✧ Cetus

  Cetus is an asterism in Cetus.

            ·⠤⠤·⠤⠤·
            ⡇    ⡼⠁
            •⣄⡀ ⡼⠁
              ⠙·⠁
               ⠈·⣄⡀
                  ⠉⠓·⡀
                     ⠙⢦⡀
                       ⠙⢦⡀
                         ⠙·⠤⠤⠤⠤·⠤⠤·⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⢤·
                          ⢸⡀              ⢠⠞
                           ⡇             ⣠⠏
                           ·⠤⠤⢤⣀⣀⣀      ⣰⠃
                                 ⠈⠉⠉⠙⠒⠒•⠁

  Type            Asterism
  Constellation   Cetus
  Stars           13

  More information about Cetus

  Cetus is big, dim, and sits low in the sky from northern latitudes, and
  the reason to seek it out is Mira, the first star anyone recognised as
  varying in brightness. Over a cycle of about 332 days Mira fades from
  being comfortably visible to the naked eye down to a hundredth of that,
  far below what any eye can catch, so for months at a stretch there is
  simply nothing there. A Dutch pastor and astronomer, David Fabricius,
  recorded it appearing in 1596 and assumed he had seen a new star; it
  took decades of watching before astronomers accepted that a single star
  was doing this over and over on a schedule. The name is Greek, κῆτος,
  "sea monster", and it has drifted in meaning since: the same root gives
  us cetacean, the word for whales and dolphins, and Cetus is now usually
  drawn as a whale.

  Etymology
  From        Latin, from Greek
  Reading     ketos  ·  κῆτος
  Literally   sea monster

  The evolution of Cetus over time

  -50,000 years
  
                              ⢀⣀⣀⡤⠤⠤⠖⢲·
                            ⢀·⠉     ⣀⠤·
                            ⡸   ⣀⠤⠒⠋⠁
                     Menkar •⠉⠉·⣄
                  Kaffaljidhma  ⠘⢆
                                 ⠈⠢⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⡀ Mira
                                   ·    ·⢄
                                         ⠈⠣⡀
                                           ⠙⢤       ⢀·⢄⡀
                                             ⠱⡄   ⢀⡔⠋  ⠈⠙⠒⠤⣄⡀   Dheneb
                                              ⠈⢦⣀⠖⠁         ⠈⠙·⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠲⠤⠤⢤· Deneb Kaitos Schemali
                                             ⢀⡤⠊· Baten Kaitos         ⡼
                                           ⣀⠔⠁                        ⢠⠇
                                        ⢀⡤⠊⠁                          ⡜
                                      ⣀⠔⠁                            ⢰⠁
                                   ⢀⡤⠊⠁                              ⡏
                                 ⣀⠖⠁                   ⢀⣀⣀⣀⠤⠤⠤⠴⠒⠒⠒⠊⠉⠉• Diphda
                              ⢀⡤⠊⠁       ⣀⣀⣀⣀⠤⠤⠤⠖⠒⠒⠒⠉⠉⠉⠁
                            ⣀⣖⡥⠤⠤⠤⠒⠒⠒⠊⠉⠉⠉⠁
                            ·
  
  now
  
  
  
                            ⢀⠤⠔⠒⠉·⠒⠤⢄⣀
                            ⢸·      ⡰·
                            ⡜     ⢀⠞
                     Menkar •⠒⠲⠤⠤⢴⠃
                    Kaffaljidhma ·⡄
                                  ·⠦⣀
                                     ⠑⠢⣀
                                   Mira ·⣄
                                          ⠓⢄
                                           ⠈⠱⡄       ⣀⣠⣀
                                             ⠈⠣⣄⠤⠔⠒⠋⠉ ·⠈⠙⠢⢄⣀⣀⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠴⠒⠒⠒⡲· Deneb Kaitos Schemali
                                  Baten Kaitos ·⡀          · Dheneb  ⢀⠜⠁
                                                ⢣                   ⣠⠏
                                                ⠘⣆⣀⣀              ⢀⡔⠁
                                                 · ⠈⠉⠉⠙⠒⠒⠢⠤⠤⣄⣀⣀⡀ ⣠⠊
                                                               ⠉⠉• Diphda
  
  
  
  +50,000 years
  
  
  
                         ·⠦⠤⠤⣀⣀⣀
                         ·     ⠈⢉·
                        ⢸       ⢸
                        ⢸       ⡇
                 Menkar •⠉⠙⠒⠲⠤⢄⣠⠃
                              ·⡅· Kaffaljidhma
                               ⠈⢦⡀                                    ⣀⡠⠤⠒⡺⠋·
                                 ⠘⢆                            ⢀⣀⠤⠴⠒⠊⠉ ⢀⡠⠊
                                   ⠓⢄                    ⣀⣠⠤⠔⠚⠉⠁     ⢀⡰⠊
                               Mira ·⠙⠢⡀          ⢀⣀⠤⠴⠒⠊⠉          ⢀⠴⠊
                                       ⠈⠓⠦⡀ ⣀⣠⠤⠔⠒⠉⠁            ⢀⣀⣀⣤⣫⡤
                                          ⠈·⠉⠉⠑⠒⠒⠒⠒⢲·⡤⠤⠤⠔⠒⠒⠒⠉⠉⠉⢉⡔⣫⠔⠉· Deneb Kaitos Schemali
                              Baten Kaitos         · Dheneb  ⢀⣔⡧⠊⠁
                                                           ⢀⡴⠗⠁
                                                         ⢀⠔⠋
                                                          • Diphda
  
  

  Over 50,000 years either way the longest side of this figure changes by 151%, and the furthest
  any of its stars travels is 31.1 degrees. Deneb Kaitos Schemali, Diphda, HR 402, HR 509, HR
  718, HR 779, Kaffaljidhma and HR 813 drift the opposite way to the other 5, which travel
  together. Proper motion only: this is the shape changing, not the sky turning or the pole
  moving.

  curl 'skymap.sh/Cetus/evolution.gif'

  where it is tonight:  skymap.sh/Cetus