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Star Lore Caput Medusae The Head of the Medusa

Caput Medusae is an asterism within the constellation Perseus that is sometimes seen as an independent constellation.

In Greek mythology, Medusa was one of the three Gorgons, winged women with hair made of living venomous snakes. Looking into Medusa's eyes would petrify a person. Being the only mortal of the three Gorgons, Medusa was eventually killed by Perseus, who used his Harpe Sword to cut her head off. Even in death, Medusa's eyes still had petrifying powers and Perseus carried her severed head as a weapon. In early versions of his fight with the sea monster Cetus, Perseus used the Harpe Sword. But in later versions (around the 2nd century AD), Perseus uses Medusa's head to petrify Cetus. Perseus' bride Andromeda had previously been engaged to her uncle Phineus. When Phineus showed up at Andromeda's and Perseus' wedding, claiming older rights, Perseus let him look at Medusa's head, which turns Phineus into stone.

Perseus and Caput Medusae, Corbianus Thomas, 1730 Source: alteagallery.com

Later, he used Medusa's petrifying stare to turn Atlas, the last Titan into stone. For as long as mythological figures have been depicted in star maps, Perseus can be seen with Medusa's head in his left hand (see examples below). The asterism consist of the stars β, π, ρ and ω Persei. All of their names are directly related to the Medusa myth: Algol (β Per) is derived from the Arabic raʾs al-ghūl - Head of the Ghoul. π, ρ and ω Per bore the traditional Latin names Gorgonea Secunda, Gorgonea Tertia and Gorgonea Quarta.

Sources: Wikipedia, Ian Ridpath, John C. Barentine: Uncharted Constellations There has never been a consensus on how to classify Medusa's Head - as an asterism, or as a constellation. Ratdolt, al-Sufi, Bayer, Flamsteed and Hevelius only label Perseus and leave Medusa's Head unlabeled, while Dürer, Cellarius, Bode and Uranias Mirror name both features as quasi-independent constellations. Author John C. Barentine used Hevelius' rendering of Caput Medusae as cover for his book Uncharted Constellations.

Hevelius / Barentine

Leiden Aratea 816

Book of Fixed Stars 964

Poeticon Astronomicon 1482

Dürer 1515

Pergamenthandschrift 15th Century

Hand Colored Uranometria 1641

Harmonia Macrocosmica 1641

Atlas Coelestis 964

Uranographia 1801

Uranias Mirror 1824

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