Click here for a printable version of this page.

Andromeda

(an-DROM-eh-duh)

The Chained Princess

Andromeda, the beautiful princess of ancient Ethiopia, is one of a group of constellations that dominate the autumn and early winter skies. 

Visibility: Andromeda is visible in the evening sky from September through February. Look for Andromeda low in the Eastern sky at 9:00 p.m. (Daylight Savings Time) in September, near the meridian (close to the zenith) at 8:00 p.m. in December, and low in the western sky at 8:00 p.m. in February.

What to look for: Andromeda is represented by a group of stars that appear to form a slender V shape. Her head is represented by the star Alpheratz (Alpha Andromedae), which lies at the base of the V. Pegasus, the Flying Horse, shares this star as well. Near Andromeda's waist at Mirach (Beta Andromedae) lies the Andromeda Galaxy, M 31, a faint fuzzy object lying between 2.5 and 3 million light-years away that is the farthest thing you can see with your naked eye. One foot is marked by Almech (Gamma Andromedae), visible as a blue and gold double star in a telescope.

Andromeda, the Chained Princess, with Pegasus the Winged Horse

M 31, the Andromeda Galaxy

Photo by Conrad Jung

Andromeda's mother, Queen Cassiopeia, lies to the north, with her father, King Cepheus, further to the northwest. South of her is Pisces, a pair of fish, and further to the southeast is the Sea Monster Cetus. To her east is the Greek hero, Perseus.

Constellations of Andromeda's Story

Mythology: Cassiopeia boasted that her beauty surpassed that of Poseidon's daughters, the Sea Nymphs. Her boasts angered Poseidon (known to us by the Roman name Neptune), God of the Sea, who in revenge sent the Sea Monster Cetus to destroy Ethiopia. 

Poseidon told King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia that, in order to save their kingdom, they would have to offer their beloved daughter, Andromeda, as a sacrifice. They sorrowfully agreed, and chained Andromeda to a rock by the seashore to be devoured by the Sea Monster Cetus. 

As Andromeda bravely awaited her approaching doom, Perseus rode to the rescue on Pegasus and showed the head of Medusa to Cetus, turning the monster to stone. Perseus freed Andromeda from her chains, and returned her to her parents. For saving both his daughter and his kingdom, Cepheus offered Perseus anything within the King's power to give. The hero asked for permission to marry Andromeda. Cepheus agreed, and the couple lived happily ever after....

A Deeper Look: One of the grandchildren of Perseus and Andromeda was Alcmene, mortal mother of the greatest hero of them all, the mighty Harakles, whom you may know better by his Latin name, Hercules.

And, in a sense, Andromeda and Perseus are the ancestors of all later stories of heroes, heroines, and brave deeds. The tale of St. George and the dragon is a retelling of their story. 

Most artistic representations of Princess Andromeda portray her as a European despite the fact that most versions of her story clearly take place in Ethiopia, on the Red Sea coast of Africa. After many years of searching for an image of the Princess of Ethiopia that actually looked Ethiopian, Chabot commissioned an original illustration of Andromeda for our planetarium program Women Hold Up Half the Sky.

Andromeda,  Princess of Ethiopia

Artwork by Shomari Smith

Women Hold up Half the Sky

© 1998 Chabot Space & Science Center