Perseus constellation. Representing the ancient Greek hero of the same name, this is a large constellation of the Northern hemisphere. It contains the

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Perseus constellation. Representing the ancient Greek hero of the same name, this is a large constellation of the Northern hemisphere. It contains the famous variable star Algol (Beta Persei, just below centre). This star varies between magnitude and with a cycle of just over two days. This is because it is an eclipsing binary, a system of two stars in a mutual orbit which eclipse each other as seen from Earth, blocking the eclipsed star's light for a short time. The Milky Way passes through Perseus, so it contains nebulae (red) and star clusters.

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Photo credit: © ECKHARD SLAWIK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: algol, astronomical, astronomy, constellation, hemisphere, milky, night, northern, perseus, sky, space, star, stars, stellar