"The Princess"
General Location: R.A. = 1h, Dec. = 40 N
Mythology: Princess Andromeda, daughter of King Cepheus and Queen Cassiopeia, was an Ethiopian Princess. When Cassiopeia boasted that Andromeda's beauty was greater than that of the sea nymphs, Poseidon, the God of the Sea, sent Cetus the Whale to destroy the Ethiopian coast. The only way to stop Cetus was to sacrifice Andromeda, so Cepheus and Cassiopeia chained Andromeda to a rock by the coast. The story goes on to tell how Andromeda was saved by Perseus, who flew to her rescue riding Pegasus, the flying horse. Perseus agreed to slay Cetus in exchange for Andromeda's hand in marriage. Andromeda, Persueus, Cepheus, and Cassiopeia lived a happy life, and the Gods were so impressed with the story that they all earned a place in the sky for everyone to see.
Other Interesting Sights: The Andromeda Galaxy, M31, shown below. This elliptical shaped galaxy lies at a distance of 2.2 million light years, spans an area of about one degree, and is one of the two extra-galactic objects visible in the northern hemisphere with the unaided eye.
M31 - The Andromeda Galaxy