A prominent constellation of the northern sky, representing the mythical Greek hero who rescued Andromeda. Its brightest star, Mirfak (Alpha Persei), is surrounded by a loose open star cluster, Melotte 20. Beta Persei is Algol, the prototype eclipsing binary. Rho Persei is a semiregular variable red giant that ranges between magnitudes 3.3 and 4.0 with a period of about 7 weeks. NGC 869 and 884 are the famous Double Cluster, also known as h and χ‎ (Chi) Persei. M34 is a 5th-magnitude open cluster. M76 is a planetary nebula known as the Little Dumbbell. NGC 1499 is the California Nebula, and NGC 1275 is a peculiar galaxy known as the radio source Perseus A, part of the Perseus Cluster of galaxies. The year’s brightest meteor shower, the Perseids, radiates from the northern part of the constellation every August.