The Andromeda Galaxy  -  Background Information
 
The Andromeda Galaxy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 Andromeda was the daughter of Cepheus 
and Cassiopeia. Mother thought she and
daughter were more beautiful than any of
Poseidon's many nymphs, and she taunted the God of the Seas until he just couldn't  take it any longer. Poseidon punished the vain mother by chaining her daughter naked to a rock, to be sacrificed to a dreadful sea  monster. 

Some writers identify this monster with
Cetus, another constellation. But I can find
no reference in the classical texts that
directly name the monster as Cetus. (In fact
the very name means "whale", hardly a
dreadful sea monster.) 

Perseus, fresh from slaying the Gorgon
Medusa, was passing by. Attracted by
Andromeda's beauty, and no doubt the
generally heroic opportunities the situation
offered, he agreed to rescue her. But only if he could marry Andromeda afterwards. 

Cepheus and Cassiopeia were not anxious for their daughter to wed Perseus, but they had little choice, so agreed. Perseus skimmed over the water, thus confusing the monster, and then cut off the monster's head. The wedding followed soon afterwards. 

At the wedding relatives distrupted the
proceedings, probably at Cassiopeia's insistence. In the following melee both
Cassiopeia and Perseus lost their life.
Poseidon put them both in the heavens (well, it was the least he could do...). 

 Much later Athene put Andromeda in the
 same region of the sky, between mother
 and father. 
The Andromeda Galaxy, M31, is located 2.3 million light years away, making it the
nearest major galaxy to our own Milky Way. M31 dominates the small group of galaxies (of which our own Milky Way is a member), and can be seen with the naked eye as a spindle-shaped "cloud" the width of the full Moon. Like the Milky Way, M31 is a giant spiral-shaped disk of stars, with a bulbous central hub of older stars. M31 has long been known to have a bright and extremely dense grouping of a few million stars clustered at the very center of its spherical hub. 
 
Links to interesting articles about Andromeda
 Andromeda and The Milky Way: A Collision Course
 More Information on Andromeda
 Greek Gods Appear in Michigan Skies

 
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