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A Complete Guide to the Solar System and the Night Sky
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public Observing fromLocation: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
SunriseRise: 6:04  
clear_day Transit: 12:06  
SunsetSet: 18:09
sunny DaytimeWhat's Visible Now?
All Constellations » 

Perseus (The Hero) Constellation

Altitude: 32.6°   Azimuth: 57.7°   Direction: East-North-East

Perseus (pronounced ˈpɜːrsiəs, -sjuːs) is the Latin name of a large constellation (in fact it extends itself for about 38 degrees across the sky) situated north of the celestial equator. As such, it is more easily visible from the northern hemisphere.

In English language this constellation is also known as "The Hero" while in astronomical texts and literature this constellation is often abbreviated as "Per" (according to the standard of the International Astronomical Union - IAU) or as "Pers" (according to a naming convention used by NASA).

The Latin genitive of the constellation name is "Persei" (pronounced ˈpɜːrsiaɪ) and it is used to identify some of the brightest stars in this constellation based on the Bayer or Flamsteed star naming convention. For instance: α Persei (the brightest star of Perseus based on the Bayer catalog); or 23 Persei (the 23th star in the constellation of Perseus based on the Flamsteed catalog).

Perseus is above the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt. Altitude: 33°.
Available Resources for Perseus

Sky Chart of Perseus Constellation

Here we provide a simplified sky chart of the Perseus constellation. Alternatively it is possible to locate Perseus in the night sky using our Online Interactive Planetarium.

Chart of  constellation
This constellation image is derivatve work based on original work by IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg) CC-BY-3.0.

Visibility of Perseus Constellation

Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London

Perseus is circumpolar and transits at 15:32 UTC (altitude: 83.1°)

The rise and set times provided here are just directional indications and they refer to a point approximately placed at the center of the constellation. In case of very large constellations (like Perseus actually is) these times can have little relevance.

Bright Stars in Perseus Constellation

The table below lists the top 20 brightest stars in the Perseus constellation. See also the complete list of 161 stars brighter than magnitude 6.5 (approximate) in the constellation of Perseus. Click on each star to see more details about it.

HR Number(*) Star designation Proper name Visual magnitude Color Notes
HR1017 α Persei Mirfak 1.79 Variable; Double;
HR936 β Persei Algol 2.12 Variable; Multiple;
HR1203 ζ Persei 2.85 Variable; Multiple;
HR1220 ε Persei 2.89 Variable; Multiple;
HR915 γ Persei 2.93 Multiple;
HR1122 δ Persei 3.01 Variable; Double;
HR921 ρ Persei 3.39 Variable;
HR834 η Persei Miram 3.76 Multiple;
HR1135 ν Persei 3.77 Variable; Double;
HR941 κ Persei Misam 3.8 Variable; Double;
HR1131 ο Persei Atik 3.83 Variable; Double;
HR854 τ Persei 3.95 Variable; Multiple;
HR1273 48 Persei 4.04 Variable;
HR1228 ξ Persei Menkib 4.04 Variable;
HR937 ι Persei 4.05 Double;
HR496 φ Persei 4.07 Variable;
HR799 θ Persei 4.12 Variable; Multiple;
HR1303 μ Persei 4.14 Variable; Multiple;
HR840 16 Persei 4.23 Variable; Multiple;
HR1087 ψ Persei 4.23 Variable;
...go to the complete list of 161 bright stars in the constellation of Perseus

(*) HR stands for Harvard Revised Bright Star Catalogue, which is also known as the Yale Catalogue of Bright Stars.

Deep Sky Objects in Perseus Constellation

The table below lists the 20 brightest deep sky objects in the Perseus constellation. See also the complete list of 152 deep sky objects in the constellation of Perseus. The list includes objects from the Messier, New General Catalogue (NGC) and Index Catalogue (IC).

Name Type Magnitude
NGC 869 (h Persei Cluster) Open Cluster 3.7 (V)
NGC 884 (Chi Persei Cluster) Open Cluster 3.8 (V)
NGC 1499 (California Nebula) Nebula 5 (B)
Messier 34 Open Cluster 5.2 (V)
NGC 1545 Open Cluster 6.2 (V)
NGC 1528 Open Cluster 6.4 (V)
NGC 1444 Open Cluster 6.6 (V)
NGC 1342 Open Cluster 6.7 (V)
NGC 1582 Open Cluster 7 (V)
NGC 957 Open Cluster 7.6 (V)
NGC 744 Open Cluster 7.9 (V)
NGC 1513 Open Cluster 8.4 (V)
NGC 1245 Open Cluster 8.4 (V)
NGC 1023 Galaxy 9.35 (V)
NGC 1496 Open Cluster 9.6 (V)
Messier 76 (Little Dumbbell Nebula) Planetary Nebula 10.1 (V)
NGC 1605 Open Cluster 10.7 (V)
NGC 1333 Star Cluster + Nebula 10.9 (B)
IC 2003 Planetary Nebula 11.4 (V)
IC 2067 Nebula 11.49 (V)
...go to the complete list of 152 deep sky objects in the constellation of Perseus