Perseus, named after the
Greek mythological hero
Perseus, is a
constellation in the
northern sky. It was one of 48 listed by the 2nd-century astronomer
Ptolemy, and among the
88 modern constellations defined by the
International Astronomical Union (IAU). It is located in the
northern celestial hemisphere near several other constellations named after ancient Greek legends surrounding Perseus, including
Andromeda to the west and
Cassiopeia to the north. Perseus is also bordered by
Aries and
Taurus to the south,
Auriga to the east,
Camelopardalis to the north, and
Triangulum to the west. Some
star atlases during the early 19th Century also depicted Perseus holding onto the head of the Medusa, whose
asterism was named together as
Perseus et Caput Medusae, however, this never came into popular usage.