A constellation is an area on the celestial sphere in which a group of visible stars forms a perceived outline or pattern, typically representing an animal, mythological person or creature, or an inanimate object. The origins of the earliest constellations likely go back to prehistory. People used them to relate stories of their beliefs, experiences, creation, or mythology. Different cultures and countries adopted their own constellations, some of which lasted into the early 20th century before today's constellations were internationally recognized. The recognition of constellations has changed significantly over time. Many have changed in size or shape. Some became popular, only to drop into obscurity.
Introduction
Constellation
Constellation | Introduction
Goes back to prehistory. Petrus Plancius Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman Johann Bayer
what is hydrus?
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Small constellation in the deep southern sky.
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what are its characteristics?
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Irregular in shape and its tail has been shortened to make space for this last constellation he had drawn up.
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name a few stars in the constellation?
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Beta Hydri, Alpha Hydri, etc.
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where did the second star get its name from?
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Chinese system
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who decribed the constellation for the first time?
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For example, Altair is named in Chinese. is the name of the asterism (literally the Drum at the River). is the number designation (two). Therefore, it literally means "the Second Star of the Drum at the River". (Bayer might have called Altair "Beta Tympani Flumine" if he had been cataloguing Chinese constellations.) Some stars also have traditional names, often related to mythology or astrology. For example, Altair is more commonly known as or (the Star of the Cowherd) in Chinese, after the mythological story of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl.
Chinese constellations | Chinese star names
The Chinese name for the star is 马腹一 (Mandarin: mǎ fù yī, "the First Star of the Horse's Abdomen").
Beta Centauri | Nomenclature
Consequently, the Chinese name for ρ Scorpii itself is (), "the Second Star of Room".
Rho Scorpii | Nomenclature
While there is little disagreement on the correspondence between traditional Chinese and Western star names for brighter stars, many asterisms, in particular those originally from Gan De, were created primarily for astrological purposes and can only be mapped to very dim stars. The first attempt to fully map the Chinese constellations was made by Paul Tsuchihashi in late 19th century. In 1981, based on "Yixiang Kaocheng" and "Yixiang Kaocheng Xubian", the first complete map of Chinese stars and constellations was published by Yi Shitong (伊世同).
Chinese star names | Introduction
Consequently, the Chinese name for Mu Pegasi itself is (, "the Second Star of Resting Palace").
Mu Pegasi | Nomenclature
Chinese constellation) consisting of Epsilon Scorpii, Mu¹ Scorpii, Zeta¹ Scorpii and Zeta² Scorpii, Eta Scorpii, Theta Scorpii, Iota² Scorpii and Iota¹ Scorpii, Kappa Scorpii, Lambda Scorpii and Upsilon Scorpii. Consequently, the name for Epsilon Scorpii itself is (), which means "the Second Star of Tail".
Epsilon Scorpii | Nomenclature
For example, Deneb (α Cyg) is referred to as ("Tiān Jīn Sì", the Fourth Star of Celestial Ford). In the Qing Dynasty, Chinese knowledge of the sky was improved by the arrival of European star charts. "Yixiang Kaocheng", compiled in mid-18th century by then deputy Minister of Rites Ignaz Kögler, expanded the star catalogue to more than 3000 stars. The newly added stars (, "zēng xīng") were named as ("zēng yī", 1st added star), ("zēng èr", 2nd added star) etc. For example, γ Cephei is referred to as ("Shào Wèi Zēng Bā", 8th Added Star of Second Imperial Guard). Some stars may have been assigned more than one name due to the inaccuracies of traditional star charts.
Chinese star names | Introduction
"δ Sagittarii" (Latinised to "Delta Sagittarii") is the star's Bayer designation. It bore the traditional names "Kaus Media", "Kaus Meridionalis", and "Media", which derive from the ('bow') and ('middle'). In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN's first bulletin of July 2016 included a table of the first two batches of names approved by the WGSN; which included "Kaus Media" for this star. In the catalogue of stars in the "Calendarium" of Al Achsasi al Mouakket, this star was designated , meaning 'second of Warida'.
Delta Sagittarii | Nomenclature
Three stars make up the long narrow triangle that gives the constellation its name. The brightest member is the white giant star Beta Trianguli of apparent magnitude 3.00, lying 127 light-years distant from Earth. It is actually a spectroscopic binary system; the primary is a white star of spectral type A5IV with 3.5 times the mass of our sun that is beginning to expand and evolve off the main sequence. The secondary is poorly known, but calculated to be a yellow-white F-type main-sequence star around 1.4 solar masses. The two orbit around a common centre of gravity every 31 days, and are surrounded by a ring of dust that extends from 50 to 400 AU away from the stars.
Triangulum | Stars
Few of those designations have survived. It is worth mentioning, however, as it served as the starting point for variable star designations, which start with "R" through "Z", then "RR", "RS", "RT"..."RZ", "SS", "ST"..."ZZ" and beyond. The second system comes from the English astronomer John Flamsteed's "Historia coelestis Britannica" (1725). It kept the genitive-of-the-constellation rule for the back end of his catalogue names, but used numbers instead of the Greek alphabet for the front half. Examples include 61 Cygni and 47 Ursae Majoris.
Star catalogue | Bayer and Flamsteed catalogues
Consequently, the Chinese name for ζ Draconis itself is (, .), representing (), meaning "The Second Minister". This is a single-lined spectroscopic binary star system with an orbital period of 258.48 days and an eccentricity of 0.21. The primary, component A, is an evolved K-type giant star with a stellar classification of K0 III. It is a suspected barium star, which may indicate the orbiting companion, component B, is a white dwarf star.
Upsilon Draconis | Introduction
("Crater" is abbreviated "Crt" to prevent confusion with "CrA".) When letters are taken from the second word of a two-word name, the first letter from the second word is capitalised: "CMa" for "Canis Major", "CMi" for "Canis Minor". Two cases are ambiguous: "Leo" for the constellation "Leo" could be mistaken for "Leo Minor" (abbreviated "LMi"), and "Tri" for "Triangulum" could be mistaken for "Triangulum Australe" (abbreviated "TrA").
IAU designated constellations | Abbreviations
The first companion is a yellow-white (class F) fourth-magnitude star with a mass approximately equal to that of the sun, but it is nearly twice as luminous. The second companion is an orange (class K) sixth-magnitude star, that is less massive and of lesser luminosity than the sun. In 1898 this system was reported to be a spectroscopic binary system, with an orbital period of 280.55 days. The two stars have an average separation of nearly an astronomical unit, which would disrupt the orbit of any Earth-like planet that was close enough to the primary to support liquid water. The two stars have less than half the abundance of heavy elements as the Sun and are approximately a billion years older.
Chi Draconis | Description
In a given constellation, the first variable stars discovered were designated with letters R through Z, e.g. R Andromedae. This system of nomenclature was developed by Friedrich W. Argelander, who gave the first previously unnamed variable in a constellation the letter R, the first letter not used by Bayer. Letters RR through RZ, SS through SZ, up to ZZ are used for the next discoveries, e.g. RR Lyrae. Later discoveries used letters AA through AZ, BB through BZ, and up to QQ through QZ (with J omitted). Once those 334 combinations are exhausted, variables are numbered in order of discovery, starting with the prefixed V335 onwards.
Variable star | Nomenclature
Alpha Capricorni is known as 牛宿二 (the Second Star of the Ox) in Chinese astronomy.
Alpha Capricorni | Nomenclature
It has been speculated that this star is part of the second generation, born out of the gas clouds which were imbued with elements such as carbon by the primordial Population III stars.
HE 1327-2326 | Introduction
In the catalogue of stars in the "Calendarium of Al Achsasi Al Mouakket", this star was designated Thanih al Naamat (ثاني النعامات - "thānī al-naʽāmāt"), which was translated into Latin as Secunda Struthionum, meaning "the second ostrich". This star, along with η Cet (Deneb Algenubi), τ Cet (Thalath Al Naamat), ζ Cet (Baten Kaitos)and υ Cet, were Al Naʽāmāt (النعامات), the Hen Ostriches. In Chinese, (), meaning "Square Celestial Granary", refers to an asterism consisting of θ Ceti, ι Ceti, η Ceti, ζ Ceti, τ Ceti and 57 Ceti. Consequently, the Chinese name for θ Ceti itself is (, .)
Theta Ceti | Name
Ancient Chinese astronomers designated names to the visible stars systematically, roughly more than one thousand years before Johann Bayer did it in a similar way. Basically, every star is assigned to an asterism. Then a number is given to the individual stars in this asterism. Therefore, a star is designated as "Asterism name" + "Number". The numbering of the stars in an asterism, however, is not based on the apparent magnitude of this star, but rather its position in the asterism. The Bayer system uses this Chinese method occasionally, most notably with the stars in the Big Dipper, which are all about the same magnitude; in turn, the stars of the Big Dipper, in Chinese, are numbered in Chinese astronomy in the same order as with the Bayer designations, with Dubhe first in both cases.
Chinese constellations | Chinese star names
The Dipper mansion is the first of the Black Turtle mansions. It corresponds to constellations Aquila, Corona Australis, Ophiuchus, Sagittarius, Scutum and Telescopium. Added Stars
Chinese star names | Dipper
SN 393 is the modern designation for a probable supernova that was reported by the Chinese in the year 393 CE. An extracted record of this astronomical event was translated into English as follows: The second lunar month mentioned in the record corresponds to the period 27 February to 28 March 393 CE, while the ninth lunar month ran from 22 October to 19 November 393 CE. The bowl-shaped asterism named "Wěi" is formed by the tail of the modern constellation Scorpius. This asterism consists of the stars in Scorpius designated ε, μ, ζ, η, θ, ι, κ, λ and ν.
SN 393 | Introduction
The Extended Met Mansion corresponds to constellation Hydra. Added Stars
Chinese star names | Extended Net
In Chinese, (), meaning "Celestial Drumstick", refers to an asterism consisting of θ Aquilae, 62 Aquilae, 58 Aquilae and η Aquilae. Consequently, the Chinese name for θ Aquilae itself is (, .) In the catalogue of stars in the "Calendarium" of Al Achsasi al Mouakket, this star was designated "Thanih Ras al Akab" (تاني ألرأس ألعقاب - "taanii al ra’s alʕuqāb"), which was translated into Latin as "Secunda Capitis Vulturis", meaning "the second (star) of eagle's head". This star, along with δ Aql and η Aql, were "Al Mizān" (ألميزان), the Scale-beam. According to the catalogue of stars in the "Technical Memorandum 33-507 - A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars", "Al Mizān" were the title for three stars :δ Aql as "Al Mizān I", η Aql as "Al Mizān II" and θ Aql as "Al Mizān III".
Theta Aquilae | Etymology
Washington Double Star Catalog) is not explicitly listed, the WGSN says that the name should be understood to be attributed to the brightest component by visual brightness. In Chinese, (), meaning "Celestial Spring", refers to an asterism consisting of Beta² Sagittarii, Beta¹ Sagittarii and Alpha Sagittarii. Consequently, the Chinese name for Beta² Sagittarii itself is (, .)
Beta2 Sagittarii | Nomenclature
Names listed above are all enumerations within the respective Chinese constellations. The following stars have traditional proper names.
Chinese star names | Individual Stars with Traditional Names
Chen Zhuo's work has been lost, but information on his system of constellations survives in Tang period records, notably by Qutan Xida. The oldest extant Chinese star chart dates to that period and was preserved as part of the Dunhuang Manuscripts. Native Chinese astronomy flourished during the Song dynasty, and during the Yuan dynasty became increasingly influenced by medieval Islamic astronomy (see Treatise on Astrology of the Kaiyuan Era). As maps were prepared during this period on more scientific lines, they were considered as more reliable. A well-known map from the Song period is the Suzhou Astronomical Chart, which was prepared with carvings of stars on the planisphere of the Chinese sky on a stone plate; it is done accurately based on observations, and it shows the supernova of the year of 1054 in Taurus.
Constellation | Ancient China
The Star Mansion corresponds to constellations Cancer, Hydra, Leo, Leo Minor, Lynx, Sextans. Added Stars
Chinese star names | Star
ε Arae was known as (spelled as "Guī yī", meaning: "the 1st (star) of """) in traditional Chinese astronomy. Allen erroneously called it "Tso Kang" (). He probably confused the constellation "Ara" with "Ari", as "Tso Kang" is actually in Aries.
Epsilon1 Arae | Introduction
The second formal compendium of stars in Babylonian astronomy is the MUL.APIN, a pair of tablets named for their "incipit", corresponding to the first constellation of the year, "The Plough", identified with Triangulum plus Gamma Andromedae. The list is a direct descendant of the "Three Stars Each" list, reworked around 1000 BC on the basis of more accurate observations. They include more constellations, including most circumpolar ones, and more of the zodiacal ones. The Babylonian star catalogues entered Greek astronomy in the 4th century BC, via Eudoxus of Cnidus and others. A few of the constellation names in use in modern astronomy can be traced to Babylonian sources via Greek astronomy.
Babylonian star catalogues | MUL.APIN
The first modern schemes for designating stars systematically labelled them within their constellation.
Stellar designations and names | By constellation
In 1992, Rho Aquilae became the first star to have its Bayer designation "invalidated" by moving to a neighbouring constellation—it is now a star of the constellation Delphinus.
Lists of stars by constellation | Introduction
Confirmation of the existence of a second planet followed in 2005, when long term observations of the star's radial velocity variations revealed a variation on a period of about eight years, caused by a planet with a mass at least twice that of Jupiter in a very eccentric orbit with a semimajor axis of about 4.3 AU. The second planet was designated HD 217107 c.
HD 217107 | Planetary system
The Ox mansion corresponds to constellations Aquila, Capricornus, Cygnus, Delphinus, Lyra, Microscopium, Sagitta, Sagittarius and Vulpecula. Its name derives from the Cowherd Star. Added Stars
Chinese star names | Ox
SDSS J001820.5–093939.2 or SDSS J0018−0939 for short is a star system approximately 1000 light-years away near the constellation Cetus. SDSS J0018−0939 is a cool main-sequence star. It is the first star found proposed to be a massive second generation star.
SDSS J001820.5−093939.2 | Introduction
This enlarged star appears to be rotating slowly with a projected rotational velocity of about . The abundance of elements other than hydrogen and helium, its metallicity, is more than three times that of the Sun. Rarely, this star is called Vasat-ül-cemre a Turkisation of Arabic وسط الجمر ("wasaṭ al-jamar"), meaning "middle of the embers." The constellation is named in Arabic المجمرة ("al-mijmarah"), meaning brazier/incense-burner. In Chinese, (), meaning "Pestle", refers to an asterism of β, σ and α Arae. The Chinese name for β Arae is (, .)
Beta Arae | Introduction
It spent much of its stellar life as a B-type main sequence star before expanding and cooling to its current state as it spent its core hydrogen. The secondary is a white main sequence star of spectral type A3V and magnitude 6.57. Despite having different distances when measured by the HIPPARCOS satellite, the two stars share a common proper motion and appear to be a natural binary system.
Cancer (constellation) | Stars
The Double Cluster, comprising two open clusters quite near each other in the sky, was known to the ancient Chinese. The constellation gives its name to the Perseus cluster (Abell 426), a massive galaxy cluster located 250 million light-years from Earth. It hosts the radiant of the annual Perseids meteor shower—one of the most prominent meteor showers in the sky.
Perseus (constellation) | Introduction
In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN's first bulletin of July 2016 included a table of the first two batches of names approved by the WGSN, which included "Markab" for this star. In Chinese, (), meaning "Encampment", refers to an asterism consisting α Pegasi and β Pegasi. Consequently, the Chinese name for α Pegasi itself is (), "the First Star of Encampment".
Alpha Pegasi | Nomenclature
The Encampment mansion corresponds to constellations Andromeda, Aquarius, Capricornus, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Cygnus, Lacerta, Pegasus, Pisces and Piscis Austrinus. Added Stars
Chinese star names | Encampment
Lacaille named a close-by star as Eta as well, which was inconsistently followed by Francis Baily, who used the name for the brighter or both stars in two different publications. Despite their faintness, Benjamin Gould upheld their Bayer designation as they were closer than 25 degrees to the south celestial pole. The second Eta is now designated as HD 150550. It is a variable star of average magnitude 6.53 and spectral type A1III.
Triangulum Australe | Bright stars
Consequently, the Chinese name for β Leporis itself is (), "the Second Star of Toilet".
Beta Leporis | Nomenclature
As the redaction of the third source is of considerably later date (1280) and the two characters are similar, this is easily explained as a transcription error, the historical date being "jichou" 己丑, 4 July. The description of the guest star's location as "to the south-east of Tianguan, perhaps several inches away" has perplexed modern astronomers, because the Crab Nebula is not situated in the south-east, but to the north-west of Zeta Tauri.
SN 1054 | Chinese astronomy
The Rooftop mansion corresponds to constellations Andromeda, Aquarius, Cepheus, Cygnus, Draco, Lacerta, Pegasus, Piscis Austrinus and Vulpecula. Added Stars
Chinese star names | Rooftop
"β Ceti" (Latinised to "Beta Ceti") is the star's Bayer designation. It bore the traditional names "Diphda" and "Deneb Kaitos" . "Diphda" is Arabic for 'frog', from the phrase ضفدع الثاني" "aḍ-ḍifdaʿ aṯ-ṯānī" 'the second frog' (the first frog' is Fomalhaut); "Deneb Kaitos" is from الذنب القيتوس الجنوب "Al Dhanab al Ḳaiṭos al Janūbīyy" 'southern tail of Cetus'. In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalogue and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN approved the name "Diphda" for this star on 21 August 2016 and it is now so entered in the IAU Catalog of Star Names.
Beta Ceti | Nomenclature
the different constellations they allegedly focused on for astrological purposes). Sima's catalogue—the "Book of Celestial Offices" (天官書 Tianguan shu)—includes some 90 constellations, the stars therein named after temples, ideas in philosophy, locations such as markets and shops, and different people such as farmers and soldiers. For his "Spiritual Constitution of the Universe" (靈憲, Ling Xian) of 120 AD, the astronomer Zhang Heng (78–139 AD) compiled a star catalogue comprising 124 constellations. Chinese constellation names were later adopted by the Koreans and Japanese.
Star catalogue | Ancient China
Gan De was a Warring States era (5th century BC) astronomer who according to the testimony of the Dunhuang Star Chart enumerated 810 stars in 138 asterisms. The Dunhuang Star Chart itself has 1,585 stars grouped into 257 asterisms.
Chinese constellations | History
(In fact, the scheme lasted only as long as his immediate heir, the Second Emperor.) The new title carried religious overtones. For that reason, Sinologistsstarting with Peter Boodberg or Edward Schafersometimes translate it as "thearch" and the First Emperor as the First Thearch.
Qin Shi Huang | Origin of name
The Star mansion (星宿, pinyin: Xīng Xiù) is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the southern mansions of the Vermilion Bird.
Star (Chinese constellation) | Introduction
Setiawan discovered both planets around the star: HD 47536 b in 2003 and HD 47536 c in 2007. However, the existence of this second planet is disputed.
HD 47536 | Planetary system
The spectral class of the primary is A5. Hermann Carl Vogel determined that Sheratan was a spectroscopic binary in 1903; its orbit was determined by Hans Ludendorff in 1907. It has since been studied for its eccentric orbit. γ Arietis, with a common name of Mesarthim, is a binary star with two white-hued components, located in a rich field of magnitude 8–12 stars. Its traditional name has conflicting derivations. It may be derived from a corruption of "al-sharatan", the Arabic word meaning "pair" or a word for "fat ram". However, it may also come from the Sanskrit for "first star of Aries" or the Hebrew for "ministerial servants", both of which are unusual languages of origin for star names.
Aries (constellation) | Stars
It is 11.4 light-years from Earth and has a period of 750 years. Both components are orange-hued dwarf (main sequence) stars; the primary is of magnitude 5.2 and the secondary is of magnitude 6.1. 61 Cygni is significant because Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel determined its parallax in 1838, the first star to have a known parallax.
Cygnus (constellation) | Stars
Two systems introduced in historical catalogues remain in use to the present day. The first system comes from the German astronomer Johann Bayer's "Uranometria", published in 1603 and regarding bright stars. These are given a Greek letter followed by the genitive case of the constellation in which they are located; examples are Alpha Centauri or Gamma Cygni. The major problem with Bayer's naming system was the number of letters in the Greek alphabet (24). It was easy to run out of letters before running out of stars needing names, particularly for large constellations such as Argo Navis. Bayer extended his lists up to 67 stars by using lower-case Roman letters ("a" through "z") then upper-case ones ("A" through "Q").
Star catalogue | Bayer and Flamsteed catalogues
With β and σ Ara it forms the Chinese asterism "Choo" (pinyin: chǔ, ), "pestle" in traditional Chinese astronomy. It was the second star of "Choo" (), but R. H. Allen used the name "Choo" for this star only. Patrick Moore lists "Choo" as a proper name for this star in his star catalogue of the constellation Ara. This name is also given the French spelling "Tchou". There is another "Choo" in the constellation Pegasus. In Chinese, (), meaning "Pestle", refers to an asterism consisting of α Arae, σ Arae and β Arae. Consequently, the Chinese name for α Arae itself is (, ).
Alpha Arae | In culture
Consequently, the Chinese name for ζ Pegasi itself is (), "the First Star of Thunder and Lightning".
Zeta Pegasi | Nomenclature
Although the name originally referred to an entire constellation, it was assigned to this particular bright star at least as early as 1660, when it appeared in Andreas Cellarius’s Harmonia Macrocosmica, a renowned 17th century Dutch magnificently illustrated book about the cosmos. In 2016, the IAU organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN decided to attribute proper names to individual stars rather than entire multiple systems. It approved the name "Alsephina" for the component δ Velorum Aa on 5 September 2017 and it is now so included in the List of IAU-approved Star Names.
Delta Velorum | Nomenclature
"ε Sagittarii" (Latinised to "Epsilon Sagittarii") is the star system's Bayer designation. It bore the traditional name "Kaus Australis", which derived from the Arabic قوس "qaws" 'bow' and Latin "austrālis" 'southern'. In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN's first bulletin of July 2016 included a table of the first two batches of names approved by the WGSN; which included "Kaus Australis" for the star ε Sagittarii A. In the catalogue of stars in the "Calendarium" of Al Achsasi al Mouakket, this star was designated "Thalath al Waridah", or "Thalith al Waridah", meaning 'third of Warida'.
Epsilon Sagittarii | Nomenclature
The current naming system is: The second letter is never nearer the beginning of the alphabet than the first, e.g., no star can be BA, CA, CB, DA and so on.
Variable star designation | Naming
The French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille first described the constellation as "l'Horloge à pendule & à secondes" (Clock with pendulum and seconds hand) in 1756, after he had observed and catalogued almost 10,000 southern stars during a two-year stay at the Cape of Good Hope. He devised fourteen new constellations in previously uncharted regions of the southern celestial hemisphere, which were not visible from Europe. All but one honoured scientific instruments, and so symbolised the Age of Enlightenment. The constellation name was Latinised to "Horologium" in a catalogue and updated chart published posthumously in 1763. The Latin term is ultimately derived from the Ancient Greek ὡρολόγιον, for an instrument for telling the hour.
Horologium (constellation) | History
Washington Double Star Catalog) is not explicitly listed, the WGSN says that the name should be understood to be attributed to the brightest component by visual brightness. In Chinese, (), meaning "Celestial Spring", refers to an asterism consisting of Beta¹ Sagittarii, Beta² Sagittarii and Alpha Sagittarii. Consequently, the Chinese name for Beta¹ Sagittarii itself is (, .)
Beta1 Sagittarii | Nomenclature
Eventually the Reverend Thomas Webb, a British astronomer, puzzled out the explanation. Cacciatore's name, "Nicholas Hunter" in English translation, would be Latinized to "Nicolaus Venator". Reversing the letters of this construction produces the two names. They have endured, the result of Cacciatore's little practical joke of naming the two after himself. How Webb arrived at this explanation 45 years after the publication of the catalogue is still a mystery. In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalogue and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN decided to attribute proper names to individual stars rather than entire multiple systems.
Beta Delphini | Nomenclature
The designation S0–2 was first used in 1998. S0 indicates a star within one arc-second of Sgr A*, indicating the galactic centre, and S0–2 was the second closest star seen at the time of the measurements. The star had been catalogued simply as S2 a year earlier, the second of eleven infrared sources near the galactic centre, numbered approximately anti-clockwise. It is a coincidence that the star is numbered "2" in both lists; other catalogs number it differently.
S2 (star) | Nomenclature
The Well Mansion corresponds to constellations Auriga, Cancer, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Carina, Columba, Gemini, Monoceros, Orion, Pictor, Puppis and Taurus. Added Stars
Chinese star names | Well
Mesarthim was discovered to be a double star by Robert Hooke in 1664, one of the earliest such telescopic discoveries. The primary, γ Arietis, is an Alpha² Canum Venaticorum variable star that has a range of 0.02 magnitudes and a period of 2.607 days. It is unusual because of its strong silicon emission lines.
Aries (constellation) | Stars
Excerpt from Chapter 2:- On the formation of the luminaries. 1. Ohrmazd produced illumination between the sky and the earth, the constellation stars and those also not of the constellations, then the moon, and afterwards the sun, as I shall relate. 2. First he produced the celestial sphere, and the constellation stars are assigned to it by him; especially these twelve whose names are Varak (the Lamb), Tora (the Bull), Do-patkar (the Two-figures or Gemini), Kalachang (the Crab), Sher (the Lion), Khushak (Virgo), Tarazhuk (the Balance), Gazdum (the Scorpion), Nimasp (the Centaur or Sagittarius), Vahik (Capricorn), Dul (the Water-pot), and Mahik (the Fish);
Bundahishn | Zoroastrian astronomy
Consequently, the Chinese name for δ Tauri itself is (), "the Second Star of Net". The magnitude 4.35 primary, component A, appears to be an A-type subgiant star with a stellar classification of A2 IV. It is a candidate blue straggler and shows characteristics of an Am star. Abt (1985) gave it a classification of A2kA3hA5m, indicating that the spectrum displays the calcium K-line of an A2 star, the hydrogen lines of an A3 star and the metal lines of an A5 star. It is deficient in scandium but has enhanced iron peak and heavy elements. Although suspect of variability in the past, Delta Tauri A was subsequently determined to be photometrically constant.
Delta3 Tauri | Introduction
The Ruins mansion (also translated as Emptiness) corresponds to constellations Aquarius, Capricornus, Delphinus, Equuleus, Grus, Microscopium, Pegasus and Piscis Austrinus. Added Stars
Chinese star names | Ruins
From China (especially northern China), the stars of Carina can barely be seen. The star Canopus (the south polar star in Chinese astronomy) was located by Chinese astronomers in the Vermilion Bird of the South (南方朱雀, "Nán Fāng Zhū Què"). The rest of the stars were first classified by Xu Guanggi during the Ming Dynasty, based on the knowledge acquired from western star charts, and placed among The Southern Asterisms (近南極星區, "Jìnnánjíxīngōu"). Polynesian peoples had no name for the constellation in particular, though they had many names for Canopus. The Māori name "Ariki" ("High-born"), . and the Hawaiian "Ke Alii-o-kona-i-ka-lewa", "The Chief of the southern expanse".
Carina (constellation) | Equivalents
This star is in the second catalogue of the Gaia spacecraft, which measured independently a distance equal to that of the primary, and estimated a radius of 0.76 , luminosity of 0.33 , and effective temperature of 5,000 K.
Xi Phoenicis | Secondary star
For Example: The little Dog was by Tycho placed among the Stars of the second Magnitude, which Ptolemy reckoned among the Stars of the first Class [...]"
First-magnitude star | Naked-eye magnitude system
The secondary star is a Red dwarf star orbiting at a distance of 100 to 200 AU with a likely period of roughly 800 years.
HD 177830 | Stellar system
In the catalogue of stars in the "Calendarium" of Al Achsasi al Mouakket, this star was designated "Aoul al Sadirah", which was translated into Latin as "Prima τού al Sadirah", meaning "first returning ostrich". In Chinese, (), meaning "Dipper", refers to an asterism consisting of φ Sagittarii, λ Sagittarii, μ Sagittarii, σ Sagittarii, τ Sagittarii and ζ Sagittarii. Consequently,the Chinese name for φ Sagittarii itself is (, .) This star, together with γ Sgr, δ Sgr, ε Sgr, ζ Sgr, λ Sgr, σ Sgr and τ Sgr comprising the "Teapot" asterism. φ Sgr, σ Sgr, ζ Sgr, χ Sgr and τ Sgr were "Al Naʽām al Ṣādirah" (النعم السادرة), the Returning Ostriches.
Phi Sagittarii | Name and etymology
The Room mansion represents the Dragon's abdomen. It corresponds to constellations Libra, Lupus, Ophiuchus and Scorpius. Added Stars
Chinese star names | Room
Consequently, the Chinese name for ε Capricorni itself is (, .) The triple system comprises a close binary pair with an orbital period of 129 days, and a more distant, second companion star. The primary, component Aa, is a Be star that is surrounded by ionized gas that is producing the emission lines in the spectrum. This circumstellar shell is inclined by 80° to the line of sight from the Earth. The system is undergoing both short term and long term variations in luminosity, with the short period variations showing a phase cycle of 1.03 days. It is classified as a Gamma Cassiopeiae variable with an amplitude of 0.16 in magnitude.
Epsilon Capricorni | Introduction
The Girl mansion corresponds to constellations Aquarius, Aquila, Capricornus, Cygnus, Draco and Delphinus. Added Stars
Chinese star names | Girl
"β Aurigae" is the star system's Bayer designation. The traditional name "Menkalinan" is derived from the Arabic منكب ذي العنان "mankib ðī-l-‘inān" "shoulder of the rein-holder". In 2016, the International Astronomical Union organized a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN's first bulletin of July 2016 included a table of the first two batches of names approved by the WGSN; which included "Menkalinan" for this star. It is known as 五車三 (the Third Star of the Five Chariots) in traditional Chinese astronomy.
Beta Aurigae | Nomenclature
NGC 3382 is the name for two stars in the constellation Leo Minor. The object was discovered on April 5, 1874 by the Irish astronomer Lawrence Parsons.
NGC 3382 | Introduction
Chinese star names (Chinese: , "xīng míng") are named according to ancient Chinese astronomy and astrology. The sky is divided into star mansions (, "xīng xiù", also translated as "lodges") and asterisms (, "xīng guān"). The system of 283 asterisms under Three Enclosures and Twenty-eight Mansions was established by Chen Zhuo of the Three Kingdoms period, who synthesized ancient constellations and the asterisms created by early astronomers Shi Shen, Gan De and Wuxian. Since the Han and Jin Dynasties, stars have been given reference numbers within their asterisms in a system similar to the Bayer or Flamsteed designations, so that individual stars can be identified.
Chinese star names | Introduction
Xi Ursae Majoris (ξ Ursae Majoris, abbreviated Xi UMa, ξ UMa), also named Alula Australis , is a star system in the constellation of Ursa Major. On May 2, 1780, Sir William Herschel discovered that this was a binary star system, making it the first such system ever discovered. It was the first visual double star for which an orbit was calculated, when it was computed by Félix Savary in 1828. It is also a variable star with a small amplitude. Xi Ursae Majoris is found in the left hind paw of the Great Bear.
Xi Ursae Majoris | Introduction
Keyzer and de Houtman assigned fifteen stars to the constellation in their Malay and Madagascan vocabulary, with a star that would be later designated as Alpha Hydri marking the head, Gamma the chest and a number of stars that were later allocated to Tucana, Reticulum, Mensa and Horologium marking the body and tail. Lacaille charted and designated 20 stars with the Bayer designations Alpha through to Tau in 1756. Of these, he used the designations Eta, Pi and Tau twice each, for three sets of two stars close together, and omitted Omicron and Xi. He assigned Rho to a star that subsequent astronomers were unable to find.
Hydrus | Stars
In the catalogue of stars in the "Calendarium of Al Achsasi Al Mouakket", this star was designated Thanih al Adzari (ثاني ألعذاري - "thaanii al-aðārii"), which was translated into Latin as Secunda Virginum, meaning "the second virgin". This star, along with ε CMa (Adhara), δ CMa (Wezen) and η CMa (Aludra), were Al ʽAdhārā (ألعذاري), the Virgins.
Omicron2 Canis Majoris | Name
Four Chinese constellations are contained in the area of the sky identified with Perseus in the West. "Tiānchuán" (天船), the Celestial Boat, was the third paranatellon (A star or constellation which rises at the same time as another star or object) of the third house of the White Tiger of the West, representing the boats that Chinese people were reminded to build in case of a catastrophic flood season. Incorporating stars from the northern part of the constellation, it contained Mu, Delta, Psi, Alpha, Gamma and Eta Persei. "Jīshuǐ" (積水), the Swollen Waters, was the fourth paranatellon of the aforementioned house, representing the potential of unusually high floods during the end of August and beginning of September at the beginning of the flood season.
Perseus (constellation) | In non-Western astronomy
The Wall mansion corresponds to constellations Andromeda, Cetus, Pegasus and Pisces. Added Stars
Chinese star names | Wall
In Chinese astronomy, ('North Pole') refers to an asterism consisting of Beta Ursae Minoris, Gamma Ursae Minoris, 5 Ursae Minoris, 4 Ursae Minoris and Σ 1694. Consequently, the Chinese name for Beta Ursae Minoris itself is ('the Second Star of North Pole'), representing ('emperor').
Beta Ursae Minoris | Nomenclature
Xi Phoenicis is known as a double star since 1834, the date of the first registered observation in the Washington Double Star Catalogue. The relative position of the two components has remained constant to this day, confirming they have a common proper motion and form a physical binary system. The secondary star has a visual apparent magnitude of 9.95 and in 2007 was located at an angular separation of 13.06 arcseconds and position angle of 252.5°, in relation to the primary. Considering the distance to the system, this corresponds to a projected separation of 875 AU between the stars. The mass of the secondary is estimated at 0.81 times the solar mass.
Xi Phoenicis | Secondary star
The Three Stars mansion represents the body of White Tiger. It corresponds to constellations Columba, Eridanus, Lepus, Monoceros and Orion. Added Stars
Chinese star names | Three Stars
Hipparchus ranked his stars in a very simple way. He listed the brightest stars as ""of the first magnitude"", which meant "the biggest." Stars less bright Hipparchus called ""of the second magnitude"", or second biggest. The faintest stars visible to the naked eye he called ""of the sixth magnitude"".
First-magnitude star | Hipparchus
In the catalogue of stars in the "Calendarium" of Al Achsasi al Mouakket, this star was designated "Thanih Saad al Saaoud" ( – ), which was translated into Latin as , meaning "the second of luck of lucks". This star, along with Beta Aquarii and 46 Capricorni, were (), "the Luck of Lucks".
Xi Aquarii | Nomenclature
This star system, along with δ Ari, ζ Ari, π Ari, and ρ Ari, were Al Bīrūnī's "Al Buṭain" (ألبطين), the dual of "Al Baṭn", the Belly. According to the catalogue of stars in the "Technical Memorandum 33-507 - A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars", "Al Buṭain" were the title for five stars :δ Ari as "Botein", π Ari as "Al Buṭain I", ρ Ari as "Al Buṭain II", ε Ari as "Al Buṭain III" and ζ Ari as "Al Buṭain IV" In Chinese astronomy, Epsilon Arietis may be or may be part of "Tso Kang" (from Cantonese "zogang", Mandarin pronunciation "zuǒgēng").
Epsilon Arietis | Name
There is no direct modern equivalent, although Ian Ridpath deals with traditional Greek and Roman constellation mythology, while "Short Guide to Modern Star Names" by Paul Kunitzsch and Tim Smart (Otto Harrassowitz, 1986) is an authoritative source on the origin of star names.
Star Names | Further reading
Because of Earth's axial precession, the star was visible to ancient Hindu astronomers in India who named it "Tri-shanku". It was also visible to the ancient Romans and Greeks, who regarded it as part of the constellation of Centaurus.
Acrux | Nomenclature
The Heavenly Market Enclosure (, "Tiān Shì Yuán") represents the emperor's realm. It corresponds to constellations Aquila, Boötes, Corona Borealis, Draco, Hercules, Ophiuchus, Sagitta, Serpens and Vulpecula. Added Stars
Chinese star names | Heavenly Market Enclosure
The first formal compendia of star lists are the "Three Stars Each" texts appearing from about the twelfth century BC. They represent a tripartite division of the heavens: the northern hemisphere belonged to Enlil, the equator belonged to Anu, and the southern hemisphere belonged to Enki. The boundaries were at 17 degrees North and South, so that the Sun spent exactly three consecutive months in each third. The enumeration of stars in the "Three Stars Each" catalogues includes 36 stars, three for each month. The determiner glyph for "constellation" or "star" in these lists is MUL (), originally a pictograph of three stars, as it were a triplet of AN signs; e.
Babylonian star catalogues | "Three Stars Each"
The name HD 102956 derives directly from the fact that the star is the 102,956th star catalogued in the Henry Draper catalog. The designation of b is given to the first planet orbiting a given star. The star is one of the 2.5 million brightest stars in the sky and is part of the Tycho-2 Catalogue. It is not visible to the naked eye with an apparent magnitude of 8.
HD 102956 b | Discovery and nomenclature
The nature of the secondary, component B, is less certain – it may be a class A or F type star of unknown luminosity class. In Chinese astronomy, Mu Serpentis is called 天乳, Pinyin: Tiānrǔ, meaning "Celestial Milk", because this star is marking itself and stand alone in "Celestial Milk" asterism, Root mansion (see : Chinese constellation).
Mu Serpentis | Introduction
In Chinese, (), meaning "Celestial Drumstick", refers to an asterism consisting of η Aquilae, θ Aquilae, 62 Aquilae and 58 Aquilae. Consequently, the Chinese name for η Aquilae itself is (, .) This star, along with δ Aql and θ Aql were Al Mizān (ألميزان), the Scale-beam.According to the catalogue of stars in the "Technical Memorandum 33-507 - A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars", "Al Mizān" were the title for three stars :δ Aql as "Al Mizān I",η Aql as "Al Mizān II" and θ Aql as "Al Mizān III". This star, together with θ Aql, δ Aql, ι Aql, κ Aql and λ Aql were consist Antinous, the obsolete constellation.
Eta Aquilae | Name
Ancient China had a long tradition of observing celestial phenomena. Nonspecific Chinese star names, later categorized in the twenty-eight mansions, have been found on oracle bones from Anyang, dating back to the middle Shang dynasty. These constellations are some of the most important observations of Chinese sky, attested from the 5th century BC. Parallels to the earliest Babylonian (Sumerian) star catalogues suggest that the ancient Chinese system did not arise independently. Three schools of classical Chinese astronomy in the Han period are attributed to astronomers of the earlier Warring States period. The constellations of the three schools were conflated into a single system by Chen Zhuo, an astronomer of the 3rd century (Three Kingdoms period).
Constellation | Ancient China
The asteroids , and were also named after the mythological Seven Sisters. In 1861, the director of the discovering observatory, George Phillips Bond, raised a minor concern since these names had already been applied to some of the brightest stars of the Pleiades in the constellation of Taurus: Maia, Electra, Asterope and Merope.
66 Maja | Double naming
The designation "b" derive from the order of discovery. The designation of "b" is given to the first planet orbiting a given star, followed by the other lowercase letters of the alphabet. In the case of HD 164922, only one was discovered, which was designated "b", then a more inner planet, which was designated "c". The name HD 164922 derives directly from the fact that the star is the 164,922nd star discovered in the Henry Draper catalog.
HD 164922 | Nomenclature
Star catalogues after "Three Stars Each" include the "MUL.APIN" list named after the first Babylonian constellation "", "the Plough", which is the current Triangulum constellation plus Gamma Andromedae. It lists, among others, 17 or 18 constellations in the zodiac. Later catalogues reduce the zodiacal set of constellations to 12, which were borrowed by the Egyptians and the Greeks, still surviving among the modern constellations.
Babylonian star catalogues | Introduction
Originally designated 12 Eridani by John Flamsteed, Alpha Fornacis was named by Lacaille as the brightest star in the new constellation. It is a binary star that can be resolved by small amateur telescopes. With an apparent magnitude of 3.91, the primary is a yellow-white subgiant 1.21 times as massive as the Sun that has begun to cool and expand after exhausting its core hydrogen, having swollen to 1.9 times the Sun's radius. Of magnitude 6.5, the secondary star is 0.78 times as massive as the Sun. It has been identified as a blue straggler, and has either accumulated material from, or merged with, a third star in the past.
Fornax | Stars
The secondary is formally classified as a G0III class star (G-type giant). The primary has a radius of 11.87 solar radii () and a mass of 2.47 solar masses (); the secondary has a radius of and a mass of . The two components are separated by 110 million kilometers, almost 75% of the distance between the Earth and the Sun. The star's status as a binary was discovered in 1899 at the Lick Observatory; its period was determined in 1919 by J.A. Anderson at the 100-inch Mt. Wilson Observatory telescope. It appears with a golden-yellow hue, though Ptolemy and Giovanni Battista Riccioli both described its color as red, a phenomenon attributed not to a change in Capella's color but to the idiosyncrasies of their color sensitivities.
Auriga (constellation) | Bright stars