Constellation
Cassiopeia
The "W" in the northern sky
- Captured
- 8 September 2026
244 × 10 s (41 min)
1 of 2: Wide shot
What is it?
A constellation: a pattern of stars that people have named. Cassiopeia is shaped like a W, and it’s easy to find all year round from the northern hemisphere.
How far?
There is no single distance to a constellation: it is a direction and a pattern on the sky. The five main W stars range from about 55 light years (Caph) to 550 light years (Navi). That range does not describe every star, cluster or nebula in this photograph.
The depth explorer uses the Hipparcos catalogue: Caph about 55, Ruchbah 100, Schedar 230, Segin 410 and Navi 550 light years. These are rounded estimates; other catalogues can give somewhat different values.
Cool fact
The Heart Nebula and the Double Cluster sit right next to Cassiopeia. They are about 7,500 light years away, over 100 times farther than its closest star.
What you’re seeing
The wide shot shows thousands of stars in the Milky Way. The close-up shows the W itself. Toggle the lines to trace it.
Look at the star colours: orange stars are cooler, and blue-white stars are hotter.
Behind the photo · optional experiment
Break the W apart in depth
Turn the five named stars sideways using measured distances. The familiar pattern disappears because its stars are not neighbours in space.
Journey illustration · not a photographUnfold the real star distances
Use the measured star distances. Change viewpoint and see the W separate into depth.
Open the distance explorer ↗Open the full Lab view ↗