Generalities: it is a northern constellation, very close to the celestial pole. It is unmistakable for its w  shape. Its transit at midnight takes place  in October.
 
Origins and mythology: this constellation represents the Ethiopian queen Cassiopeia, wife of  king Cepheus and mother of Andromeda. In fact these three constellations are found close to each other in the sky.

Stars: Cassiopea doesn't show any  stars of the first magnitude. The brightest is gamma, of magnitude 2.2 and blue color. Other three stars are under magnitude 3, among them : beta, the white-yellow Caph and alpha, the orange Schedar. Other 4 stars are under  magnitude 4.

Table of stars brighter than magnitude 3.5
 

Star	Proper name	Magnitude	Spectrum	Colour	Distance (light-years)	Notes
Gamma	Cih	2.2 (variable)	B0p	blue	780
Alpha	Schedar	2.23 (variable)	K0	orange	121
Beta	Caph	2.27	F2	white-yellow	42
Delta	Ruchbah	2.68	A5	white	62
Epsilon	Segin	3.38	B3	blue	520
Eta	Achird	3.44	G0	yellow	19

Other objects: it includes M52 and M103, two nice open clusterss of great interest.
 

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