV.
WY Geminorum is a binary star system in the northern constellation of Gemini, abbreviated WY Gem. It has an apparent visual magnitude that ranges from 7.26 down to 7.51, which is too faint to be readily viewed with the naked eye. This system is located at a distance of approximately 6,300 light years from the Sun based on parallax measurements, and is receding with a radial velocity of 19.5 km/s.
SS Cephei is a variable star in the constellation Cepheus. It is of spectral type M5IIIvar, and has an estimated temperature of 3,700 °F (2,310 K). The star is 847.18 light-years from Earth. SS Cephei has an apparent magnitude of 7.16.
