William Tyler Olcott

“ Change seems to bespeak life, and hence the observance of variable stars must ever prove a source of fascination and wonder to those who make a study of them, for they, of all the seeming lifeless orbs that gaze so steadfastly on the centuries, exhibit inherent qualities that distinguish them in the firmament as man is distinguished on earth. ”

“ A popular name for this constellation is "the Easy Chair," as the arrangement of its stars suggests to the imaginative a reclining chair. A mutilated hand is also seen by some in the star group forming the head of the creature. The five stars in the head of the whale, α, γ, ξ, μ, and λ, form a fairly regular pentagon, which serves as a ready means of identifying the constellation.
The arrangement of the stars in Cetus permits of many geometrical figures being formed. ”

“ For three centuries this star has been under observation and as yet shows no sign of relaxation. No satisfactory theory has yet been found to account for all the variations in the light of these long-period variables. ”