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Gorgonea Secunda

Pi Persei, 22 Persei

White main sequence star in Perseus

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Proper Name	Gorgonea Secunda
Bayer Designation	Pi Persei
Flamsteed Number	22 Persei
HR (BSC)	879
HD	18411
Constellation	Perseus
Right Ascension	2h 58m 46s
Declination	+39° 39' 46"
Distance	312 light years 96 parsecs
Magnitude	Apparent: +4.69 Absolute: -0.22
Spectral Class	A2Vn white main sequence star
Optimum Visibility	November

Gorgonea Secunda is the faintest of the stars that make up the shape of Medusa's head in Perseus. Eastward of this star are two red-orange stars Gorgonea Tertia (the brighter of the two) and Gorgonea Quarta (the fainter star farther eastward). Northward of all three is bright Gorgonea Prima (better known as Algol) which is in fact a foreground star much closer to the Sun than Gorgonea Secunda and its companions. Imagery provided by Aladin sky atlas

The 'Demon' Star of Algol has three attendants in the heavens: Gorgonea Secunda, Gorgonea Tertia and Gorgonea Quarta. Their names refer to the severed head of the gorgon Medusa, which Perseus holds in his hand. In fact the three gorgon stars are unrelated to Algol, and lie about three times further from the Earth than that bright variable star.

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