Constellations of the Month: February – Camelopardalis

Constellations of the Month: February – Camelopardalis:
We start February with the first constellation of the month, Camelopardalis, “The Giraffe.”

Camelopardalis, “The Giraffe” – The Camelopardalis constellation is located in the northern hemisphere, and the 4^th northernmost constellation. Its name is derived from the Latin word for “giraffe.” Camelopardalis, The term camelopardalis is derived from the Greek words for camel (kamēlos) and leopard (pardalis). The giraffe was referred to as the “camel-leopard” due to its long neck resembling that of a camel and its spotted body akin to that of a leopard. This constellation was established by the Dutch astronomer Petrus Plancius and later recorded by the German astronomer Jakob Bartsch in 1624. It features Kemble’s Cascade, an asterism characterized by a series of relatively dim stars, along with several significant deep-sky objects, including the open cluster NGC 1502, the Oyster Nebula (NGC 1501), the spiral galaxy NGC 2403, and the dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 1569. The constellation known as Camelopardalis is pronounced /kəˌmɛloʊˈpɑːrdəlɪs/. In English, it is referred to as the Giraffe. The genitive form of Camelopardalis, which is utilized in the naming of stars, remains Camelopardalis (pronunciation: /kəˌmɛloʊˈpɑːrdəlɪs/). The three-letter abbreviation, established by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1922, is Cam.

Key points regarding Camelopardalis:

• Meaning: The term “Camelopardalis” translates to “The Giraffe” in Latin.
• Notable stars: Alpha Camelopardalis is a blue supergiant star in the constellation Camelopardalis, located about 6,000 light-years away and much brighter than the Sun. Beta Camelopardalis is the brightest star in the constellation, a binary star 1,000 light-years away. CS Camelopardalis is the second brightest, also a binary star around 3,000 light-years distant. Sigma 1694 Camelopardalis is a binary star 300 light-years away. VZ Camelopardalis is an M-type red giant, about 470 light-years away, with variable luminosity.
• Other features: Kemble’s Cascade is an asterism of over 20 stars that forms a line in the sky, ending at the open star cluster NGC 1502. It was named by Walter Scott Houston after Father Lucian J. Kemble described it. NGC 2403 is an intermediate spiral galaxy about 8 million light years away, discovered by Frederick William Herschel. It is part of the M81 Group and has known Cepheid variables. NGC 1502 contains about 45 stars, with Struve 485 at its center. NGC 2366 is an irregular galaxy with a star forming region. IC 342 is another intermediate spiral galaxy, discovered in 1895, but is difficult to observe due to interstellar dust.
• Mythology: Camelopardalis, The Giraffe constellation is relatively dim, lacking any stars that exceed a fourth magnitude in brightness. The ancient Greeks did not identify any stars within Camelopardalis, perceiving this area of the sky, along with what is now known as the constellation Lynx, as devoid of celestial bodies. Consequently, there are no associated myths, as the constellation was established only in the 17th century. Although the name “giraffe” does not derive from mythology, it has been suggested that it may reference the Book of Genesis in the Bible, though this interpretation is uncertain. In 1624, Jacob Bartsch included Camelopardalis in his star map, describing it as a camel upon which Rebecca traveled into Canaan to marry Isaac. However, given that Camelopardalis depicts a giraffe rather than a camel, this explanation appears implausible.
• Visibility: Camelopardalis ranks as the 18th largest constellation in the night sky, covering an area of 757 square degrees. It is situated in the second quadrant of the northern hemisphere (NQ2) and is observable at latitudes ranging from +90° to -10°. The constellations that border Camelopardalis include Auriga, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Draco, Lynx, Perseus, Ursa Major, and Ursa Minor. This constellation is part of the Ursa Major family, which also encompasses Boötes, Canes Venatici, Coma Berenices, Corona Borealis, Draco, Leo Minor, Lynx, Ursa Major, and Ursa Minor. Camelopardalis features three stars that host known exoplanets and does not contain any Messier objects. The most luminous star within this constellation is Beta Camelopardalis. Additionally, the Camelopardalids meteor shower is the sole meteor shower linked to this constellation. Camelopardalis is home to two stars that have been formally named, with the International Astronomical Union (IAU) designating them as Mago and Tonatiuh.

⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺⋆⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺⋆⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺⋆⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺⋆⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺⋆⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺⋆

Constellations:

Constellations by Month
JANUARY [8]	FEBRUARY [7]	MARCH [7]
Taurus	Camelopardalis	Lynx
Orion	Auriga	Cancer
Lepus	Gemini	Canis Minor
Caelum	Monoceros	Pyxis
Reticulum	Canis Major	Vela
Dorado	Columba	Carina
Pictor	Puppis	Volans
Mensa
APRIL [8]	MAY [7]	JUNE [6]
Ursa Major	Canes Venatici	Ursa Minor
Leo Minor	Coma Berenices	Boötes
Leo	Virgo	Libra
Sextans	Corvus	Lupus
Crater	Centaurus	Circinus
Hydra	Crux	Apus
Antlia	Musca
Chamaeleon
JULY [9]	AUGUST [9]	SEPTEMBER [6]
Draco	Lyra	Cygnus
Corona Borealis	Vulpecula	Delphinus
Hercules	Sagitta	Equuleus
Serpens	Aquila	Capricornus
Ophiuchus	Scutum	Microscopium
Scorpius	Sagittarius	Indus
Norma	Corona Australis
Ara	Telescopium
Triangulum Australe	Pavo
OCTOBER [7]	NOVEMBER [8]	DECEMBER [6]
Cepheus	Cassiopeia	Perseus
Lacerta	Andromeda	Triangulum
Pegasus	Pisces	Aries
Aquarius	Cetus	Eridanus
Piscis Austrinus	Sculptor	Fornax
Grus	Phoenix	Horologium
Octans	Tucana
	Hydrus

Constellations of the Month:
February – Camelopardalis

Material may be shared for personal and educational use, Share with family and friends. The material cannot be used in an educational setting whereby a “book fee” is charged in or above tuition costs, and the material here is being used without paying a licensing fee.. AI must file an application for use of such material.

---

You May Also Like. . .
NASA 1997 Liftoff Special	NASA Mission Patch Party

---

Constellations of the Month: Coming all 2025!

See more

---

---