Andromeda is one of the 48
constellations listed by the 2nd-century
Greco-Roman astronomer
Ptolemy and remains one of the
88 modern constellations. Located north of the
celestial equator, it is named for
Andromeda, daughter of Cassiopeia, in the
Greek myth, who was chained to a rock to be eaten by the sea monster
Cetus. Andromeda is most prominent during autumn evenings in the
Northern Hemisphere, along with several other constellations named for characters in the
Perseus myth. Because of its northern
declination, Andromeda is visible only north of 40° south latitude; for observers farther south it lies below the horizon. It is one of the largest constellations, with an area of 722
square degrees. This is over 1,400 times the size of the
full moon, 55% of the size of the largest constellation,
Hydra, and over 10 times the size of the smallest constellation,
Crux.