✧ Perseus

  Perseus is an asterism in Perseus.

                            ·
                          ⢀•·        ⣀⡤·
                         ⣠⠏⡼⠁   ⢀⣠⠴⠒⠋⠁
                ·⢤·⡀    •⠧·⠥⠤⠤·⠋⠉
                   ⠉⠓···⠁ ⡇
                    ⣸⠁    ⡇
                   ⢠⠇     ·
                  ⢀⡏      ⠸⡄
                  •⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤•
                 ⢠⠇        ·
                 ·
                 ⠸⡄
                  •⠤·

  Type            Asterism
  Constellation   Perseus
  Stars           19

  More information about Perseus

  Perseus is a long curve of stars between Cassiopeia's W and Capella, and
  it sits in the Milky Way, which is why the Double Cluster lies on its
  edge. Algol is the head of the Medusa that Perseus is carrying, and it
  does something you can watch: every 2.87 days it fades by more than half
  and then recovers, because a dimmer companion star passes in front of
  it. The Perseids, the most reliable meteor shower of the year, appear to
  come from a point inside this constellation every August.

  Not settled: Usually linked to πέρθειν, perthein, "to destroy", which
  does not account for the whole name and is not agreed.

  Etymology
  From        Greek
  Reading     Perseus  ·  Περσεύς
  Literally   unknown

  The evolution of Perseus over time

  -50,000 years
  
                                            ⢀· Miram
                                           ⡰⢃⠇
                                         ⢠• ⢸                 ⣀
                                       ⢀⠜⠁  ·⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⣤⡤⠴⠶⠭·⠤⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀
                         ⡠·    Mirfak ⡰⠋   ⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⡤⠤·⠿⠶⠶⠭⠭⠭⠭⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⢛⣛⣻⠿⠿⠛⠛⠋·
                        ·⠤⣀⣀⡀       ⢀⡞•⠉⠉⠉⠉                ⣀⣀⡤⠤⠴⠒⠒⠉⠉⠁
                            ⠉⠉⠑⠒⣲··⣤⠎  Misam     ⢀⣀⣀⠤⠤⠖⠒⠊⠉⠉
                               ⣰⠃  ·        ⢀·⠒⠋⠉⠁
                              ⣰⠃            ⡞
                             ⣰⠃            ⡼
                            ⣰⠃            ⢠⠃
                           ⣰⠃      Algol ⢀⠏
                          ⢠•⠒⠊⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉•⠓⠒⠦⠄
                          ⡼                  · Gorgonea Tertia
                         ⢠⠇
                         ⢸
                         · Menkib
                         ⠈⡆
                          ⠧⠤⠤⠤· Atik
                          •
  
  now
  
                                                   ⣴· Miram
                                                 ⢠⠎⢸
                                                ⡤• ⢸               ⣀⡠·
                                              ⣠⠎  ⡰·          ⣀⡠⠴⠒⠉
                                 ⡠·  Mirfak ⢀⡔⠁ ⢀⡜       ⣀⡤⠔⠚⠉
                               ⣠⣊          ⢠•⠒⠒⠒·⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒·⠊⠉
                               ·⠈⠉⠉⠒⠒⠤⠤⣤⠤·⠤⠋    ⡇
                                      ⣰·   ·    ⡇
                                     ⢠⠃         ⢱
                                    ⢠⠃          · Misam
                                   ⢠⠏           ⢸
                                  ⢀⠎            ⠈⡇
                                  •⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉⠉• Algol
                                 ⢠⠃              ⠈· Gorgonea Tertia
                                 ⢸
                                 ⡎
                                 · Menkib
                                 ⢸
                                  ⣇⣠⠤⠤
                                  •  · Atik
  
  +50,000 years
  
                                                     ⣴· Miram
                                                   ⢀⡞⢸
                                                  ⡠•⣀⡨⠆             ⢀⣠⠴·
                                       Mirfak ⣀⡠⢤⠞⠋⠉⠁ ·        ⢀⣠⠴⠒⠉⠁
                                    ⢀   ⣀⡠⠤⠒⠊⠉ ⡤⠋         ⢀⣠⠴⠒⠉⠁
                                  ⣠⡺·⠒⢊⣉⣀⣀⠤⠤⠤⢒•      ⢀⣠⠴⠒⠉⠁
                             ⣠⣤⠶⠾·⠿⠿⠿⠯⠭⢤⣤⣤⣤⠤⠶·⠤⠤⠤⠤⠒·⠋⠁
                             ·⠈⠙⠲⠤⣀⡀    ⢠· ·
                                   ⠈⠑⠲⠤⣀⡎
                                       ⡞⠉⠑⠢⠤⣀     Misam
                                      ⡸      ⠉⠓⠢·⡀
                                     ⣰⠁          ⣉⣓⣤
                                    ⢠⠧⠤⠤⠤⠒⠒⠒⠒⠉⠉⠉⠉  ⡸• Algol
                                    ⢸•            ⢀⠇
                                    ⡎             · Gorgonea Tertia
                                    ⡇
                                    · Menkib
                                    ⢸⡀
                                     ⣇⣀⡠⠤
                                     •  · Atik

  Over 50,000 years either way the longest side of this figure changes by 52%, and the furthest
  any of its stars travels is 22.1 degrees. HR 854, HR 915, HR 1052 and HR 1261 drift the
  opposite way to the other 15, which travel together. Proper motion only: this is the shape
  changing, not the sky turning or the pole moving.

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

  where it is tonight:  skymap.sh/Perseus