In the sky, Cetus can be found in the vicinity of the celestial equator, stretching across the southern hemisphere. It borders the constellations of Pisces to the west, Aries and Taurus to the north, Perseus and Cassiopeia to the northeast, Andromeda to the east, Aquarius to the southeast, and Sculptor to the southwest.
The most prominent feature of Cetus is its bright star, Diphda (Beta Ceti). Located at the head of the Sea Monster, Diphda is a red giant star that shines with an apparent magnitude of around 2.0. It is one of the closest red giants to the Sun, located approximately 96 light-years away.
Apart from Diphda, Cetus contains several other notable stars, including:
- Menkar (Alpha Ceti): A yellow supergiant star and the brightest star in Cetus, with an apparent magnitude of 2.54.
- Mira (Omicron Ceti): A long-period variable star known for its changing brightness. It varies between an apparent magnitude of around 2.0 at maximum brightness to nearly 11.0 at minimum brightness.
- Deneb Kaitos (Beta Ceti): A double star system consisting of two white dwarf stars.
Cetus is also home to several notable deep-sky objects, including:
- Messier 77 (NGC 1068): A spiral galaxy located about 47 million light-years away from Earth. It is a Seyfert galaxy, a type of active galaxy that emits powerful jets of material from its center.
- NGC 247: A spiral galaxy located about 11 million light-years away from Earth. It has an unusual "double nucleus," consisting of two bright centers of star formation.
- NGC 253: A Sculptor Galaxy Group member, a small galaxy located about 10 million light-years away from Earth.
Overall, Cetus is a captivating constellation that offers a variety of celestial objects for stargazers to explore. Its mix of bright stars, variable stars, and deep-sky objects make it a rewarding destination to explore on a clear night.