Generalities: it is a constellation of  very big dimensions, which masters the celestial equator, but whose surface is mostly located in the southern hemisphere. It contains Mira, a variable star, which is for most time invisible with the naked eye, and which turns for short periods of time into a  bright star, following approximately an annual cycle. The Whale transits at midnight between October and November.

Origins and mythology: this constellation is sometimes associated with the dangerous sea monster of the legend of Perseus and Andromeda, while other times it is simply associated with the homonymous  cetacean.

Stars: the Whale includes two stars under  magnitude 3 and other six under  magnitude 4. The brightest star of the Whale is of magnitude 2.04 and is called Deneb Kaitos. This star has orange color and is 68 light-years far.

Table of stars brighter than magnitude 3.5
 

Star	Proper name	Magnitude	Spectrum	Color	Distance (light-years)	Notes
Beta	Deneb Kaitos	2.04	K2	orange	68
Alpha	Menkar	2.53	M2	red	130
Eta		3.45	K2	orange	117
Gamma	Alkaffaljdhina	3.47	A2	white	75
Tau		3.50	G8	orange	11.8

Other objects: in the Whale a bright galaxy of Seyfert type is found, M77, observable, under dark skies, even with not  very ambitious tools .

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