Cetus (Whale)

Japanese: くじら座(鯨座) - くじらざ（英語表記）Cetus

Its abbreviation is Cet. It is a large constellation in the southern sky. In Greek mythology, it is a monster of the sea that attacks Princess Andromeda on the coast of Ethiopia, but it is difficult to see its image in the starry sky. The easternmost star, alpha Menkar (the nose), and the westernmost star, beta Deneb Kaitos (the whale's tail), complete the constellation. Alpha has a magnitude of 2.8, a spectral type of M2, and is located 130 light years away. Beta has a magnitude of 2.1, a spectral type of K0, and is located 64 light years away. All of them are red in color. Mira, the star in the center of the constellation, is a long-period variable star with a period of about 331 days and a luminosity that varies from magnitude 3 to about 9. Its radius changes by several hundred times that of the sun, and its light changes as it continues to expand and contract.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

略号はCet。南天の大星座。ギリシア神話では，エチオピアの海岸でアンドロメダ姫におそいかかる化物の海獣であるが，星空にその姿をとらえるのはむずかしい。東端の星はα星メンカル(鼻)，西端の星はβ星デネブ･カイトス(鯨の尾)でこの星座の領域をくぎる。α星は2.8等，スペクトル型M2,130光年の距離にある。β星は2.1等，スペクトル型K0,64光年の距離にある。いずれも赤い色をしている。星座中央にあるο星ミラは周期約331日，光度は3等から9等くらいまで変わる長周期変光星で，太陽の数百倍の半径を変化させ，膨張，収縮を続けて変光する。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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