Cerberus, the Three-Headed Dog
Unofficial Abbreviation: Cer
Genitive: Cerberi
Origin: Johannes Hevelius
The three-headed guard dog of the underworld was placed in the heavens by German/Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius (1611–1687), grasped in the fist of Hercules. Although Cerberus was a three-headed dog in Greek mythology, the constellation Cerberus was always depicted as a three-headed serpent! Later engravers added an apple tree branch, Ramus Pomifer, through which the creature was entwined.
