Star profile
Cih
Gamma Cassiopeiae · Cassiopeia
Variable starWhat is Cih
Cih, gamma Cassiopeiae, is a blue variable star pulsing at the centre of the celestial W, one of the most recognisable silhouettes of the northern hemisphere. Her brightness shifts unpredictably through eruptive episodes in her equatorial gas disk. Her light, launched 549 years ago in the era of Joan of Arc, embodies the restlessness of Queen Cassiopeia chained eternally to her cosmic throne.
Where it is and when to see it
Cih lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is November, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it never sets and culminates about 81° up.
- From New York it never sets and culminates about 70° up.
- From Sydney it never rises above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere north of 29° S.
It is the brightest of the 93 stars of Cassiopeia in our catalogue, which makes it the best starting point for finding your way around the constellation.
The light you see today left it about 550 years ago.
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Astronomical data for Cih
- Constellation
- Cassiopeia
- Apparent magnitude
- 2.15
- Distance
- 549.2 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 14.177° · Dec 60.717°
- Catalogue
- HIP 4427 · HD 5394
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Cassiopeia
Cassiopeia has 93 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- SchedarAlpha Cassiopeiae2.24
- CaphBeta Cassiopeiae2.28
- RuchbahDelta Cassiopeiae2.66
- SeginEpsilon Cassiopeiae3.35
- AchirdEta Cassiopeiae3.46
- FuluZeta Cassiopeiae3.69
- 50 Cassiopeiae3.95
- Kappa Cassiopeiae4.17