All Skies Encyclopaedia - User contributions [en]

Maenalus

2026-04-09T00:42:23Z

Ericmamajek: /* Concordance, Etymology, History */

Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}
----
[[File:MonsMaenalus Heweliusz.jpg|thumb|Mons Maenalus in Hevelius (1690), cf. "[https://polona.pl/item-view/1d2e5166-4750-48f6-9839-b695a7a99813?page=217 Polona.pl]"]]
[[File:Mons Maenalus and Boötes Constellation Position.jpg|thumb|Mons Maenalus and Boötes Constellation Position on a modern map (CC BY Ultima Thulean).]]
Mons Maenalus is an early modern European constellation or asterism introduced by Hevelius. Its position was south of Boötes (several degrees south of Arcturus), but north of Virgo, and west of Serpens Caput. The term is Latin, and the constellation was not included among the 88 IAU constellations and is now obsolete.<ref name=":0">Ian Ridpath, Star Tales, [http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/monsmaenalus.html Online Edition]</ref>

==Concordance, Etymology, History==
[[File:MonsMaenalus Hevel.png|thumb|Screenshot from Hevelius's atlas with the "u" in Maenalus clearly visible.]]
'''Spelling Variants'''

* Mons Maenalis
* Mons Menalis

=== Origin of the Constellation ===
Mons Maenalus was a subdivision of Boötes introduced by Hevelius.

Ian Ridpath writes:<ref name=":0" /> <blockquote>
Representing a real mountain of Arcadia in the central Peloponnese, Mons Maenalus was a subdivision of Boötes introduced by Johannes Hevelius in his ''Firmamentum Sobiescianum'' star atlas published in 1690, where it was depicted with Boötes standing on its slopes. However, in his accompanying catalogue Hevelius listed its stars under Boötes, not as a separate constellation. The mountain appeared on many later maps made by other astronomers including Bode, below, but always as part of Boötes, and it never had an independent existence.</blockquote>

The ancient Greek name for the mountain was Μαίναλος or Μαίναλον, with a modern Greek spelling of Μαίναλο (Romanized as ''Mainalo'').

=== Transformations & Variants ===
<gallery>
File:Bootes - Prodromus astronomiae 1690 (5590255).jpg|Bootes - Prodromus astronomiae 1690
File:MonsMaenalus Bode.png|Mons Maenalus in Bode (1801).
File:Bode mons.jpg|Mons Maenalus in Bode (1801), coloured.
</gallery>

==Mythology==
Ian Ridpath's Star Tales:<ref name=":0" /><blockquote>Mons Maenalus took its name from a character in Greek mythology. Maenalus was said by some mythologists to have been the eldest son of Lycaon, king of Arcadia; this would have made Maenalus brother of Callisto and hence uncle of her son Arcas, whom the constellation Boötes represents. Others, though, say he was actually the son of Arcas and hence the grandson of Callisto. Either way, Maenalus gave his name to the mountain in Arcadia and to the city of Maenalon which he founded. Its modern name is Mainalo.</blockquote><blockquote>Mons Maenalus was sacred to the god Pan who frequented it. Ovid in his ''Metamorphoses'' said that Mons Maenalus bristled with the lairs of wild beasts and was a favourite hunting ground of Diana and her entourage, including Callisto. In saying this, Ovid clearly rejected the story that Maenalus was Callisto’s grandson, as the mountain would not yet have got its name.</blockquote>

==IAU Working Group on Star Names==
The stars in the area of the extinct constellation Mons Maenalus are rather faint, with the brightest stars in the region outlined by Hevelius being 109 Vir (Vmag=3.72), 110 Vir (Vmag=4.40), 31 Boo (Vmag=4.86). In 2026, there was a proposal to assign the name "Maenalus" specifically to the star 109 Vir. This proposal is still under review by WGSN.

== Weblinks ==

* Hevelius' Atlas (1690) in Biblioteka Narodowa, [https://polona.pl/item-view/1d2e5166-4750-48f6-9839-b695a7a99813?page=217 polona.pl]

== Reference ==
* [[References|References (general)]]
* [[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (early modern)]]

[[Category:Asterism‏‎]]
[[Category:Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:Constellation‏‎]]
[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:European]]

Pulcherrima

2026-03-30T06:30:36Z

Ericmamajek: /* IAU Working Group on Star Names */

Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}
----
[[File:Struve1837 Mensurae-Micrometricae1824-1837 Pulcherrima.jpg|thumb|Pulcherrima in Struve (1837) Mensurae Micrometricae 1824-1837 ]]
The name Pulcherrima was given to the double star Epsilon Boötis (mags. 2.5 and 4.8) by Friedrich G. W. von Struve in 1837.<ref>Struve (1837). ''Mensurae Micrometricae'' 1824-1837. </ref> The Latin name translates to "most beautiful" or "loveliest," referring to its striking, contrasting colors — a bright yellow primary and a blue-white secondary star. The official IAU name for Epsilon Boötis A (ε Boo A) is [[Izar]], adopted in 2016.

==Concordance, Etymology, History==
[[File:Pulcherrima Smyth1844.png|thumb|Pulcherrima in Smyth 1844]]
19th century German-Russian astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve, known for his study of double stars, described the star as ''duplex pulcherrima'', Latin for “the loveliest double”.

Proctor (1866) for name "Pulcherissima" states <blockquote>"A name given by modern astronomers to express the extreme beauty of this double star (orange and green), viewed with a good telescope." </blockquote>However the spelling "Pulcherrima" appeared much more often after mid-19th century. Admiral Smyth (1844)<ref>William Henry SMYTH (1844). A Cycle of Celestial Objects, for the use of naval, military and private astronomers, Volume 2, p 325</ref> cites Struve as the source of the name.

=== Note on the date of first appearance ===
Some books claim that Struve invented this name in 1829, but the earliest we can find is on p.49 of his ''Stellarum duplicium multiplicium mensurae micrometricae'' of 1837. There he describes it as ''duplex pulcherrima'', “the most beautiful double”. The error seems to stem from Robert Burnham's well-known 3-volume ''Celestial Handbook: An Observer's Guide to the Universe Beyond'' ''the Solar System'' (1978): [https://archive.org/details/burnhams-celestial-handbook-volume-3/Burnhams%20Celestial%20Handbook%2C%20Volume%201/page/n155/mode/1u archive]. He may have obtained this date from Smyth who lists an observation of the separation and position angle of the pair by Struve in 1829. The erroneous attribution of the capitalized name "Pulcherrima" to Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve also appears books by Darby (1864; "The Astronomical Observer") and Allen (1899; "Star-names and Their Meanings").
[[File:Herschel epsBoo double.png|thumb|Herschel, W. (1779). Catalogue of Double Stars, p 60]]

Burnham also errs in claiming that the binary character of Epsilon Boötis was first discovered by Wilhelm Struve; it was actually discovered by William Herschel in 1779. Indeed, it was the first double star listed in W. Herschel's first "Catalog of Double Stars" (1782) and he noted it as "a very beautiful object".
As "very beautiful" can translate to "pulcherrima" in Latin, it is possible that Struve was simply acknowledging Herschel's description in his Latin notes on the system. Struve did not mention the "beauty" of the double in his original Catalogus Novus in 1827, but only described it as ''duplex pulcherrima'' in his 1837 work.

<gallery>
File:Struve1837 Mensurae-Micrometricae1824-1837 Pulcherrima.jpg|Struve 1837
File:Pulcherrima Smyth1844.png|Smyth 1844
File:Herschel epsBoo double.png|Herschel 1779
File:Burnham1978 pulcherrimaStruve.png|Burnham (1978) about Struve's name
</gallery>

==Mythology==

==IAU Working Group on Star Names==
In the course of the WGSN's research on historical star names, the name "Pulcherrima" is being considered for Epsilon Boötis B (HR 5505, HD 129988, HIP 72105 B), but has not been adopted as yet.

The companion star to Epsilon Boötis was unknown before its discovery by Herschel in the late 18th century, so it has no earlier cultural names, and the proposed name would recognize the descriptions by the famous double star observers W. Herschel and F.G.W. Struve.

== Weblinks ==

*

== Reference ==
* [[References|References (general)]]
* [[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (early modern)]]
* Ian Ridpath's ''Star Tales'' – Boötes([http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/bootes.html#arcturus])

[[Category:Asterism‏‎]]
[[Category:Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:IAU-Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:European]]
[[Category:Modern]]

Pulcherrima

2026-03-30T06:21:43Z

Ericmamajek: /* Note on the date of first appearance */

Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}
----
[[File:Struve1837 Mensurae-Micrometricae1824-1837 Pulcherrima.jpg|thumb|Pulcherrima in Struve (1837) Mensurae Micrometricae 1824-1837 ]]
The name Pulcherrima was given to the double star Epsilon Boötis (mags. 2.5 and 4.8) by Friedrich G. W. von Struve in 1837.<ref>Struve (1837). ''Mensurae Micrometricae'' 1824-1837. </ref> The Latin name translates to "most beautiful" or "loveliest," referring to its striking, contrasting colors — a bright yellow primary and a blue-white secondary star. The official IAU name for Epsilon Boötis A (ε Boo A) is [[Izar]], adopted in 2016.

==Concordance, Etymology, History==
[[File:Pulcherrima Smyth1844.png|thumb|Pulcherrima in Smyth 1844]]
19th century German-Russian astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve, known for his study of double stars, described the star as ''duplex pulcherrima'', Latin for “the loveliest double”.

Proctor (1866) for name "Pulcherissima" states <blockquote>"A name given by modern astronomers to express the extreme beauty of this double star (orange and green), viewed with a good telescope." </blockquote>However the spelling "Pulcherrima" appeared much more often after mid-19th century. Admiral Smyth (1844)<ref>William Henry SMYTH (1844). A Cycle of Celestial Objects, for the use of naval, military and private astronomers, Volume 2, p 325</ref> cites Struve as the source of the name.

=== Note on the date of first appearance ===
Some books claim that Struve invented this name in 1829, but the earliest we can find is on p.49 of his ''Stellarum duplicium multiplicium mensurae micrometricae'' of 1837. There he describes it as ''duplex pulcherrima'', “the most beautiful double”. The error seems to stem from Robert Burnham's well-known 3-volume ''Celestial Handbook: An Observer's Guide to the Universe Beyond'' ''the Solar System'' (1978): [https://archive.org/details/burnhams-celestial-handbook-volume-3/Burnhams%20Celestial%20Handbook%2C%20Volume%201/page/n155/mode/1u archive]. He may have obtained this date from Smyth who lists an observation of the separation and position angle of the pair by Struve in 1829. The erroneous attribution of the capitalized name "Pulcherrima" to Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve also appears books by Darby (1864; "The Astronomical Observer") and Allen (1899; "Star-names and Their Meanings").
[[File:Herschel epsBoo double.png|thumb|Herschel, W. (1779). Catalogue of Double Stars, p 60]]

Burnham also errs in claiming that the binary character of Epsilon Boötis was first discovered by Wilhelm Struve; it was actually discovered by William Herschel in 1779. Indeed, it was the first double star listed in W. Herschel's first "Catalog of Double Stars" (1782) and he noted it as "a very beautiful object".
As "very beautiful" can translate to "pulcherrima" in Latin, it is possible that Struve was simply acknowledging Herschel's description in his Latin notes on the system. Struve did not mention the "beauty" of the double in his original Catalogus Novus in 1827, but only described it as ''duplex pulcherrima'' in his 1837 work.

<gallery>
File:Struve1837 Mensurae-Micrometricae1824-1837 Pulcherrima.jpg|Struve 1837
File:Pulcherrima Smyth1844.png|Smyth 1844
File:Herschel epsBoo double.png|Herschel 1779
File:Burnham1978 pulcherrimaStruve.png|Burnham (1978) about Struve's name
</gallery>

==Mythology==

==IAU Working Group on Star Names==
The name was suggested to the IAU WGSN in 2023 for HIP 72105 '''B'''. WGSN chose ... (not to apply/ to apply the name to a neighbouring star/ to ...) in the IAU-CSN.

== Weblinks ==

*

== Reference ==
* [[References|References (general)]]
* [[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (early modern)]]
* Ian Ridpath's ''Star Tales'' – Boötes([http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/bootes.html#arcturus])

[[Category:Asterism‏‎]]
[[Category:Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:IAU-Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:European]]
[[Category:Modern]]

Pulcherrima

2026-03-30T06:08:21Z

Ericmamajek: /* Concordance, Etymology, History */

Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}
----
[[File:Struve1837 Mensurae-Micrometricae1824-1837 Pulcherrima.jpg|thumb|Pulcherrima in Struve (1837) Mensurae Micrometricae 1824-1837 ]]
The name Pulcherrima was given to the double star Epsilon Boötis (mags. 2.5 and 4.8) by Friedrich G. W. von Struve in 1837.<ref>Struve (1837). ''Mensurae Micrometricae'' 1824-1837. </ref> The Latin name translates to "most beautiful" or "loveliest," referring to its striking, contrasting colors — a bright yellow primary and a blue-white secondary star. The official IAU name for Epsilon Boötis A (ε Boo A) is [[Izar]], adopted in 2016.

==Concordance, Etymology, History==
[[File:Pulcherrima Smyth1844.png|thumb|Pulcherrima in Smyth 1844]]
19th century German-Russian astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve, known for his study of double stars, described the star as ''duplex pulcherrima'', Latin for “the loveliest double”.

Proctor (1866) for name "Pulcherissima" states <blockquote>"A name given by modern astronomers to express the extreme beauty of this double star (orange and green), viewed with a good telescope." </blockquote>However the spelling "Pulcherrima" appeared much more often after mid-19th century. Admiral Smyth (1844)<ref>William Henry SMYTH (1844). A Cycle of Celestial Objects, for the use of naval, military and private astronomers, Volume 2, p 325</ref> cites Struve as the source of the name.

=== Note on the date of first appearance ===
Some books claim that Struve invented this name in 1829, but the earliest we can find is on p.49 of his ''Stellarum duplicium multiplicium mensurae micrometricae'' of 1837. There he describes it as ''duplex pulcherrima'', “the most beautiful double”. The error seems to stem from Robert Burnham's well-known 3-volume ''Celestial Handbook: An Observer's Guide to the Universe Beyond'' ''the Solar System'' (1978): [https://archive.org/details/burnhams-celestial-handbook-volume-3/Burnhams%20Celestial%20Handbook%2C%20Volume%201/page/n155/mode/1u archive]. He may have obtained this date from Smyth who lists an observation of the separation and position angle of the pair by Struve in 1829. The erroneous attribution of the capitalized name "Pulcherrima" to Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve also appears books by Darby (1864; "The Astronomical Observer") and Allen (1899; "Star-names and Their Meanings").
[[File:Herschel epsBoo double.png|thumb|Herschel, W. (1779). Catalogue of Double Stars, p 60]]

Burnham also errs in claiming that the binary character of Epsilon Boötis was first discovered by Wilhelm Struve; it was actually discovered by William Herschel in 1779. <gallery>
File:Struve1837 Mensurae-Micrometricae1824-1837 Pulcherrima.jpg|Struve 1837
File:Pulcherrima Smyth1844.png|Smyth 1844
File:Herschel epsBoo double.png|Herschel 1779
File:Burnham1978 pulcherrimaStruve.png|Burnham (1978) about Struve's name
</gallery>

==Mythology==

==IAU Working Group on Star Names==
The name was suggested to the IAU WGSN in 2023 for HIP 72105 '''B'''. WGSN chose ... (not to apply/ to apply the name to a neighbouring star/ to ...) in the IAU-CSN.

== Weblinks ==

*

== Reference ==
* [[References|References (general)]]
* [[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (early modern)]]
* Ian Ridpath's ''Star Tales'' – Boötes([http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/bootes.html#arcturus])

[[Category:Asterism‏‎]]
[[Category:Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:IAU-Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:European]]
[[Category:Modern]]

Darlugal

2026-03-25T06:16:40Z

Ericmamajek: /* IAU Working Group on Star Names */

{{distinguish|DAR.LUGAL}}

Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}
----
Darlugal is a modern IAU-star name in [[Lepus]], derived from Sumerian [[DAR.LUGAL]] = Akkadian ''tarlugallu/tarnugallu'', The Rooster, which is the Mesopotamian constellation that covers this area.

==Concordance, Etymology, History==
The Sumerian term is written syllabically as an Akkadian loan-word ''tarlugallu/'' ''tarnugallu'' (from the Sumerian)''.'' The identification with roosters is confirmed by the Mesopotamian Bird-Call texts where the bird’s cry is ''taḫtatâ ana tutu'' - "You have committed a sin against the god Tutu", this being the Akkadian equivalent of English “cook-a-doodle-doo.”

Archaeological evidence suggests that chickens were domesticated in southeast Asia, modern-day Thailand in particular, by the middle of the 2nd millennium BCE. They are documented with certainty in the Indus culture and in Egypt from around -1400 on. Chickens appear in the archaeological and iconographic record in Mesopotamia during Iron Age I (∼1150 to 965 BCE; Peters et al. 2022). It is assumed that they were initially kept mainly for amusement by organising cockfights on which bets could be placed (this cultural practice is documented by Homer in the 8th century BCE). Domesticated roosters (actually francolins) therefore date to the same period as the oldest known astronomical compendium, MUL.APIN, written in cuneiform.

The Sumerian term consists of a noun-adjective pair: the noun DAR (a bird) and LUGAL (king, adj. royal), i.e. the royal dar-bird - this being a loan-word into Sumerian and Akkadian which both preserved the sound of the name the foreign bird being introduced into the Ancient Near East, as well as providing a nice Sumerian explanation of the bird-name.

==Mythology/ Religion==

==IAU Working Group on Star Names==
The name '''Darlugal''' was adopted for the naked eye star Zeta Leporis (HR 1998, HD 38678, HIP 27288, GJ 217.1, GJ 9190) by the IAU WGSN on 22 March 2026 and added to the IAU Catalog of Star Names. The name honours the indigenous Sumerian constellation Darlugal.

The star '''Darlugal''' (Zeta Leporis) is a relatively nearby (21.6 parsecs), fast-rotating, young (~300 million year-old) A-type star. The star is famous for hosting a dusty debris disks first detected with the IRAS infrared observatory in the 1980s. The dust disk appears to be replenished by collisions of asteroids, as the survival timescales for micron-sized dust grains are only thousands of years. This star was notable as it was one of the only two field stars (including Beta Pictoris) for which excess emission was detected by IRAS at 12 microns, implying the existent of relatively warm (~320 Kelvin) dust (Chen & Jura 2001). The star and its dust disk was later resolved using the large ground-based Keck telescope at 18 microns, demonstrating that the infrared excess was coming from dust grains orbiting at a few AU (Moerchen et al. 2007).

== Weblinks ==

*

== Reference ==
* [[References|References (general)]]
* [[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (early modern)]]
* Ian Ridpath's website ([http://ianridpath.com/startales Star Tales] )
* SIMBAD entry for zet Lep: https://simbad.cds.unistra.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=zet+Lep
* Chen & Jura 2001 https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2001ApJ...560L.171C/abstract
* Moerchen et al. 2007 https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2007ApJ...655L.109M/abstract
* Peters et al. 2022 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9214543/

[[Category:Single star-asterism‏‎]]
[[Category:Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:IAU-Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:East Asian]]

Darlugal

2026-03-25T05:56:49Z

Ericmamajek: /* IAU Working Group on Star Names */

{{distinguish|DAR.LUGAL}}

Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}
----
Darlugal is a modern IAU-star name in [[Lepus]], derived from Sumerian [[DAR.LUGAL]] = Akkadian ''tarlugallu/tarnugallu'', The Rooster, which is the Mesopotamian constellation that covers this area.

==Concordance, Etymology, History==
The Sumerian term is written syllabically as an Akkadian loan-word ''tarlugallu/'' ''tarnugallu'' (from the Sumerian)''.'' The identification with roosters is confirmed by the Mesopotamian Bird-Call texts where the bird’s cry is ''taḫtatâ ana tutu'' - "You have committed a sin against the god Tutu", this being the Akkadian equivalent of English “cook-a-doodle-doo.”

Archaeological evidence suggests that chickens were domesticated in southeast Asia, modern-day Thailand in particular, by the middle of the 2nd millennium BCE. They are documented with certainty in the Indus culture and in Egypt from around -1400 on. Chickens appear in the archaeological and iconographic record in Mesopotamia during Iron Age I (∼1150 to 965 BCE; Peters et al. 2022). It is assumed that they were initially kept mainly for amusement by organising cockfights on which bets could be placed (this cultural practice is documented by Homer in the 8th century BCE). Domesticated roosters (actually francolins) therefore date to the same period as the oldest known astronomical compendium, MUL.APIN, written in cuneiform.

The Sumerian term consists of a noun-adjective pair: the noun DAR (a bird) and LUGAL (king, adj. royal), i.e. the royal dar-bird - this being a loan-word into Sumerian and Akkadian which both preserved the sound of the name the foreign bird being introduced into the Ancient Near East, as well as providing a nice Sumerian explanation of the bird-name.

==Mythology/ Religion==

==IAU Working Group on Star Names==
The name Darlugal was adopted for the naked eye star Zeta Leporis (HR 1998, HD 38678, HIP 27288, GJ 217.1, GJ 9190) by the IAU WGSN on 22 March 2026. The name honours the indigenous Sumerian constellation Darlugal.

As this star is already named ..., the WGSN chose ... (not to apply/ to apply the name to a neighbouring star/ to ...) in the IAU-CSN.

== Weblinks ==

*

== Reference ==
* [[References|References (general)]]
* [[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (early modern)]]
* Ian Ridpath's website ([http://ianridpath.com/startales Star Tales] )
* Peters et al. 2022 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9214543/

[[Category:Single star-asterism‏‎]]
[[Category:Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:IAU-Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:East Asian]]

Pherkad Minor

2026-03-19T04:26:31Z

Ericmamajek: /* IAU Working Group on Star Names */

{{distinguish|Pherkad}}
Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}
----
[[File:PherkadMinor stellarium.jpg|thumb|Pherkad Minor in Stellarium (2026).]]
"Pherkad Minor" is the a common name for 11 UMi (5.01 mag) in [[Ursa Minor]].

==Concordance, Etymology, History==
The name "[[Pherkad]]" has been used in recent times. It is derived from the singular form of the ind-A asterism name al-farqadan, "the Two Calves", for β and γ UMi. The name Pherkad was adopted by WGSN for the 3rd magnitude star γ UMi into the IAU-Catalog of Star Names in 2016.

The star [https://simbad.cds.unistra.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=Pherkad+Minor 11 UMi] ((HR 5714, HD 136726, HIP 74793) is a somewhat fainter (Vmag = 5.01) neighbour to γ UMi (Vmag = 3.00 mag), approximately 17 arcminutes away westward.

In the years after his 1801 discovery of the dwarf planet Ceres, Giuseppe Piazzi published the "Palermo Catalogue" containing positions for over 7000 stars, with a first edition in 1802 and a second edition in 1814 ("[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433087548214&view=1up&seq=5 Praecipuarum Stellarum Inerrantium Positiones Mediae Ineunte Saeculo XIX. Ex Observationibus Habitis In Specula Panormitana Ab anno 1792 ad annum 1813]") . In compiling this catalog, Piazzi included nearly 200 proper names for stars, some of which were new. Some names were borrowed from names of Arabian asterisms but with transliterated names, sometimes with descriptors, and assigned to individual stars. Piazzi labeled the brighter star γ UMi as "Pherkad ma." [i.e. "major"] and the fainter nearby star 11 UMi was labeled "Pherkad mi." [i.e. "minor"]. Shortly afterwards, Franz Xaver von Zach (1816) reproduced a list of the star names from Piazzi's Palermo Catalog ("[https://books.google.com/books?id=O3lbAAAAQAAJ&q=Pherkad+Minor Verzeichnifs der in Piazzi's neustem Stern-Catalog (Edit. Panormi 1814.) vorkommenden arabischen Stern-Namen]"), writing out "Pherkad minor" for 11 UMi.

Despite their relative proximity, γ UMi and 11 UMi are unrelated. 11 UMi is a red giant star (spectral type K4III) approximately 411 light years away, while the brighter star γ UMi is a white giant (spectral type A2III) star at distance 493 light years.

In 2009, a candidate giant exoplanet was reported by [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009A%26A...505.1311D/abstract Dollinger et al.] orbiting 11 UMi with a ~1.4 year period. The minimum mass of the companion has been reported to be between about [https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/overview/11%20UMi#planet_11-UMi-b_collapsible 10 and 15 Jupiter masses], and with an unknown inclination, the true mass of the companion may correspond to a brown dwarf rather than giant exoplanet.

==Mythology==

==IAU Working Group on Star Names==
The name Pherkad Minor was in sufficiently common use that it has been in SIMBAD for some time. IAU WGSN adopted the name for the IAU Catalog of Star Names in 202x.
== Weblinks ==

* [https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/overview/11%20UMi NASA Exoplanet Archive link for 11 UMi]

== Reference ==
* [[References|References (general)]]
* [[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (early modern)]]
* Ian Ridpath's website ([http://ianridpath.com/startales Star Tales] )

[[Category:Single star-asterism‏‎]]
[[Category:Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:IAU-Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:East Asian]]

Pherkad Minor

2026-03-19T04:24:23Z

Ericmamajek: added to history (Palermo Catalog, Piazzi, von Zach)

{{distinguish|Pherkad}}
Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}
----
[[File:PherkadMinor stellarium.jpg|thumb|Pherkad Minor in Stellarium (2026).]]
"Pherkad Minor" is the a common name for 11 UMi (5.01 mag) in [[Ursa Minor]].

==Concordance, Etymology, History==
The name "[[Pherkad]]" has been used in recent times. It is derived from the singular form of the ind-A asterism name al-farqadan, "the Two Calves", for β and γ UMi. The name Pherkad was adopted by WGSN for the 3rd magnitude star γ UMi into the IAU-Catalog of Star Names in 2016.

The star [https://simbad.cds.unistra.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=Pherkad+Minor 11 UMi] ((HR 5714, HD 136726, HIP 74793) is a somewhat fainter (Vmag = 5.01) neighbour to γ UMi (Vmag = 3.00 mag), approximately 17 arcminutes away westward.

In the years after his 1801 discovery of the dwarf planet Ceres, Giuseppe Piazzi published the "Palermo Catalogue" containing positions for over 7000 stars, with a first edition in 1802 and a second edition in 1814 ("[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433087548214&view=1up&seq=5 Praecipuarum Stellarum Inerrantium Positiones Mediae Ineunte Saeculo XIX. Ex Observationibus Habitis In Specula Panormitana Ab anno 1792 ad annum 1813]") . In compiling this catalog, Piazzi included nearly 200 proper names for stars, some of which were new. Some names were borrowed from names of Arabian asterisms but with transliterated names, sometimes with descriptors, and assigned to individual stars. Piazzi labeled the brighter star γ UMi as "Pherkad ma." [i.e. "major"] and the fainter nearby star 11 UMi was labeled "Pherkad mi." [i.e. "minor"]. Shortly afterwards, Franz Xaver von Zach (1816) reproduced a list of the star names from Piazzi's Palermo Catalog ("[https://books.google.com/books?id=O3lbAAAAQAAJ&q=Pherkad+Minor Verzeichnifs der in Piazzi's neustem Stern-Catalog (Edit. Panormi 1814.) vorkommenden arabischen Stern-Namen]"), writing out "Pherkad minor" for 11 UMi.

Despite their relative proximity, γ UMi and 11 UMi are unrelated. 11 UMi is a red giant star (spectral type K4III) approximately 411 light years away, while the brighter star γ UMi is a white giant (spectral type A2III) star at distance 493 light years.

In 2009, a candidate giant exoplanet was reported by [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009A%26A...505.1311D/abstract Dollinger et al.] orbiting 11 UMi with a ~1.4 year period. The minimum mass of the companion has been reported to be between about [https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/overview/11%20UMi#planet_11-UMi-b_collapsible 10 and 15 Jupiter masses], and with an unknown inclination, the true mass of the companion may correspond to a brown dwarf rather than giant exoplanet.

==Mythology==

==IAU Working Group on Star Names==
The name has been in SIMBAD for long time and was approved by the IAU WGSN in 202x. As this star is already named ..., the WGSN chose ... (not to apply/ to apply the name to a neighbouring star/ to ...) in the IAU-CSN.

== Weblinks ==

* [https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/overview/11%20UMi NASA Exoplanet Archive link for 11 UMi]

== Reference ==
* [[References|References (general)]]
* [[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (early modern)]]
* Ian Ridpath's website ([http://ianridpath.com/startales Star Tales] )

[[Category:Single star-asterism‏‎]]
[[Category:Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:IAU-Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:East Asian]]

Rangifer

2025-12-14T20:33:15Z

Ericmamajek: /* Stars inside the Constellation Area */

[[File:Reindeer LeMonnier1743 hi.png|thumb|Reindeer in Le Monnier (1743), see also: [https://www.e-rara.ch/zut/content/zoom/694976 rara Zurich]]]
''Rangifer'', the Reindeer, is an extinct constellation first introduced by Pierre-Charles Le Monnier in 1743 in the book ''La Théorie des Comètes''.
==Concordance, Etymology, History==
[[File:Elk Sami stellarium.jpg|thumb|Sarva, The Elk, in Sami uranography (Stellarium).]]
[[File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Camelopardalis, Tarandus and Custos Messium.jpg|thumb|Rangifer in Sidney Hall (1825) plate 2 in ''Urania's Mirror'']]
[[File:Bode custom rengifer.jpg|thumb|Rangifer and Custom Messium (Bode 1801)]]
The constellation is discussed at length on Ian Ridpath's Star Tales<ref name=":0">Ian Ridpath (online edition), Star Tales, http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/rangifer.html</ref> and John Barentine (2016)<ref>John Barentine's (2016) "''The Lost Constellations: A History of Obsolete, Extinct, or Forgotten Star Lore.''" Springer</ref>, Chapter 20 (p.307). Le Monnier was part of the 1736-1737 expeditions by Pierre-Louis Moreau de Maupertuis to Lapland which improved the measurement of the length of a degree of latitude and convincingly demonstrated the oblateness of the Earth. The reindeer and placement of the constellation just below the north celestial pole appear to commemorate the expedition and achievement.

=== Origin of Constellation ===
Ridpath<ref name=":0" /> elaborates: <blockquote>A faint, far-northern constellation introduced in 1743 on a star chart published by the Frenchman Pierre-Charles Le Monnier (1715–99) in his book ''La Théorie des Comètes''. The chart showed the track of the comet of 1742 through the north polar region of the sky and Le Monnier was inspired to place a new constellation representing a reindeer on the comet’s course, close to the north celestial pole between [[Cepheus]] and [[Camelopardalis]]. Le Monnier chose a reindeer as a reminder of his trip to Lapland in 1736–37 with the expedition of Pierre Louis de Maupertuis to measure the length of a degree of latitude in the far north. (The Sami people of northern Scandinavia also visualized a reindeer called Sarvvis, or Sarva, among the stars, but theirs was much bigger, incorporating Auriga, [[Perseus]], [[Cassiopeia]], and [[Cepheus]].)</blockquote><blockquote>The same chart was republished in 1746 in Le Monnier’s book Institutions astronomiques but with no further explanation of the new constellation that appeared on it. Le Monnier seems never to have published a list of its stars, but Bode in his catalogue ''Allgemeine Beschreibung und Nachweisung der Gestirne'' of 1801 assigned it 46 stars of 5th to 7th magnitude plus one deep-sky object, the galaxy NGC 1184. Most of these are now within the borders of northern Cepheus.</blockquote><blockquote>On Le Monnier’s chart the constellation was named ‘''le Réene''’, a spelling that was adopted by his fellow Frenchman Jean Fortin in his ''Atlas Céleste'' of 1776 (with the addition of an accent over the first letter ''e'': Réene). However, the name should more accurately have been ‘le Renne’, and Fortin changed it on his revised edition of 1795. Bode Latinized it as Rangifer on his ''Uranographia'' of 1801. An alternative name found on some maps was Tarandus from the reindeer’s scientific name, Rangifer tarandus. </blockquote>As summarized by Ridpath and Barentine, the constellation of the reindeer appeared by several names during its life during the 18th and 19th centuries: "''Le Reene''" (in Le Monnier 1743), "''le Réene''" (Le Monnier 1746, Fortin 1776), "''le Renne''" (Fortin 1795), "''Rennthier''" (Bode 1876), "''Rangifer''" (Latin name, Bode 1801 Uranographia), "''Tarandus''" (Urania's Mirror 1825, Chambers 1877).

Carl Linnaeus (1758) dubbed the reindeer species of the Eurasian tundra "''cervus tarandus''", and Charles Hamilton Smith (1827) introduced the genus name ''Rangifer.'' Species and subspecies of ''Rangifer'' are called reindeer in Eurasia and caribou in North America. In a recent review by Lee Harding (2022, ZooKeys (1119): 117–151), 18 species or subspecies are now recognized in North America and 31 in Europe and Asia. "Reindeer" may have its origin from the Old Norse ''hreindýri.''

Rangifer was comprised of very faint stars, indeed Bode's (1801) catalog, ''Allgemeine Beschreibung und Nachweisung der Gestirne'' listed 47 stars in the constellation, most of which were magnitudes 6 and 7, and only one of 5th magnitude.

==== Stars inside the Constellation Area ====
Barentine (2016, Fig. 8.20) overlays the Urania's Mirror version of the constellation over a modern star map. It appears that the brightest stars in Rangifer were the following:
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!design.
!HIP
!HR
!Vmag
|-
|2 UMi
|5372
|285
|4.25
|-
|HD 19275
|14862
|932
|4.92
|-
|OV Cep
|37391
|2609
|5.07
|-
|49 Cas
|9763
|592
|5.22
|-
|40 Cas
|7650
|456
|5.25
|-
|47 Cas
|9727
|581
|5.38
|}
The brightest and northernmost (declination 86°) of these Rangifer stars is [https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=2+UMi 2 Ursae Minoris], which is actually in modern-day Cepheus. The star marks the tip of the tail in LeMonnier's original drawing and in Bode (1782) but is not part of the figure in Bode (1801).
===Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation===
<gallery>
File:Reindeer LeMonnier1743 hi.png|Le Monnier (1743)
File:Bode custom rengifer.jpg|Bode (1801)
File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Camelopardalis, Tarandus and Custos Messium.jpg|Hall (1825)
</gallery>

==Mythology==

==Weblinks==

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangifer_(constellation)

==References==

*[[References]] (general)
*[[References (Babylonian)]]
*[[References (Greco-Roman)|References (ancient Greco-Roman)]]
*[[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (medieval)]]

[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:Constellation]]
[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:European]]
[[Category:Modern]]

<references />

Rangifer

2025-12-14T09:42:39Z

Ericmamajek:

''Rangifer'' - the reindeer - is an extinct constellation first introduced by Pierre-Charles Le Monnier in 1743 in the book ''La Théorie des Comètes''.

The constellation is discussed at length on Ian Ridpath's Star Tales website (http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/rangifer.html) and Chapter 20 (p.307) of John Barentine's (2016) "''The Lost Constellations: A History of Obsolete, Extinct, or Forgotten Star Lore.''"

Le Monnier was part of the 1736-1737 expeditions by Pierre-Louis Moreau de Maupertuis to Lapland which improved the measurement of the length of a degree of latitude and convincingly demonstrated the oblateness of the Earth. The reindeer and placement of the constellation just below the north celestial pole appear to commemorate the expedition and achievement.

As summarized by Ridpath and Barentine, the constellation of the reindeer appeared by several names during its life during the 18th and 19th centuries: "''Le Reene''" (in Le Monnier 1743), "''le Réene''" (Le Monnier 1746, Fortin 1776), "''le Renne''" (Fortin 1795), "''Rennthier''" (Bode 1876), "''Rangifer''" (Latin name, Bode 1801 Uranographia), "''Tarandus''" (Urania's Mirror 1825, Chambers 1877).

Carl Linnaeus (1758) dubbed the reindeer species of the Eurasian tundra "''cervus tarandus''", and Charles Hamilton Smith (1827) introduced the genus name ''Rangifer.'' Species and subspecies of ''Rangifer'' are called reindeer in Eurasia and caribou in North America. In a recent review by Lee Harding (2022, ZooKeys (1119): 117–151), 18 species or subspecies are now recognized in North America and 31 in Europe and Asia. "Reindeer" may have its origin from the Old Norse ''hreindýri.''

Rangifer was comprised of very faint stars, indeed Bode's (1801) catalog ''Allgemeine Beschreibung und Nachweisung der Gestirne'' listed 47 stars in the constellation, most of which were magnitudes 6 and 7, and only one of 5th magnitude.

Barentine (2016, Fig. 8.20) overlays the Urania's Mirror version of the constellation over a modern star map. It appears that the brightest stars in Rangifer were 2 UMi (V=4.25 mag), HR 932 (V=4.92), OV Cep (V=5.07), 49 Cas (V=5.22), 40 Cas (V=5.25), and 47 Cas (V=5.38).

The brightest and northernmost (declination 86 deg) of these Rangifer stars is 2 Ursa Minoris, which is actually in modern-day Cepheus.

References:

http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/rangifer.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangifer_(constellation)

Rangifer

2025-12-14T09:28:07Z

Ericmamajek: added etymology and uses of different names

''Rangifer'' - the reindeer - is an extinct constellation first introduced by Pierre-Charles Le Monnier in 1743 in the book ''La Théorie des Comètes''.

The constellation is discussed at length on Ian Ridpath's Star Tales website (http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/rangifer.html) and Chapter 20 (p.307) of John Barentine's (2016) "''The Lost Constellations: A History of Obsolete, Extinct, or Forgotten Star Lore.''"

Le Monnier was part of the 1736-1737 expeditions by Pierre-Louis Moreau de Maupertuis to Lapland which improved the measurement of the length of a degree of latitude and convincingly demonstrated the oblateness of the Earth. The reindeer and placement of the constellation just below the north celestial pole appear to commemorate the expedition and achievement.

As summarized by Ridpath and Barentine, the constellation of the reindeer appeared by several names during its life during the 18th and 19th centuries: "''Le Reene''" (in Le Monnier 1743), "''le Réene''" (Le Monnier 1746, Fortin 1776), "''le Renne''" (Fortin 1795), "''Rennthier''" (Bode 1876), "''Rangifer''" (Latin name, Bode 1801 Uranographia), "''Tarandus''" (Urania's Mirror 1825, Chambers 1877).

Carl Linnaeus (1758) dubbed the reindeer species of the Eurasian tundra "''cervus tarandus''", and Charles Hamilton Smith (1827) introduced the genus name ''Rangifer.'' Species and subspecies of ''Rangifer'' are called reindeer in Eurasia and caribou in North America. In a recent review by Lee Harding (2022, ZooKeys (1119): 117–151), 18 species or subspecies are now recognized in North America and 31 in Europe and Asia. "Reindeer" may have its origin from the Old Norse ''hreindýri.''

Rangifer was comprised of very faint stars, indeed Bode's (1801) catalog ''Allgemeine Beschreibung und Nachweisung der Gestirne'' listed 47 stars in the constellation, most of which were magnitudes 6 and 7, and only one of 5th magnitude.

References:

http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/rangifer.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangifer_(constellation)

Rangifer

2025-12-14T08:36:54Z

Ericmamajek:

Rangifer (or Tarandus) is an extinct constellation first introduced by Pierre-Charles Le Monnier in 1743 in the book ''La Théorie des Comètes''.

The constellation is discussed at length on Ian Ridpath's Star Tales website (http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/rangifer.html) and Chapter 20 (p.307) of John Barentine's (2016) "''The Lost Constellations: A History of Obsolete, Extinct, or Forgotten Star Lore.''"

Rangifer was comprised of very faint stars, indeed Bode's (1801) catalog ''Allgemeine Beschreibung und Nachweisung der Gestirne'' listed 47 stars in the constellation, most of which were magnitudes 6 and 7, and only one of 5th magnitude.

References:

http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/rangifer.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangifer_(constellation)

Rangifer

2025-12-14T08:25:59Z

Ericmamajek: start of page

Rangifer

Bardardi

2025-12-14T04:08:31Z

Ericmamajek: /* IAU Working Group on Star Names */

Bardardi, a ceremonial meeting place, is a name for an asterism in [[Aquila]] from the Australian Wardaman people.

==Etymology and History==
"Bardardi" is the Wardaman Aboriginal name from Cairns & Harney (2003,<ref>Cairns, H. and Harney, B.Y. (2003) Dark Sparklers - Yidumduma's Aboriginal Astronomy. H.C. Cairns, Merimbula, NSW</ref> p.198) for a ceremonial meeting place.

==Mythology==

==IAU Working Group on Star Names==
The name was discussed by IAU WGSN in 2018 but no action was taken. The name may be revisited in a future WGSN meeting.

Mu Aquilae lacks a proper name in SIMBAD, [[wikipedia:Mu_Aquilae|wikipedia]], Bright Star Catalog (4th, 5th editions), and Kunitzsch & Smart (2006).
== Weblinks ==

*

== Reference ==
* [[References|References (general)]]
* [[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (early modern)]]

[[Category:Asterism‏‎]]
[[Category:Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:Australia_and_New_Zealand‏‎]]
[[Category:Wardaman]]
[[Category:Aql]]

Jirradella

2025-12-14T04:03:41Z

Ericmamajek: /* IAU Working Group on Star Names */

Jirradella, rainbow signs, is a name for the star β TrA (in [[Triangulum Australe]]) from the Australian Wardaman people.

==Etymology and History==
The Wardaman name "Jirradella" means "rainbow's sign" (Cairns & Harney, 2003,<ref>Cairns, H. and Harney, B.Y. (2003) Dark Sparklers - Yidumduma's Aboriginal Astronomy. H.C. Cairns, Merimbula, NSW</ref> p.201).

==Mythology==

==IAU Working Group on Star Names==
The name was discussed by the IAU WGSN in 2018, however no action was taken in adopting it for a star. The name may be revisited at a future WGSN meeting.

Beta Trianguli Australis lacks a proper name in [https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=bet+TrA SIMBAD], the [[wikipedia:Beta_Trianguli_Australis|wikipedia]], Bright Star Catalog (4th, 5th editions), and Kunitzsch & Smart (2006). see also http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/betatra.html
== Weblinks ==

*

== Reference ==
* [[References|References (general)]]
* [[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (early modern)]]

[[Category:Asterism‏‎]]
[[Category:Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:Australia_and_New_Zealand‏‎]]
[[Category:Wardaman]]
[[Category:TrA]]

Muning

2025-12-14T04:02:22Z

Ericmamajek: /* IAU Working Group on Star Names */

[[File:Lotella rhacina.jpg|thumb|A Beardie (''Lotella rhacina''). Blue Fish Point, Sydney, NSW (CC BY Richard Ling).]]
Muning is a name for two stars (γ and β Ser) in [[Serpens]] from the Australian Wardaman people.

==Etymology and History==
"Muning" is the Wardaman name, meaning "the Small Rock Cod" (Cairns & Harney, 2003,<ref name=":0">Cairns, H. and Harney, B.Y. (2003) Dark Sparklers - Yidumduma's Aboriginal Astronomy. H.C. Cairns, Merimbula, NSW</ref> p. 200)

Cairns & Harney (2003,<ref name=":0" /> p.110): <blockquote>"The other two stars seen in Serpens Caput are Muning, the Small Rock Cod, also to do with rebirth - and the Wulanggman Mungamunga Spiritual Women themselves. These important Spirituals and their places in the night Sky are said to abound in the rock ant sites in Wardaman lands below, and the meeting places which make Corona Borealis outstanding in the night sky are also presented in the cultural landscape down below. The practical way that Bill Yidumduma Harney has the observation of animals meeting linked with the geography of his land and the ancestral Dreaming Creation is clear with the ancestral stories about and importance of this Northern Crown."</blockquote>

==Mythology==

==IAU Working Group on Star Names==
The name was discussed by IAU WGSN in 2018, however no action was taken in adopting it for a given star. WGSN may revisit the name in a future meeting.

Gamma Serpentis (γ Ser) does not have a proper name in [http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=gam+Ser SIMBAD], the Bright Star Catalog (4th, 5th editions), the [[wikipedia:Gamma_Serpentis|wikipedia]] or Kunitzsch & Smart (2006). see also http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/gammaser.html
== Weblinks ==

*

== Reference ==
* [[References|References (general)]]
* [[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (early modern)]]

[[Category:Asterism‏‎]]
[[Category:Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:Australia_and_New_Zealand‏‎]]
[[Category:Wardaman]]
[[Category:Ser]]

Lardlung

2025-12-14T04:00:35Z

Ericmamajek: /* IAU Working Group on Star Names */

Lardlung, Big Trading Place, is a name for an asterism in [[Aquila]] from the Australian Wardaman people.

==Etymology and History==
The Wardaman name "Lardlung" is the name of a "big trading place", adjacent to the [[Bardardi]] "meeting place" in the constellation [[Aquila]] (Cairns & Harney, 2003,<ref>Cairns, H. and Harney, B.Y. (2003) Dark Sparklers - Yidumduma's Aboriginal Astronomy. H.C. Cairns, Merimbula, NSW</ref> p. 198).

==Mythology==

==IAU Working Group on Star Names==
The name Lardlung was discussed by WGSN in 2018, but no action was taken on adopting it for a star. It may be reconsidered in the future.

sig Aql currently has no proper name in [https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=sig+Aql SIMBAD], the [[wikipedia:Sigma_Aquilae|wikipedia]], Bright Star Catalog (4th, 5th editions), or Kunitzsch & Smart (2006).

== Weblinks ==

*

== Reference ==
* [[References|References (general)]]
* [[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (early modern)]]

[[Category:Asterism‏‎]]
[[Category:Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:Australia_and_New_Zealand‏‎]]
[[Category:Wardaman]]
[[Category:Aql]]

Custos Messium

2025-12-13T21:33:18Z

Ericmamajek: /* Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation */

This constellation was invented in Early Modern Time by the French astronomer Joseph Jérôme de Lalande (1732–1807). Custos Messium is recognized as an 'extinct constellation' that fell into obscurity after the early 19th century.

==Etymology and History==

=== Origin of Constellation ===
[[File:Young1807 Custos-hi.JPG|thumb|Custos Messium as Vineyard Keeper in Young (1807). A Course of Lectures on Natural Philosophy and the Mechanical Arts.]]
Ian Ridpath writes:<ref>Ian Ridpath, Star Tales (online edition) on [http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/custosmessium.html Custos Messium].</ref> <blockquote>This far-northern constellation was introduced by the French astronomer Joseph Jérôme de Lalande (1732–1807) on his celestial globe of 1775, and was described by him in an accompanying pamphlet titled Explication des nouveaux globes céleste et terrestre (see this review from the Journal des Sçavans of 1776 November). The name Custos Messium is a punning reference to his countryman Charles Messier, the famed comet hunter, and in fact the constellation was often known simply as Messier, particularly in France. Its brightest star was the present-day 50 Cassiopeiae, of 4th magnitude.
(...)

Lalande chose this previously anonymous area of sky because it was here that the [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Umxbb68tmZMC&lpg=PA461&ots=QII3PM4hTf&dq=c%2F1774%20P1%20montaigne&pg=PA461#v=onepage&q=c%2F1774%20P1%20montaigne&f=false comet of 1774 (now known as C/1774 P1)] was first seen. The comet was extensively observed by Messier but, ironically, was not discovered by him – the discoverer in this case was actually another Frenchman, Jacques Laibats-Montaigne (1716–88).

The British scientist Thomas Young (1773–1829) renamed the figure the Vineyard Keeper on his chart of the northern hemisphere sky published in 1807 in A Course of Lectures on Natural Philosophy and the Mechanical Arts, but even this was not enough to broaden its appeal and it withered into obscurity.

John Barentine has a chapter on Custos Messium in Chapter 7 of his 2016 book "The Lost Constellations: A History of Obsolete, Extinct, or Forgotten Star Lore." Figure 8.10 of his book shows Custos Messium outlined in a modern star map.

Some of the naked eye stars within the region of sky covered by Custos Messium include (in order of apparent V magnitude): 50 Cas (HIP 9598, HD 12216; V=3.95), BE Cam (HIP 17884, HD 23475; V=4.39), 48 Cas (HIP 9480, HD 12111; V=4.49), gam Cam (HIP 17959, HD 23401; V=4.59), BK Cam (HIP 15520, HD 20336; V=4.74), ome Cas (HIP 9009, HD 11529; V=4.97), 42 Cas (HIP 8016, HD 10250; V=5.18), 49 Cas (HIP 9763, HD 12339; V=5.22), 47 Cas (HIP 9727, HD 12230; V=5.27), 40 Cas (HIP 7650, HD 9774; V=5.28), 23 Cas (HIP 3721, HD 4382; V=5.42), 21 Cas (HIP 3572, HD 4161; V=5.64), 38 Cas (HIP 7078, HD 9021; V=5.82), SU Cas (HIP 13367, HD 17463; V=5.94), RZ Cas (HIP 13133, HD 17138; V=6.26), 54 Cas (HIP 10031, HD 12800; V=6.57).

The only star brighter than 4th magnitude in Custos Messium is 50 Cas (HIP 9598, HD 12216) a V=3.95 magnitude A2V main sequence star at distance 48 parsecs. </blockquote>

=== Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation ===
The name "Custos" (Latin for "''guard''") has been proposed as a proper name for a star in the vicinity of Custos Messium to be discussed by WGSN.

== Mythology ==
no mythology.

== Weblinks ==

*

== References ==

* [[References]] (general)
* [[References (Greco-Roman)|References (ancient Greco-Roman)]]
* [[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (medieval)]]

[[Category:Eurasia]] [[Category:Constellation]] [[Category:European]] [[Category:Modern]]

Custos Messium

2025-12-13T21:29:27Z

Ericmamajek: added text on brightest star(s) in the constellation

This constellation was invented in Early Modern Time by the French astronomer Joseph Jérôme de Lalande (1732–1807). Custos Messium is recognized as an 'extinct constellation' that fell into obscurity after the early 19th century.

==Etymology and History==

=== Origin of Constellation ===
[[File:Young1807 Custos-hi.JPG|thumb|Custos Messium as Vineyard Keeper in Young (1807). A Course of Lectures on Natural Philosophy and the Mechanical Arts.]]
Ian Ridpath writes:<ref>Ian Ridpath, Star Tales (online edition) on [http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/custosmessium.html Custos Messium].</ref> <blockquote>This far-northern constellation was introduced by the French astronomer Joseph Jérôme de Lalande (1732–1807) on his celestial globe of 1775, and was described by him in an accompanying pamphlet titled Explication des nouveaux globes céleste et terrestre (see this review from the Journal des Sçavans of 1776 November). The name Custos Messium is a punning reference to his countryman Charles Messier, the famed comet hunter, and in fact the constellation was often known simply as Messier, particularly in France. Its brightest star was the present-day 50 Cassiopeiae, of 4th magnitude.
(...)

Lalande chose this previously anonymous area of sky because it was here that the [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Umxbb68tmZMC&lpg=PA461&ots=QII3PM4hTf&dq=c%2F1774%20P1%20montaigne&pg=PA461#v=onepage&q=c%2F1774%20P1%20montaigne&f=false comet of 1774 (now known as C/1774 P1)] was first seen. The comet was extensively observed by Messier but, ironically, was not discovered by him – the discoverer in this case was actually another Frenchman, Jacques Laibats-Montaigne (1716–88).

The British scientist Thomas Young (1773–1829) renamed the figure the Vineyard Keeper on his chart of the northern hemisphere sky published in 1807 in A Course of Lectures on Natural Philosophy and the Mechanical Arts, but even this was not enough to broaden its appeal and it withered into obscurity.

John Barentine has a chapter on Custos Messium in Chapter 7 of his 2016 book "The Lost Constellations: A History of Obsolete, Extinct, or Forgotten Star Lore." Figure 8.10 of his book shows Custos Messium outlined in a modern star map.

Some of the naked eye stars within the region of sky covered by Custos Messium include (in order of apparent V magnitude): 50 Cas (HIP 9598, HD 12216; V=3.95), BE Cam (HIP 17884, HD 23475; V=4.39), 48 Cas (HIP 9480, HD 12111; V=4.49), gam Cam (HIP 17959, HD 23401; V=4.59), BK Cam (HIP 15520, HD 20336; V=4.74), ome Cas (HIP 9009, HD 11529; V=4.97), 42 Cas (HIP 8016, HD 10250; V=5.18), 49 Cas (HIP 9763, HD 12339; V=5.22), 47 Cas (HIP 9727, HD 12230; V=5.27), 40 Cas (HIP 7650, HD 9774; V=5.28), 23 Cas (HIP 3721, HD 4382; V=5.42), 21 Cas (HIP 3572, HD 4161; V=5.64), 38 Cas (HIP 7078, HD 9021; V=5.82), SU Cas (HIP 13367, HD 17463; V=5.94), RZ Cas (HIP 13133, HD 17138; V=6.26), 54 Cas (HIP 10031, HD 12800; V=6.57).

The only star brighter than 4th magnitude in Custos Messium is 50 Cas (HIP 9598, HD 12216) a V=3.95 magnitude A2V main sequence star at distance 48 parsecs. </blockquote>

=== Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation ===

== Mythology ==
no mythology.

== Weblinks ==

*

== References ==

* [[References]] (general)
* [[References (Greco-Roman)|References (ancient Greco-Roman)]]
* [[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (medieval)]]

[[Category:Eurasia]] [[Category:Constellation]] [[Category:European]] [[Category:Modern]]

Al-Aybasan

2025-11-16T00:00:13Z

Ericmamajek: added text about star

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Alaybasān (الأيبسان)}}
[[File:Bodleian-Library-MS-Marsh-144 00183 p-173 reduced.jpg|thumb|A page from the manuscript related to the constellation Triangulum from Ṣuwar al-Kawākib by al-Ṣūfī, belonging to the Marsh 144 manuscript at the Bodleian Library, where the names of Alpha and Beta Trianguli are mentioned as "al-Ayibasān".]]
al-Aybasān (الأيبسان), the Two Joints (of bones), is an Indigenous Arabian asterism. Name variants are Al-Anīsān (الأنيسان) and Al-Baysan. The later spelling variant al-Anīsān that originated from a mistake changed the meaning, as it translates The Two Friends.

It is also a modern IAU-star name, then spelled without hyphen: "Alaybasan" is the name for β Tri in [[Triangulum]].

==Concordance, Etymology and History==

===Spelling Variants===

* al-Aybasān '''(الأيبسان)'''
** al-Ayibsān (transliteration variant)
** al-Aybasān (transliteration variant)
** al-Ayibānān (transliteration variant)
** al-Baysan (transliteration variant)
** Al-Ubaysān (no meaning, misspelling)
* al-Anīsān ('''''الأنيسان ,''''' variant / alternative name)
** Al-Unṯayān (no meaning, misspelling)

Based on classical Arabic sources,<ref>''[https://digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/objects/c1caa84c-f6d2-483f-9eb4-2439cccdc801/ Bodleian Library, Marsh 144]'' – A manuscript of ''Ṣuwar al-Kawākib'' by al-Ṣūfī, dated ca. 400 AH </ref> the name Al-Aybisan, meaning "the two joints (bones) of Aries", while "Al-Anisan" may be a variant or alternative spelling of this name<ref>'''Khalid al-ʿAjjājī’s''' commentary on ''Urjūzat al-Kawākib''</ref> (see below).

===Concordance ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!
!
!Al-Anīsān (الأنيسان)
!'''al-Aybisān (الأيبسان)'''
!Al-Ubaysān
'''(al-Baysān)'''
(no meaning)
!Al-Unṯayān
(no meaning)
|-
|
|
|[[File:Laffitte Tri Friends.png|thumb|Al-Anīsān, The Two Friends, in Laffitte (2012)]]
|[[File:01S alHamalblue.png|thumb|The Arabian Ram (al-Hamal), CC BY Khalid Al-Ajaji (2025)]]
|
|
|-
|
|Ibn Qutayba(al-Anwāʾ fī Mawāsim al-ʿarab)<ref>Ibn Qutayba al-Dīnawarī, Abū Muḥammad ʿAbdallah b. Muslim. 1956. ''Kitāb al-anwāʾ (fī mawāsim al-ʿArab)''. Hyderabad: Maṭbaʿat Majlis Dāʾirat al-Maʿārif al-ʿUthmāniyya.</ref>
|x
|
|
|
|-
|
|Ibn Sīda (al-Muḫaṣṣaṣ, 9th book)
|
|
|x
|
|-
|
|Al-Marzūqī (al-Azmina wa al-Amkina)
|
|
|
|x
|-
|~1010
|Bodleian Library MS. Marsh 144<ref>''Bodleian Library, Marsh 144'' – A manuscript of ''Ṣuwar al-Kawākib'' by al-Ṣūfī, dated ca. 400 AH</ref>
|
|x
|
|
|-
|~1270
|Libros del saber (1262-1279)
|x
|
|
|
|-
|1318
|Urjuzat ibn al-Ṣūfī's Poem of the Stars<ref>''Süleymaniye Library, Istanbul – Lala Mustafa Pasha Collection 2698'' – A copy of Ibn al-Ṣūfī’s ''Urjūza'', dated 718 AH (copied from an earlier version dated 519 AH)</ref>
|
|x
|
|
|-
|1319
|ibn Sīda<ref>''Ibn Sīda, al-Mukhaṣṣaṣ'', vol. 9 – Printed in Bulaq, Egypt (1319 AH)</ref>
|
|
|x
|
|-
|
|al-Marzūqī
|x
|
|
|x
|-
|1834/5
|Sédillo (1834/5)
|x
|
|
|
|-
|1959
|Kunitzsch (1959: 37, No 12)<ref>Kunitzsch, Paul (1961). ''Untersuchungen zur Sternnomenklatur der Araber.'' Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz.</ref>
|x
|
|
|
|}

===Identifications & Maps===

===='''''al-Aybasān''''' per Khalid AlAjaji====
[[File:01S alHamalblue.png|thumb|The Arabian Ram (al-Hamal), CC BY Khalid Al-Ajaji (2025)]]
I believe that “Al-Anīsān” - Arabic (الأنيسان) is a scribal error that went undetected for a very very long time. The correct name for the two stars α,β Tri is “al-Aybasān” - Arabic (الأيبسان).

For Ibn Qutayba, the editors said in a footnote that the word in the manuscript was without dots (n, i, or b letters all have the same shape but n has a dot over, the letter ya (i) has two dots under and b has one dot under). I inspected the manuscript myself and found the word without dots. The editors of Ibn Qutayba manuscript said that correcting the word to be “Al-Anīsān” is according to the edition of al-Ṣūfī<ref>al-Ṣūfī, Abū al-Ḥusayn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿUmar. 1981. ''Kitāb ṣuwar al-kawākib al-thamāniya wa al-arbaʿīn.'' Beirut: Dār al-Āfāq al-Jadīda.</ref> book. This edition of al-Ṣūfī book was based mainly on the manuscript of Ulug Beg MS 5036 of BNF, where the name was without dots.

For ibn Sīda, the name “Al-Ubaysān” – Arabic (الأبيسان) has no meaning. The two letters يـ (ya) and بـ(b) have been switched and the dots were confused. The original should be “al-Aybasān” - Arabic (الأيبسان).

For al-Marzūqī printed book (Dār al-Maʿārif al-ʿuṯmāniya), the whole edition is full of errors and is not reliable, so we cannot trust that “ Al-Unṯayān” is a good reading of what was in the manuscript.

Another edition of al-Marzūqī (al-Azmina wa al-Amkina) by Dr. Moḥammad Nayef al-Dulaymī is based on the edition of Dār al-Maʿārif al-ʿuṯmāniya. Dr. al-Dulaymī tried to correct the errors on the first edition by comparing the text with other references and lexicons. He corrected “Al-Unṯayān” to be “Al-Anīsān”. His source was Dozy, Reinhart, Supplément aux dictionnaires arabes. We find there : الأنيسان : deux étoiles du Triangle, Sédillot 132, Alf. Astr. I, 55. Dozy is referring to Sédillo (1834/5)<ref>Sédillot, Jean-Jacques (1834/5).Traite des instruments astronomiques des Arabes compose au Treizieme siecle par Aboul Hhasan Ali De Maroc, Jean-Jacques Sedillot, volume 1, page 140</ref>:

*La boréale des Anisaine, ou boréale de la base du Triangle.
*L'australe des Anisaine, ou australe de la base du Triangle.

And to the Libros del saber de astronomía del Rey Alfonso X de Castilla, Tomo I, 55:

* “et en aráuiguo almucalec. et a en esta figura cuatro estrellas. et es la primera en la cabeça del triángulo. et dízenle en aráuiguo raçalmucelet. que quier dezir la cabeça del triángulo. La segunda es la delantrera de las tres que son en ell fondon. et llaman á estas dos estrellas en aráuiguo alanicen.”

These two resources are dated ~ 1262-1279 AD and indicate that the printed material mentioning Al-Anīsān does not come from early sources.

The name "al-Aybasān" (Arabic: الأيبسان) appears in two key manuscripts from earlier periods. The first is Bodleian Library MS. Marsh 144, where it is written alongside the image of the Triangulum constellation. The second is Urjuzat ibn al-Ṣūfī's Poem of the Stars, found in the Laleli collection at Süleymaniye Library, MS 2698.

MS. Marsh 144 dated 400 H, (~ 1010 AD), was written by the son of al-Ṣūfī.

MS 2698, dated 718H (1318 AD), was copied from a manuscript dated 519H (1125 AD). It traces back to a manuscript written by the son of al-Ṣūfī, who authored the poem around 380H (990 AD).

One argument supporting “al-Aybasān” is its compatibility with the image of the Arabic Lamb.<ref>Kitāb al-ʿayn, al-Ḫalīl ibn Aḥmad al-Farāhīdī (~719 – 790 AD), volume 6, page 234, edition by Dr. Mahdī al-Maḫzūmī and Dr. Ibrahīm al-Sāmirrāī. See also: ibn Qutayba, al-Anwāʾ, pg 17, al-Marzūqī, al-Azmina wa al-Amkina, ch 6 and 18.</ref><ref>ibn Qutayba, al-Anwāʾ, pg 20, 21 and al-Marzūqī, al-Azmina wa al-Amkina, ch 6.</ref> Al-Aybasān refers to the two thin bones in the shins of the legs. The positioning of the stars aligns with the placement of the Lamb's front legs. Additionally, the name appears in the poem fitting the poem's metre, unlike “Al-Anīsān”.

Conclusion

*The name of the two stars α,β Tri is “al-Aybasān” - Arabic (الأيبسان).
*“Al-Anīsān” - Arabic (الأنيسان) should not have an independent entry and should be noted as a scribal error.
*The name “al-Ayibsān” mentioned by Mr. Laffitte and Mr. Sadegh is a wrong transliteration of Arabic (الأَيْبَسان).
*The two names: al-Baysān and al-Ayibsān mentioned in the ASE: Al-Anīsān entry as spelling variants cannot be as such, and there is no clear meaning of these two words.

[[File:Laffitte Tri Friends.png|thumb|Al-Anīsān, The Two Friends, in Laffitte (2012); map and drawing. ]]

===='''''Al-Anīsān الأنيسان''''' in Laffitte (2012<ref>Roland Laffitte, ''Le ciel des Arabes'', 2012</ref>, 2025<ref>Roland Laffitte, ''Nommer les étoile: 500 noms hérités des Arabes - Apport de l'uranographie arabe'', Orient des Mots, 2025 ([https://uranos.fr/500-noms-herites-des-arabes/ online])</ref>).====
{| class="wikitable"
|''αβ Tri''
|''al-Anīsān''
|the Two Friends
|Qutayba
|-
|
|''al-Ḫiṣaṣ''
|the Notables
|''Ḏ. man.''
|}

==Transfer and Transformation==
<gallery>
File:01S alHamalblue.png|The Arabian Ram (al-Hamal), CC BY Khalid Al-Ajaji (2025)
File:Laffitte Tri Friends.png|Al-Anisan, Friends (Laffitte 2012).
</gallery>

==IAU Working Group Star Names==
In 2025, WGSN discussed names for the stars in [[Triangulum]].

# alpha was already named: [[Mothallah]]
# beta - there was a Chinese suggestion, but the Arabic Subgroup has strong reasons to get this star, as there is an old name "Al-Anisan" which only covers alf+bet Tri, while the Chinese constellation is much larger and its name can be used for other stars.
# The Arabic Subgroup studied the names and found that - indeed - ''Al-Anisan'' derives from a misreading, but it is as old as the original name ''Al-Aybasan''.
# In respect and appreciation of the native people, the decision was given to the native Arabic group member.

The name "Alaybasan" was adopted by Beta Tri on 7 Nov. 2025. Hyphens are allowed in star names, but are depreciated due to common practice for centuries (see Aldebaran, Altair...).

Beta Trianguli was originally listed as a A5III (giant luminosity class) in the Morgan-Keenan (1943) and Johnson-Morgan (1953) compilations of MK spectral type standard stars. It is a bright (V=3.00 mag) star at distance 39 parsecs, and was among the most luminous stars with a dusty debris disk resolved by the Herschel Space Observatory (Pawellek et al. 2014). Beta Tri was discovered to be a spectroscopic binary by Samuel Mitchell in 1909, and resolved into its component stars using the Mark III interferometer on Mt. Wilson by Hummels et al. (1995). A recent detailed analysis by Picotti et al. (2020) finds the P=31 day binary is a case where the brighter star is actually the lower mass of the pair. Picotti et al. (2020) model star #1 as having brightness V=4.19 mag, spectral type A3III, and mass 3.5Msun, while star #2 has V=3.44 mag, spectral type A8III, and mass 1.4 Msun.

Following WGSN policy for a cases where proposed historical star names apply to the unresolved light of a stellar multiple, for this first named body in the system WGSN applies the name "Alaybasan" specifically to the brighter component (V=3.44).

==Weblinks==

*

==Reference==
[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:Arabic]]
[[Category:Constellation]]
[[Category:Star Name]]
[[Category:IAU-Star Name]]
[[Category:Asterism]]
[[Category:Tri]]

<references />

Cexing

2025-11-15T23:12:01Z

Ericmamajek: minor edits to text

[[Ce|Cè]] (Whip, 策) or Cexing (whip star) is a traditional Chinese star name representing the horsewhip, located beside the asterism [[Wangliang|Wangliang (王良)]] and closely associated with both [[Wangliang]] and [[Tiansi|Tiansi (天駟)]]. It belongs to the Gān school. A name variant is Tiance (celestial whip).

The name Cexing was adopted by WGSN for the star designated Kappa Cassiopeiae in 2025.

== Concordance, Etymology, History ==
The main asterism here is Wangliang, a legendary general sitting in a chariot driven by four horses (quadriga).
<gallery>
File:Qin bronze chariot.jpg|thumb|Bronze chariot in Qin dynasty (220 BCE -206 BCE). This chariot was unearthed in 1980 to the west of the burial mound of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor in Lintong, Shaanxi Province. After its excavation, it was housed in the Museum of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of the First Qin Emperor. In May 2021, the second bronze chariot was relocated to the Bronze Chariot and Horse Museum of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor.
File:(Left) The end of jade horsewhip in late Shang and early Zhou dynasty and (Right) the demonstration of the horsewhip.jpg|thumb|(Left) The end of jade horsewhip in late Shang and early Zhou dynasty and (Right) the demonstration of the horsewhip. (credit: Palace Museum in Taiwan)
File:Wangliang and Ce in Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido.jpg|thumb|Wangliang and Ce in ''Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido''
File:Wangliang and Ce before 17th Century in Stellarium.jpg|thumb|Wangliang and Ce before 17th Century in Stellarium
</gallery>

==IAU Working Group on Star Names==
The name Cexing was proposed for Kappa Cas in 2025. After reviewing the literature and deliberation, WGSN adopted for the name for Kappa Cas for the Catalog of Star Names on 12 November 2025.

Cexing is a distant blue supergiant at a distance of about 1000 parsecs. The star served a spectral standard star of type B1Ia (Morgan, Abt, Tapscott 1978, "''Revised MK Spectral Atlas for Stars Earlier than the Sun''"). The star is a bright example of an Alpha Cygni-type variable star, as a hot supergiant showing variability at the ~0.07 mag level with a periodicity of 2.6 days. The star is a "runaway star" which is ploughing through its neighboring gas and dust, illuminating a bow shock nebula detected in the infrared by the Spitzer Space Telescope.

== Weblinks ==

* "The Shocking Behavior of a Speedy Star" https://www.nasa.gov/missions/spitzer/the-shocking-behavior-of-a-speedy-star/

== Reference ==
* [[References|References (general)]]
* [[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (early modern)]]
* Ian Ridpath's website ([http://ianridpath.com/startales Star Tales] )

[[Category:Single star-asterism‏‎]]
[[Category:Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:IAU-Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:East Asian]][[Category:Chinese]]
[[Category:Cas]]

Cexing

2025-11-15T22:56:42Z

Ericmamajek: added some text on star

Cexing is a modern IAU-star name for κ Cas. [[Ce|Cè]] (Whip, 策) or Cexing (whip star) is a traditional Chinese star name representing the horsewhip, located beside the asterism [[Wangliang|Wangliang (王良)]] and closely associated with both [[Wangliang]] and [[Tiansi|Tiansi (天駟)]]. It belongs to the Gān school.

The name "Cexing" that was adopted to the IAU-CSN was already used in ancient times. A name variant is Tiance (celestial whip).

== Concordance, Etymology, History ==
The main asterism here is Wangliang, a legendary general sitting in a chariot driven by four horses (quadriga).
<gallery>
File:Qin bronze chariot.jpg|thumb|Bronze chariot in Qin dynasty (220 BCE -206 BCE). This chariot was unearthed in 1980 to the west of the burial mound of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor in Lintong, Shaanxi Province. After its excavation, it was housed in the Museum of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of the First Qin Emperor. In May 2021, the second bronze chariot was relocated to the Bronze Chariot and Horse Museum of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor.
File:(Left) The end of jade horsewhip in late Shang and early Zhou dynasty and (Right) the demonstration of the horsewhip.jpg|thumb|(Left) The end of jade horsewhip in late Shang and early Zhou dynasty and (Right) the demonstration of the horsewhip. (credit: Palace Museum in Taiwan)
File:Wangliang and Ce in Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido.jpg|thumb|Wangliang and Ce in ''Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido''
File:Wangliang and Ce before 17th Century in Stellarium.jpg|thumb|Wangliang and Ce before 17th Century in Stellarium
</gallery>

==IAU Working Group on Star Names==
The name Cexing was proposed for Kappa Cas in 2025. After reviewing the literature and deliberation, WGSN adopted for the name for Kappa Cas for the Catalog of Star Names on 12 November 2025.

Cexing is a distant blue supergiant at a distance of about 1000 parsecs. The star served a spectral standard star of type B1Ia (Morgan, Abt, Tapscott 1978, "''Revised MK Spectral Atlas for Stars Earlier than the Sun''"). The star is a bright example of an Alpha Cygni-type variable star, as a hot supergiant showing variability at the ~0.07 mag level with a periodicity of 2.6 days.
== Weblinks ==

*

== Reference ==
* [[References|References (general)]]
* [[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (early modern)]]
* Ian Ridpath's website ([http://ianridpath.com/startales Star Tales] )

[[Category:Single star-asterism‏‎]]
[[Category:Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:IAU-Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:East Asian]][[Category:Chinese]]
[[Category:Cas]]

Tiansi

2025-11-15T22:43:06Z

Ericmamajek: /* Star Name Discussion (IAU) */

{{DISPLAYTITLE: Tiansi (天駟)}}
[[File:Qin bronze chariot.jpg|thumb|Bronze chariot in Qin dynasty (220 BCE -206 BCE) with four hourses]]
Tiān Sì (Heavenly Quadriga, 天駟) comprises four of the five stars forming the constellation [[Wangliang]] and represents the four horses pulling the chariot. It may thus be regarded as a constituent sub-constellation/asterism of [[Wangliang]].

== Concordance, Etymology, History ==
Given the intimate cultural association between Tiansi and Wangliang, the two must have been conceived simultaneously. In their earliest stage, however, they might be regarded as distinct constellations, as recorded in the ''Tianguan shu'' (Book of Heaven Officials, 天官書). Only later, in the ''Shishi xing jing'' (Shi’s Star Canon, 石氏星經) later , were they formally unified into a single constellation under the name Wang Liang. Nevertheless, even long after their amalgamation, tradition continued to recognize the leftmost four stars of Wangliang as the “Quadriga” and some star map explicitly marked them as Tian Si.

It should be noted that the lodge Fang (the fourth of the Twenty-Eight Lodges) also bore the alternate name Tian Si (“Heavenly Quadriga”), a designation that had already been in use at least as early as the late sixth century BCE—earlier than the historical figure of Wang Liang himself. The only difference lies in that Fang comprises four stars representing the quadriga, yet it lacks a corresponding charioteer such as Wang Liang.

=== Identification of stars ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Star Names
!Orders(Qing)
!Ho PENG YOKE<ref>P.-Y. Ho, “Ancient And Mediaeval Observations of Comets and Novae in Chinese Sources,” ''Vistas in Astronomy'', 5(1962), 127-225.</ref>
!Yi Shitong<ref>Yi Shitong伊世同. ''Zhongxi Duizhao Hengxing Tubiao''中西对照恒星图表1950. Beijing: Science Press.1981: 56.</ref>
Based on catalogue in 18th century
!Pan Nai<ref name=":02">Pan Nai潘鼐. ''Zhongguo Hengxing Guance shi''中国恒星观测史[M]. Shanghai: Xuelin Pree. 1989. p226.</ref>
based on Xinyixiangfayao Star Map and Huangyou Catalogue
!SUN X. & J. Kistemaker<ref>Sun Xiaochun. & Kistemaker J. ''The Chinese sky during the Han''. Leiden: Brill. 1997, Pp241-6.</ref>
Han Dynasty
!Boshun Yang<ref name=":12">B.-S. Yang杨伯顺, ''Zhongguo Chuantong Hengxing Guance Jingdu ji Xingguan Yanbian Yanjiu'' 中国传统恒星观测精度及星官演变研究 (A Research on the Accuracy of Chinese Traditional Star Observation and the Evolution of Constellations), PhD thesis, (Hefei: University of Science and Technology of China, 2023). 261.</ref>
before Tang dynasty
!Boshun Yang<ref name=":12" />
Song Jingyou(1034)
|-
|[[Wangliang]] (Determinative)
|1st
|beta Cas
|beta Cas
|beta Cas
|beta Cas
|beta Cas
|beta Cas
|-
| rowspan="4" |Tiansi
|2nd
|kappa Cas
|kappa Cas
|gamma Cas
|gamma Cas
|gamma Cas
|gamma Cas
|-
|3rd
|gamma Cas
|eta Cas
|eta Cas
|eta Cas
|eta Cas
|eta Cas
|-
|4th
|eta Cas
|alpha Cas
|alpha Cas
|alpha Cas
|alpha Cas
|alpha Cas
|-
|5th
|alpha Cas
|lambda Cas
|zeta Cas
|zeta Cas
|zeta Cas
|zeta Cas
|}
=== Maps (Gallery) ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!historical map
!modern identification
(Yang 2023)
!same in Stellarium 24.4
|-
|[[File:Wangliang and Ce in Suzhou Star Map.jpg|thumb|Wangliang in Suzhou Star Map]]
|[[File:Wangliang and Ce Reconstructed by Boshun Yang (2023) based on Huangyou Star Catalogue in 1052 CE.jpg|thumb|Wangliang Reconstructed by Boshun Yang (2023) based on Huangyou Star Catalogue in 1052 CE]]
|[[File:Wangliang and Ce before 17th Century in Stellarium.jpg|thumb|Wangliang before 17th Century in Stellarium]]
|-
|[[File:Wangliang and Ce in Jesuits Star Map in 17th Century.jpg|thumb|Wangliang in Jesuits Star Map in 17th Century]]
|[[File:Wangliang and Ce Reconstructed by Yi Shitong (1981) based on Qing Star Catalogue in 18th Century.jpg|thumb|Wangliang Reconstructed by Yi Shitong (1981) based on Qing Star Catalogue in 18th Century]]
|[[File:Wangliang and Ce after 17th Century in Stellarium.jpg|thumb|Wangliang after 17th Century in Stellarium]]
|}

== Star Name Discussion (IAU) ==
In 2025, the name of the historical constellation Tiān Sì (Heavenly Quadriga, 天駟) was proposed for a star in its region, with discussion focusing on γ Cassiopeiae.

On November 12, 2025 adopted the name Tiansi for γ Cas (27 Cas, HR 264, HD 5394, HIP 4427). γ Cas is a multiple system, and the name specifically refers to the massive primary star γ Cas Aa, which is a B0.5IVe star. The star is a famous eruptive variable, indeed the prototype of the γ Cas class, whose magnitude has varied historically between about magnitude 1.6 and 3.4. In recent years, the mean Johnson V magnitude has been around 2.17 (Smith & Henry 2021).

==References ==
[[References (Chinese)]]

[[Category:Asterism ]]
[[Category:Constellation ]]
[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:East Asian]]
[[Category:Chinese ]]

Apdu

2025-11-15T22:12:52Z

Ericmamajek: /* IAU Working Group on Star Names */

[[File:The tomb of Seti I 6.jpg|thumb|Tomb of Sethy I - front (CC BY Leon Petrosyan)]]
Apd(w), ''ȝpd'', The Bird, is an ancient Egyptian constellation. There are at least 21 spelling variants<ref>Bojowald, Stefan (2024). Überlegungen zu den Schreibungen des ägyptischen Wortes ȝpd „Vogel“, Équipe Égypte Nilotique et Méditerranéenne: [http://www.enim-egyptologie.fr/revue/2024/16/Bojowald_ENiM17_p267-272.swf.pdf PDF]</ref> throughout the millennia in hierglyphs, and it is probably not any specific one.

==Concordance, Etymology, History==
=== Origin of Constellation ===
[[File:Lepsius-228-III-ramsèsVI-détail.jpg|thumb|schema of a Ramesside Star Clock (Fonctionnement d'une horloge ramesside.) from Karl Richard Lepsius - Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien: Nach den Zeichnungen der von Seiner Majestät dem Könige von Preussen Friedrich Wilhelm IV nach diesen Ländern gesendeten und in den Jahren 1842-1845 ausgeführten wissenschaftlichen Expedition.]]
The constellation is mentioned in the Ramesside Star Clocks and identified by right ascension. Ramesside Star clocks (RSC) are astronomical devices developed in ancient Egypt to measure time by the, most likely, meridian or close to meridian transit of stars. These hour stars were single stars in a few cases or belong to constellations, some of them very large, of Egyptian sky maps.

There has been two dedicated approaches including an attempt to identify these hour stars: Leitz (1995)<ref name=":0">Leitz, Ch., 1995. Altägyptische Sternuhren. OLA, 62. Leuven: Peeters.</ref> and Belmonte (2003)<ref name=":1">Belmonte, J. A., 2003. The Ramesside star clocks and the ancient Egyptian constellations. In M. Blomberg, P. E. Blomberg and G. Henriksson (Eds.), ''Calendars, Symbols, and Orientations: Legacies of Astronomy in Culture'' (pp. 57–65). ''Uppsala Astronomical Observatory report'', 59. Uppsala Ocarina Books.</ref>. Pioneers Neugebauer and Parker (1969)<ref>Neugebauer, O. and Parker, R. A., 1969. ''Egyptian Astronomical Texts'', vol. III. Providence: Brown University.</ref> thought this was a worthless exercise.

Leitz (1995)<ref name=":0" /> followed N&P hypothesis of stars transiting close to the southern horizon and reached a solution which for Belmonte (2003) was not satisfactory for varios motives. These are amply discussed in Lull and Belmonte (2006 & 2009)<ref name=":2">Belmonte, J.A. andd Lull, J., 2023. Astronomy in ancient Egypt: a cultural perspective. Cham: Springer. </ref>. This new hypothesis suggests that several RSC constellations were located in the northern skies such as the Giant (Nekht), the She-Hippo (Reret), the Mooring Post (Menyt) and the Bird (Apdu), among others of lesser entity (see also Davies, 1985<ref>Davis, V. L., 1985. Identifying Ancient Egyptian Constellations. ''Journal of the History of Astronomy'', ''16'', 102–104.</ref>). The constellation Bird could be the one represented in the northern sector of several celestial diagrams.

Belmonte first defended his ideas at SEAC2001 in Stockholm (Belmonte, 2003)<ref name=":1" /> that were later used for posterior works such as Belmonte and Lull (2023)<ref>Belmonte, J.A. andd Lull, J., 2023. Astronomy in ancient Egypt: a cultural perspective. Cham: Springer. </ref>.

Among these hypotheses, it was proposed to locate the 4 stars of the Ramesside Star clocks located in the constellation Apd (Apdu) in Triangulum and close to Algol (proposal recently endorsed by Belmonte and Lull, 2023)<ref name=":2" />. Pegasus is far in RA.

Belmonte (2003)<ref name=":1" /> proposal was, considering the corresponding RA:
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Egyptian
!
!Translation
!Identification<ref name=":2" />
|-
|b'nt nt apd
|Banat net Apdu
|(the Peak of the Bird)
|Alpha Tri ([[Mothallah|Mothalla]])
|-
|tp n apd
|Tep en Apdu
|(the Head of the Bird)
|Beta Tri
|-
|htyt nt apd
|Hetyt net Apdu
|(the Throat of the Bird)
|A star in the area of [[Algol]]
|-
|kft=f
|
|Its rump (of the Bird)
|Alpha Per ([[Mirfak]])
|}
Being imaginative and avoiding interference with the stars in the Ramesside tables, which were probably the brightest in the constellation, we may even suggest for γ Tri a name of something certainly located in the head of Apdu, for example the Eye (the peak is already another hour-star).

==== Spelling Variants ====

* Apedu

*Apdu
*Apd(w)
[[File:Stellarium ApduBird.gif|thumb|Apdu bird as falcon (like the one depicted in the tomb of Sethy I in the King's Valley) mapped to Stellarium]]

==== Identifications ====
The area of The Bird must cover a region in Triangulum and close to Algol. Belmonte and Lull (2011) proposed the following identifications:

* (a) Banat net Apdu (the Peak of the Bird) - α Tri
* (b) Tep en Apdu (the Head of the Bird) - β Tri
* (c) Hetyt net Apdu (The Throat of the Bird) - a star close to Algol
* (d) Iret net Apdu (the Eye of the Bird) - γ Tri

=== Sources, Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation ===
There is no identification of this constellation in Neugebauer and Parker, or in Leitz (1995), as their works focussed on the so-called decan-constellation (further south).

== Religion/ Mythology ==
mnemonic tales and cultural significance

== IAU Working Group on Star Names ==
Alpha and Beta Trianguli are already named but Gamma is not. Apdu is the name of a constellation so it is not appropriate for a single star. Considering RA, γ Tri could have served as an hour-star as well as β Tri (similar RA) and possibly formed part of the head of the Bird "Tep en Apdu" which could be a good name for it but this can cause confusion with β Tri. Hence, Irt-nt-apd(w) or "Iret net Apdu", the Eye of the Bird, would describe the position of γ Tri. Irtentapdu (for the eye of the bird, γ Tri) was proposed as a star name in 2023/5 in WGSN. Egyptian language does not spell all letters; in Irt-nt-Apd(w) some vowels can be added for easier pronounciation.

In November 2025, WGSN decided to adopt the name of the attested constellation "Apdu" rather than an invented star name within this ancient constellation. The name was adopted for γ Tri (Gamma Trianguli) as proposed.

γ Tri is a bright (V=4.0 mag) star of type A0Vn (Abt 1995) at distance of approximately 36 parsecs. [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012A%26A...537A.120Z/abstract Zorec & Royer (2012)] estimate the star to have an effective temperature of 9940 K, luminosity of about 32x that of the Sun, radius of 2.11 Rsun, mass 2.26 Msun, projected rotational velocity (vsini) 254 km/s, and age of 407+-39 million years. Fetherolf+ (2023) detects variability with period 0.450848 day in TESS photometric data, consistent with rotation. Combining the radius calculated from the Zorec and adopting the rotation period from Fetherolf, this would suggest an equatorial rotation velocity of about 236 km/s, similar to the vsini value. This suggests that the star is seen equator-on. The star also has a dusty debris disk detected by the IRAS, Spitzer, and WISE missions (e.g., [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014ApJS..211...25C/abstract Chen et al. 2014, ApJS], 268, 4). All of its properties, including its color, equatorial rotational velocity, and even its dusty debris disk, make the star very similar to Vega, except Vega is seen nearly pole-on, and γ Tri is apparently seen nearly equator-on.

== Weblinks ==

*

== References ==

* [[References]] (general)

[[Category:Africa]] [[Category:Egyptian]]
[[Category:Asterism]] [[Category:Constellation]]
[[Category:IAU-Star Name]]
[[Category:Tri]][[Category:Per]]

Bagu

2025-11-15T21:49:23Z

Ericmamajek: /* Star Name Discussion (IAU) */

{{DISPLAYTITLE: Bagu (八谷)}}

Bā Gǔ ( Eight Kinds of Crops, 八穀) is a Chinese constellation consisting of eight stars located within the constellations Lynx'','' Auriga, and Camelopardalis. It belongs to the asterisms introduced by Gan De and originated during the Han dynasty.

== Concordance, Etymology, History ==
The name Bagu refers to the eight types of staple grains. In the ''Kaiyuan zhanjing'' (''Divination Canon of Kaiyuan Reign'', 開元占經, compiles between 712–718 CE), a note appended to the entry for Bagu explains: “The Eight Grains are rice, millet, panicled millet, barley, wheat, soybeans, adzuki beans, and hemp.” The ancients believed that observing the asterism ''Bagu'' could be used to divine the harvest of the year: if one of its stars became invisible, it foretold that one type of grain would fail to grow; if the stars appeared dim, it signified that all eight grains would suffer a poor harvest.

=== Identification of stars ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Star Names or Orders(Traditional/Qing)
!Ho PENG YOKE<ref>P.-Y. Ho, “Ancient And Mediaeval Observations of Comets and Novae in Chinese Sources,” ''Vistas in Astronomy'', 5(1962), 127-225.</ref>
!Yi Shitong<ref>Yi Shitong伊世同. ''Zhongxi Duizhao Hengxing Tubiao''中西对照恒星图表1950. Beijing: Science Press.1981: 56.</ref>
Based on catalogue in 18th century
!Pan Nai<ref name=":0">Pan Nai潘鼐. ''Zhongguo Hengxing Guance shi''中国恒星观测史[M]. Shanghai: Xuelin Pree. 1989. p226.</ref>
based on Xinyixiangfayao Star Map
!SUN X. & J. Kistemaker<ref>Sun Xiaochun. & Kistemaker J. ''The Chinese sky during the Han''. Leiden: Brill. 1997, Pp241-6.</ref>
Han Dynasty
!Boshun Yang<ref name=":1">B.-S. Yang杨伯顺, ''Zhongguo Chuantong Hengxing Guance Jingdu ji Xingguan Yanbian Yanjiu'' 中国传统恒星观测精度及星官演变研究 (A Research on the Accuracy of Chinese Traditional Star Observation and the Evolution of Constellations), PhD thesis, (Hefei: University of Science and Technology of China, 2023). 261.</ref>
before Tang dynasty
|-
| 1st/Determinative
| delta Aur
| delta Aur
| beta Cam
| beta Cam
| delta Aur
|-
| 2nd
| xi Aur
| xi Aur
| HIP 21601
| 17 Cam
| 16 Cam
|-
| 3rd
| 26 Cam
| 26 Cam
| HIP 20376
| 16 Cam
| beta Cam
|-
|4th
|17 Cam
|14 Cam
|HIP 21452
|delta Aur
|alpha Cam
|-
|5th
| 5 Cam
| 7 Cam
| HIP 22783
| 2 Lyn
| 29997
|-
|6th
|7 Cam
|9 Aur
|HIP 24017
|1 Lyn
|15 Lyn
|-
|7th
|HIP 24479
|11 Cam
|HIP 22626
|12 Lyn
|7 Cam
|-
|8th
|31 Cam
|31 Cam
|HIP 24914
|15 Lyn
|9 Aur
|}

=== Maps (Gallery) ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!historical map
!modern identification
!same in Stellarium 25.3
|-
|[[File:Bagu in Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido.jpg|thumb|Bagu in ''Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido'']]
|[[File:Bagu before Tang Dynasty Reconstructed by Boshun Yang (2023) .jpg|thumb|Bagu before Tang Dynasty Reconstructed by Boshun Yang (2023)]]
|[[File:Bagu before Tang dynasty demonstrated in Stellarium.jpg|thumb|Bagu before Tang dynasty demonstrated in Stellarium]]
|-
|[[File:Bagu in Suzhou Star Map.jpg|thumb|Bagu in Suzhou Star Map]]
|[[File:Bagu in Song Dynasty Reconstructed by Pan Nai (2009).jpg|thumb|Bagu in Song Dynasty Reconstructed by Pan Nai (2009)]]
|[[File:Bagu in Song dynasty demonstrated in Stellarium.jpg|thumb|Bagu in Song dynasty demonstrated in Stellarium]]
|-
|[[File:Bagu in Jesuits Star Map in 17th Century.jpg|thumb|Bagu in Jesuits Star Map in 17th Century]]
|[[File:Bagu Reconstructed by Yi Shitong (1981) based on Qing Star Catalogue in 18th Century.jpg|thumb|Bagu Reconstructed by Yi Shitong (1981) based on Qing Star Catalogue in 18th Century]]
|[[File:Bagu in 18th century demonstrated in Stellarium.jpg|thumb|Bagu in 18th century demonstrated in Stellarium]]
|}

== Star Name Discussion (IAU) ==
In 2025, the name of the historical constellation Bā Gǔ (八穀) was suggested to WGSN to be used for one of the stars in this constellation based on a review of Chinese cultural astronomy literature. Discussion focused on the bright star Delta Aurigae, which was the determinative star following multiple published versions of the asterism.

WGSN adopted the name "Bagu" for the bright star designated Delta Aurigae (HR 2077, HD 40035, HIP 28358) on 12 November 2025.

Bagu is a bright (V=3.72 mag) star at distance 43 parsecs. Since the middle of the 20th century, the star served as a Morgan-Keenan spectral standard for K0 giants. The star has a diameter about 12 times larger than that of our Sun. The star is a single-lined spectroscopic binary catalogued in SBC9, i.e. it has a faint companion on a period of 3.51 years (Griffin 2009). Specifically the name is applied to the primary Aa.

==References ==
[[References (Chinese)]]

[[Category:Asterism ]]
[[Category:Constellation ]]
[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:East Asian]]
[[Category:Chinese ]]
[[Category:Aur ]][[Category:Cam ]]

Bagu

2025-11-15T21:41:50Z

Ericmamajek: added brief summary about star

{{DISPLAYTITLE: Bagu (八谷)}}

Bā Gǔ ( Eight Kinds of Crops, 八穀) is a Chinese constellation consisting of eight stars located within the constellations Lynx'','' Auriga, and Camelopardalis. It belongs to the asterisms introduced by Gan De and originated during the Han dynasty.

== Concordance, Etymology, History ==
The name Bagu refers to the eight types of staple grains. In the ''Kaiyuan zhanjing'' (''Divination Canon of Kaiyuan Reign'', 開元占經, compiles between 712–718 CE), a note appended to the entry for Bagu explains: “The Eight Grains are rice, millet, panicled millet, barley, wheat, soybeans, adzuki beans, and hemp.” The ancients believed that observing the asterism ''Bagu'' could be used to divine the harvest of the year: if one of its stars became invisible, it foretold that one type of grain would fail to grow; if the stars appeared dim, it signified that all eight grains would suffer a poor harvest.

=== Identification of stars ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Star Names or Orders(Traditional/Qing)
!Ho PENG YOKE<ref>P.-Y. Ho, “Ancient And Mediaeval Observations of Comets and Novae in Chinese Sources,” ''Vistas in Astronomy'', 5(1962), 127-225.</ref>
!Yi Shitong<ref>Yi Shitong伊世同. ''Zhongxi Duizhao Hengxing Tubiao''中西对照恒星图表1950. Beijing: Science Press.1981: 56.</ref>
Based on catalogue in 18th century
!Pan Nai<ref name=":0">Pan Nai潘鼐. ''Zhongguo Hengxing Guance shi''中国恒星观测史[M]. Shanghai: Xuelin Pree. 1989. p226.</ref>
based on Xinyixiangfayao Star Map
!SUN X. & J. Kistemaker<ref>Sun Xiaochun. & Kistemaker J. ''The Chinese sky during the Han''. Leiden: Brill. 1997, Pp241-6.</ref>
Han Dynasty
!Boshun Yang<ref name=":1">B.-S. Yang杨伯顺, ''Zhongguo Chuantong Hengxing Guance Jingdu ji Xingguan Yanbian Yanjiu'' 中国传统恒星观测精度及星官演变研究 (A Research on the Accuracy of Chinese Traditional Star Observation and the Evolution of Constellations), PhD thesis, (Hefei: University of Science and Technology of China, 2023). 261.</ref>
before Tang dynasty
|-
| 1st/Determinative
| delta Aur
| delta Aur
| beta Cam
| beta Cam
| delta Aur
|-
| 2nd
| xi Aur
| xi Aur
| HIP 21601
| 17 Cam
| 16 Cam
|-
| 3rd
| 26 Cam
| 26 Cam
| HIP 20376
| 16 Cam
| beta Cam
|-
|4th
|17 Cam
|14 Cam
|HIP 21452
|delta Aur
|alpha Cam
|-
|5th
| 5 Cam
| 7 Cam
| HIP 22783
| 2 Lyn
| 29997
|-
|6th
|7 Cam
|9 Aur
|HIP 24017
|1 Lyn
|15 Lyn
|-
|7th
|HIP 24479
|11 Cam
|HIP 22626
|12 Lyn
|7 Cam
|-
|8th
|31 Cam
|31 Cam
|HIP 24914
|15 Lyn
|9 Aur
|}

=== Maps (Gallery) ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!historical map
!modern identification
!same in Stellarium 25.3
|-
|[[File:Bagu in Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido.jpg|thumb|Bagu in ''Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido'']]
|[[File:Bagu before Tang Dynasty Reconstructed by Boshun Yang (2023) .jpg|thumb|Bagu before Tang Dynasty Reconstructed by Boshun Yang (2023)]]
|[[File:Bagu before Tang dynasty demonstrated in Stellarium.jpg|thumb|Bagu before Tang dynasty demonstrated in Stellarium]]
|-
|[[File:Bagu in Suzhou Star Map.jpg|thumb|Bagu in Suzhou Star Map]]
|[[File:Bagu in Song Dynasty Reconstructed by Pan Nai (2009).jpg|thumb|Bagu in Song Dynasty Reconstructed by Pan Nai (2009)]]
|[[File:Bagu in Song dynasty demonstrated in Stellarium.jpg|thumb|Bagu in Song dynasty demonstrated in Stellarium]]
|-
|[[File:Bagu in Jesuits Star Map in 17th Century.jpg|thumb|Bagu in Jesuits Star Map in 17th Century]]
|[[File:Bagu Reconstructed by Yi Shitong (1981) based on Qing Star Catalogue in 18th Century.jpg|thumb|Bagu Reconstructed by Yi Shitong (1981) based on Qing Star Catalogue in 18th Century]]
|[[File:Bagu in 18th century demonstrated in Stellarium.jpg|thumb|Bagu in 18th century demonstrated in Stellarium]]
|}

== Star Name Discussion (IAU) ==
In 2025, the name of the historical constellation "Bagu" was suggested to WGSN to be used for one of the stars in this constellation.

WGSN adopted the name "Bagu" for the bright star designated Delta Aurigae (HR 2077, HD 40035, HIP 28358) on 12 November 2025. The star is a single-lined spectroscopic binary catalogued in SBC9, i.e. it has a faint companion on a period of 3.51 years (Griffin 2009). Specifically the name is applied to the primary Aa.

Bagu is a bright (V=3.72 mag) star at distance 43 parsecs. Since the middle of the 20th century, the star served as a Morgan-Keenan spectral standard for K0 giants. The star has a diameter about 12 times larger than that of our Sun.

==References ==
[[References (Chinese)]]

[[Category:Asterism ]]
[[Category:Constellation ]]
[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:East Asian]]
[[Category:Chinese ]]
[[Category:Aur ]][[Category:Cam ]]

Apdu

2025-11-13T08:52:32Z

Ericmamajek: added astrophysical description of star

[[File:The tomb of Seti I 6.jpg|thumb|Tomb of Sethy I - front (CC BY Leon Petrosyan)]]
Apd(w), ''ȝpd'', The Bird, is an ancient Egyptian constellation. There are at least 21 spelling variants<ref>Bojowald, Stefan (2024). Überlegungen zu den Schreibungen des ägyptischen Wortes ȝpd „Vogel“, Équipe Égypte Nilotique et Méditerranéenne: [http://www.enim-egyptologie.fr/revue/2024/16/Bojowald_ENiM17_p267-272.swf.pdf PDF]</ref> throughout the millennia in hierglyphs, and it is probably not any specific one.

==Concordance, Etymology, History==
=== Origin of Constellation ===
[[File:Lepsius-228-III-ramsèsVI-détail.jpg|thumb|schema of a Ramesside Star Clock (Fonctionnement d'une horloge ramesside.) from Karl Richard Lepsius - Denkmäler aus Ägypten und Äthiopien: Nach den Zeichnungen der von Seiner Majestät dem Könige von Preussen Friedrich Wilhelm IV nach diesen Ländern gesendeten und in den Jahren 1842-1845 ausgeführten wissenschaftlichen Expedition.]]
The constellation is mentioned in the Ramesside Star Clocks and identified by right ascension. Ramesside Star clocks (RSC) are astronomical devices developed in ancient Egypt to measure time by the, most likely, meridian or close to meridian transit of stars. These hour stars were single stars in a few cases or belong to constellations, some of them very large, of Egyptian sky maps.

There has been two dedicated approaches including an attempt to identify these hour stars: Leitz (1995)<ref name=":0">Leitz, Ch., 1995. Altägyptische Sternuhren. OLA, 62. Leuven: Peeters.</ref> and Belmonte (2003)<ref name=":1">Belmonte, J. A., 2003. The Ramesside star clocks and the ancient Egyptian constellations. In M. Blomberg, P. E. Blomberg and G. Henriksson (Eds.), ''Calendars, Symbols, and Orientations: Legacies of Astronomy in Culture'' (pp. 57–65). ''Uppsala Astronomical Observatory report'', 59. Uppsala Ocarina Books.</ref>. Pioneers Neugebauer and Parker (1969)<ref>Neugebauer, O. and Parker, R. A., 1969. ''Egyptian Astronomical Texts'', vol. III. Providence: Brown University.</ref> thought this was a worthless exercise.

Leitz (1995)<ref name=":0" /> followed N&P hypothesis of stars transiting close to the southern horizon and reached a solution which for Belmonte (2003) was not satisfactory for varios motives. These are amply discussed in Lull and Belmonte (2006 & 2009)<ref name=":2">Belmonte, J.A. andd Lull, J., 2023. Astronomy in ancient Egypt: a cultural perspective. Cham: Springer. </ref>. This new hypothesis suggests that several RSC constellations were located in the northern skies such as the Giant (Nekht), the She-Hippo (Reret), the Mooring Post (Menyt) and the Bird (Apdu), among others of lesser entity (see also Davies, 1985<ref>Davis, V. L., 1985. Identifying Ancient Egyptian Constellations. ''Journal of the History of Astronomy'', ''16'', 102–104.</ref>). The constellation Bird could be the one represented in the northern sector of several celestial diagrams.

Belmonte first defended his ideas at SEAC2001 in Stockholm (Belmonte, 2003)<ref name=":1" /> that were later used for posterior works such as Belmonte and Lull (2023)<ref>Belmonte, J.A. andd Lull, J., 2023. Astronomy in ancient Egypt: a cultural perspective. Cham: Springer. </ref>.

Among these hypotheses, it was proposed to locate the 4 stars of the Ramesside Star clocks located in the constellation Apd (Apdu) in Triangulum and close to Algol (proposal recently endorsed by Belmonte and Lull, 2023)<ref name=":2" />. Pegasus is far in RA.

Belmonte (2003)<ref name=":1" /> proposal was, considering the corresponding RA:
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Egyptian
!
!Translation
!Identification<ref name=":2" />
|-
|b'nt nt apd
|Banat net Apdu
|(the Peak of the Bird)
|Alpha Tri ([[Mothallah|Mothalla]])
|-
|tp n apd
|Tep en Apdu
|(the Head of the Bird)
|Beta Tri
|-
|htyt nt apd
|Hetyt net Apdu
|(the Throat of the Bird)
|A star in the area of [[Algol]]
|-
|kft=f
|
|Its rump (of the Bird)
|Alpha Per ([[Mirfak]])
|}
Being imaginative and avoiding interference with the stars in the Ramesside tables, which were probably the brightest in the constellation, we may even suggest for γ Tri a name of something certainly located in the head of Apdu, for example the Eye (the peak is already another hour-star).

==== Spelling Variants ====

* Apedu

*Apdu
*Apd(w)
[[File:Stellarium ApduBird.gif|thumb|Apdu bird as falcon (like the one depicted in the tomb of Sethy I in the King's Valley) mapped to Stellarium]]

==== Identifications ====
The area of The Bird must cover a region in Triangulum and close to Algol. Belmonte and Lull (2011) proposed the following identifications:

* (a) Banat net Apdu (the Peak of the Bird) - α Tri
* (b) Tep en Apdu (the Head of the Bird) - β Tri
* (c) Hetyt net Apdu (The Throat of the Bird) - a star close to Algol
* (d) Iret net Apdu (the Eye of the Bird) - γ Tri

=== Sources, Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation ===
Here we give a list of all sources where the name is attested.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Source
!Identification
|-
|
|
|-
|
|
|-
|
|
|}

== Religion/ Mythology ==
mnemonic tales and cultural significance

== IAU Working Group on Star Names ==
Alpha and Beta Trianguli are already named but Gamma is not. Apdu is the name of a constellation so it is not appropriate for a single star. Considering RA, GammaTri could have served as an hour-star as well as BetaTri (similar RA) and possibly formed part of the head of the Bird "Tep en Apdu" which could be a good name for it but this can cause confusion with BetaTri.

So, "Iret net Apdu", the Eye of the Bird, could be a good name for GammaTri. Considering that the name that the WGSN is often proposing for stars must be a single word and that the vowels "e" we normally include in Egyptian words are an artifact for easy reading into Indo-European languages ...

We may propose "Irtentapdu" as the name of GammaTri as the easiest and simple way to try to pronounce the Egyptian Irt-nt-apd(w), the Eye of the Bird.

Irtentapdu (for the eye of the bird, γ Tri) was proposed as a star name in 2023/5 in WGSN. Egyptian language does not spell all letters; in Irt-nt-Apd(w) some vowels can be added for easier pronounciation.

Gamma Tri is a bright (V=4.0 mag) star of type A0Vn (Abt 1995) at distance of approximately 36 parsecs. Zorec & Royer (2012; https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012A%26A...537A.120Z/abstract) estimate the star to have an effective temperature of 9940K, luminosity of about 32x that of the Sun, radius of 2.11 Rsun, mass 2.26 Msun, projected rotational velocity 254 km/s, and age of 407+-39 million years. Fetherolf+ (2023) detects variability with period 0.450848 day in TESS photometric data, consistent with rotation. Combining the radius calculated from the Zorec data, and adopting the period from Fetherolf as a rotation period, this would suggest an equatorial rotation velocity of about 236 km/s, similar to the vsini value. This suggests that the star is seen equator-on. The star also has a dusty debris disk detected by the IRAS, Spitzer, and WISE missions (e.g., Chen et al. 2014, ApJS, 268, 4; https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014ApJS..211...25C/abstract). All of its properties, including its color, equatorial rotational velocity, and even its dusty debris disk, make the star very similar to Vega, except Vega is seen nearly pole-on, and Gamma Tri is apparently seen nearly equator-on.

== Weblinks ==

*

== References ==

* [[References]] (general)

[[Category:Africa]] [[Category:Egyptian]]
[[Category:Asterism]] [[Category:Constellation]]

Regor

2025-10-19T06:08:38Z

Ericmamajek: /* Etymology and History */

Regor was a name from the space age attached to the bright star Gamma Velorum (gam02 Vel).
==Etymology and History==
Regor was one of three mysterious new names that started appearing around 1967 on American navigational star charts during the early years preparing for the NASA Apollo crewed lunar missions.

==IAU Working Group Star Names==
==Weblinks==
*Website of the IAU WGSN: https://exopla.net/
==Reference==
*[[References|References (general)]]

Regor

2025-10-18T08:52:45Z

Ericmamajek: starting new page on Regor

Hoerikwaggo

2025-10-18T08:25:14Z

Ericmamajek: added some stellar background

[[File:Hodges cape-good-hope.jpg|thumb|''A view of the Cape of Good Hope, taken on the Spot, from on board the Resolution, Capt. Cook'', Oil on canvas (William Hodges 1772, CC0).]]
The term "Hoerikwaggo" (originally spelled '''Huriǂoaxa''') was adopted for the brightest star in the constellation [[Mensa]] by IAU WGSN in 2024. Mensa (table) originally was named Mons Mensae (Table Mountain) in reference to the famous mountain in Cape Town.
[[File:CaptainGordon1779 hoerikwaggo.jpg|thumb|Captain Gordon's 1779 mentioning of the Khoekhoe term for the Table Mountain.]]

==Etymology and History==
The Indigenous peoples in the Western Cape area of South Africa, the San and Khoekhoe, had names for the famous Table Mountain before the Europeans arrived. In the San and Khoekhoe language it was called Huriǂoaxa, the Sea Mountain (lit. 'sea-emerging').

This term is perhaps the earliest known (written) name for this mountain because it is mentioned in the journal of Captain Robert Jacob Gorden on his fourth journey in 1779:<ref>Robert Jacob Gordon’s fourth journey (27 June 1779 to 13 January 1780), appendix to ms 107/3/1/1, fol. 67a, [https://www.robertjacobgordon.nl/manuscripts/appendix-to-ms-107-3-1-1#page4 online]</ref><ref>G.S. Nienaber & P.E. Raper, ''Toponymica Hottentotica'' (1977- 1980), vol. A2, p. 560</ref><blockquote>"de Oude hottentotten hieten de Caap hoerie ḱwaggo of de zeeberg de emphasies op ieder der laatste syllabe van het woord”</blockquote>in translation<blockquote>“The old Hottentots call Cape Town hoerie ḱwaggo or sea-mountain, with the stress on the last syllable of each word”.</blockquote>

==IAU Working Group Star Names==
The name was suggested to IAU WGSN by members of the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) in Cape Town. On December 12, 2024, WGSN adopted the name Hoerikwaggo for the star Alpha Mensae (HR 2261, HD 43834, HIP 29271) for the IAU-CSN.

Hoerikwaggo / Alpha Mensae is a very nearby (distance 10 parsecs), solar-type main sequence star of spectral type G7V and apparent V magnitude 5.07. It has a faint M-type companion star 3 arcseconds away. Asteroseismic analysis of the light curve of the star measured with the NASA TESS mission by Chontos et al. (2021) yielded precise estimates of the mass and diameter of the star, both about 3% smaller than the Sun, and an asteroseismic age of 6.2+-1.5 billion years.

==Weblinks==
* Website of the IAU WGSN: https://exopla.net/

==Reference==
*[[References|References (general)]]

[[Category:IAU-Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:Africa]]
[[Category:Khoekhoe]]
[[Category:San]]
[[Category:Men]]

Adhafera

2025-09-02T09:00:03Z

Ericmamajek: /* Etymology and History */

Adhafera is a modern star name adopted by the International Astronomical Union in the IAU-Catalog of Star Names (IAU-CSN). Its origin is Arabic. It is the name of HIP 50335 (ζ Leo, HR 4031) in constellation [[Leo]].

==Etymology and History==

Kunitzsch & Smart (2006)<ref>Kunitzsch, Paul; Smart, Tim (2006). A Dictionary of Modern star Names: A Short Guide to 254 Star Names and Their Derivations (2nd rev. ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Sky Pub.</ref>: "From the sci-A name ''al-dafira'', "the Lock of Hair", for the [[Coma Berenices]] star cluster. Wrongly applied to ζ Leo in recent times (due in part to the fact that Ptolemy's "Hair" is discussed under the Lion constellation in the ''Almagest''."

In the Almagest<ref>Ptolemy’s Almagest, Engl. translation by Toomer, G.J., Princeton Uni. Press, 1998, Orig.: London, 1984</ref>, Ptolemy discussed three stars in the "unformed" vicinity of [[Leo]] - the 33rd, 34th, and 35th stars listed under Leo, or the 6th, 7th, and 8th of the "unformed" stars associated with Leo, and refers to the group as πλόκαμος ('the lock [of hair]' - in reference to Berenice). In Toomer's translation of the Almagest, he cross-identifies these stars as 15, 7, and 23 Coma Berenices (but he acknowledges that "it is dubious whether one should identify the points named by Ptolemy with individual stars, as I have done following Manitius and P-K." Al-Sufi referenced Abu Hanifa, and called this group of three stars above the tail of Leo as ''al-Dafira'' (Hafez 2010 PhD thesis,<ref>Ihsan Hafez (2010). Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi and his book of the fixed stars: a journey of re-discovery, [https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/28854/ PhD Thesis], James Cook University (AUstralia) Publisher Website: https://doi.org/10.25903/6xsf-aa64</ref> Folio 12, p.91; Folio 24, p.103; Folio 26, p.105).

While Kunitzsch & Smart (2006) say the error occurred in "recent times" (implying after 1800) -- the earliest reference we found so far that mistakenly applies a variation of that name (which was supposed to be applied to stars in Coma Berenices, in the ἀμόρφωτοι of Leo), is Vitali 1668 (early modern period):

"''ALDHAFERA Arab. Latine Iuba Leonis, stellar fixa tertiae magnitudinis de natura Saturni, & Mercurij; tunc temporis existens in gradu fere 23. Leonis''"

The name has a different transliteration, with the latin translation specifically referring to the lion's mane, and ascribing the name specifically to a star of 3rd magnitude. The attribution of the name to a 3rd mag star in Leo's mane propagated after this to German and English works (von Wolf 1716, Zedler 1732, Chambers 1786, Hall 1788).

While Kunitzsch (1959, Arabische Sternnamen in Europa, p.112) appears to ascribe the mistaken appropriation of the name to zeta Leo by Elijah Burritt (~1830s), following Allen (1899), and considering the error "recent" (since 1800s; Kunitzsch & Smart 2006), one sees that there are examples of ascribing variations of the name to a 3rd magnitude star in the mane of Leo back to at least 1668 ("Renaissance").

==Mythology==

==IAU Working Group on Star Names==
The name was adopted by the IAU WGSN on 2016/07/20.

==Weblinks==
* Website of the IAU WGSN: https://exopla.net/

==Reference==
*[[References|References (general)]]
* Kunitzsch, Paul; Smart, Tim (2006). A Dictionary of Modern star Names: A Short Guide to 254 Star Names and Their Derivations (2nd rev. ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Sky Pub.

[[Category:Asterism]][[Category:Star Name]][[Category:IAU-Star Name]] [[Category:Leo]]

Adhafera

2025-09-02T07:27:59Z

Ericmamajek: /* Etymology and History */

Bodu

2025-08-09T08:12:44Z

Ericmamajek: /* The Star */

{{DISPLAYTITLE: Bodu (帛度)}}
[[File:Bodu profile stickfigure.jpeg|thumb|WGSN star name "Bodu", profile stickfigure, created by M. Sadegh Faghanpour (IAU WGSN).]]
'''Bó Dù''' (帛度, “Textile Ruler”) is a Chinese asterism consisting of two stars, established by the Wuxian (巫咸) tradition during the Han dynasty. Together with [[Tusi]], the Butcher Shop, it formed a double-asterism within the Chinese super-constellation of [[Tianshi (天市)]], the Celestial Market Place. Since 2025, "Bodu" is also the IAU-star name of 95 Her, a white subgiant in the constellation of [[Hercules]].

== Etymology and History ==
The term ''bo'' (帛) refers broadly to silk fabrics, while ''du'' (度) denotes either units or instruments of length measurement. Thus, ''Bodu'' could be interpreted as a tool used for measuring textiles, or by extension, as a shop engaged in the sale of such goods. The Han dynasty (202 BCE - 220 CE) classic ''Liji'' (礼记, ''Book of Rites'') contains strict specifications for commodities, including textiles. It states: “Cloth and silk that are either too fine or too coarse to meet the standard, or '''whose widths are not properly measured''', shall not be permitted in the market.” According to Han regulations, government-issued cloth was required to be “2 chi and 2 cun in width” (1 ''chi'' is about 23.1-24.3 cm in Han, 1 cun is 0.1 ''chi''). The establishment of this asterism may have been informed by such institutional frameworks regulating textile production and trade.

Astrologers later generalized the meaning of ''Bodu'' to represent all measurement, commercial standardization, and market regulation. Since textile trade was primarily associated with women, some traditions even employed this asterism to divine matters related to women’s purchases in the marketplace.

=== Identification of stars ===
Some star charts depict ''Bodu'' as oriented east–west, while others depict it in a north–south arrangement. It is located near the ''[[Tusi]]'' (Butcher’s Shop) asterism, and several charts depict the two together as forming a connected rectangular shape. Given their small size and the low precision of ancient mapping techniques, slight variations in their relative positions are frequent. Interestingly, while the position of ''Tusi'' often varies across ancient catalogues, ''Bodu'' remains remarkably stable—aside from a few erroneous identifications of the coordinate in ''Huangyou Star Catalogue'' (皇祐星表) by modern scholars, the coordinates in various catalogues points to 95 Her and 102 Her. For visual representations of ''Bodu'', see the entry ''[[Tusi]]''.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Star Names or Orders(Traditional/Qing)
!Yi Shitong<ref>Yi Shitong伊世同. ''Zhongxi Duizhao Hengxing Tubiao''中西对照恒星图表1950. Beijing: Science Press.1981: 32.</ref>
Based on catalogue in 18th century
!Pan Nai<ref name=":0">Pan Nai潘鼐. ''Zhongguo Hengxing Guance shi''中国恒星观测史[M]. Shanghai: Xuelin Pree. 2009. p305.</ref>
based on Huangyou Star Catalogue
!Pan Nai<ref>Pan Nai潘鼐. ''Zhongguo Hengxing Guance shi''中国恒星观测史[M]. Shanghai: Xuelin Pree. 2009. p438.</ref>
based on catalogues in Yuan dynasty
!SUN X. & J. Kistemaker<ref>Sun Xiaochun. & Kistemaker J. ''The Chinese sky during the Han''. Leiden: Brill. 1997, Pp241-6.</ref>
Han Dynasty
!Boshun Yang<ref name=":1">B.-S. Yang杨伯顺, ''Zhongguo Chuantong Hengxing Guance Jingdu ji Xingguan Yanbian Yanjiu'' 中国传统恒星观测精度及星官演变研究 (A Research on the Accuracy of Chinese Traditional Star Observation and the Evolution of Constellations), PhD thesis, (Hefei: University of Science and Technology of China, 2023). 248.</ref>
before Tang dynasty
!Boshun Yang<ref name=":1" />
Song Jingyou(1034)
!Boshun Yang<ref name=":1" />
Song Huangyou(1052)
|-
| 1st/Determinative
| 95 Her
| 96 Her
| 96 Her
| 96 Her
| 102 Her
| 95 Her
|95 Her
|-
| 2nd
| 102 Her
| 101 Her
| 101 Her
| 101 Her
| 95 Her
| 102 Her
|102 Her
|}

=== Maps (Gallery) source ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!historical map
!modern identification
(Yang 2023)
!same in Stellarium 25.1
|-
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu on Cheonsang-yeolcha-bunya-jido.jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu on ''Cheonsang-yeolcha-bunya-jido'']]
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu reconstructed by Yang-before Tang.jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu reconstructed in Han dynasty based on the ''Chenzhuo Star Catalogue'', identified by Boshun Yang (2023).]]
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu Stellarium before Tang.jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu reconstructed in Han dynasty based on the ''Chenzhuo Star Catalogue'', mapped in Stellarium 2025 by Boshun Yang.]]
|-
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu on Dunhuang Star Map.jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu on Dunhuang Star Map]]
|
|
|-
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu on Geziyuejintu.jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu on Geziyuejintu]]
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu reconstructed by Yang based on Jingyou star catalogue(1034).jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu based on the Jingyou Star Catalogue in Song Dynasty (1034), identified by Boshun Yang (2023).]]
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu Stellarium in Early Song (1034).jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu based on the Jingyou Star Catalogue in Song Dynasty (1034),mapped in Stellarium 2025 by Boshun Yang.]]
|-
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu on Xinyixiangfayao Star Map.jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu on ''Xinyixiangfayao'' Star Map (1080s)]]
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu reconstructed by Yang based on Huangyou star catalogue(1052).jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu based on the Huangyou Star Catalogue(1052), identified by Boshun Yang (2023).]]
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu Stellarium in Mid Song (1052).jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu based on the Huangyou Star Catalogue(1052), mapped in Stellarium 2025 by Boshun Yang.]]
|-
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu on Suzhou Star Map.jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu on Suzhou Star Map (1247)]]
|
|
|-
|
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu reconstructed by Yang based on Tianwen huichao star catalogue(1360s).jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu reconstructed by Yang based on Tianwen huichao star catalogue(1360s), identified by Boshun Yang (2023).]]
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu Stellarium in Yuan (1363).jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu Stellarium in Yuan (1363),based on the ''Tianwen Huichao'' Star Catalogue, mapped in Stellarium 2025 by Boshun Yang (2023).]]
|-
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu on Jianjie zongxingtu (1630s).jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu on ''Jianjie zongxing tu'' (1630s)]]
|
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu Stellarium Qing.jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu based on catalogues in Qing Dynasty (China), identified by Yi Shitong(1981), mapped in Stellarium 2025 by Shuwei Sun.]]
|-
|
|
|
|}

[[File:Bodu profile.jpeg|thumb|WGSN star name "Bodu", profile card, created by Sadegh Faghanpour (IAU WGSN).]]

== Star Name Discussion (IAU) ==
In 2025, the name of the historical constellation "Bodu" was suggested to be used for one of the stars in this constellation. In June 2025, WGSN chose to adopt the name Bodu for the star 95 Herculis, following the Yi Shitong catalog because earlier identifications are highly uncertain.

== The Star ==
In the [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1991bsc..book.....H/abstract Bright Star Catalog (Hoffleit & Jaschek 1991)], 95 Her refers to a binary of two bright stars: 95 Her A (HR 6730, HD 164669; Vmag=4.96) and 95 Her B (HR 6729, HD 164668; Vmag=5.18). The pair appear together in the Hipparcos catalog with designation HIP 88267, and in the Washington Double Star catalog as STF 2264 (WDS J18015+2136), with the separation recently measured to be 6.3 arcseconds. [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1987ApJS...65..581G/abstract Gray & Garrison (1987)] reported spectral types for the 95 Her A and B components of A2IV and G5III, respectively. The vivid color contrast of the pair was noted in the 19th century, with [https://books.google.com/books?id=ZzI6bIuzfp0C&pg=PA299&dq=%2295+Herculis%22 William Henry Smyth] reporting A to be "greenish" and B to be "cherry red" (1833) and then later in his life as "pale green" and "reddish", meanwhile his contemporary Benedict Sestini reported both to be "gold yellow".

95 Her A is is somewhat brighter in the V-band, but 95 Her B is brighter in the infrared and actually has a higher bolometric luminosity and mass (it is the slightly more massive, and evolved of the two stars). Using Gaia astrometry [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2022A%26A...657A...7K/abstract Kervella et al. (2022)] estimated the pair to be separated by 6.37", corresponding to 840 astronomical units, and their tangential velocities agree within 1.23+-0.05 km/s. No orbit for the pair has been published yet, which is unsurprising, as since the first report of the binary by William Herschel in 1780 (the year before he discovered Uranus), the separation has barely changed, and the position angle has only changed by about 9 degrees. [http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/95her.html Jim Kaler] estimates the orbital period to be at least 11,000 years.

Following IAU WGSN policy, names are adopted for individual stars, and when the star turns out to be multiple, the name defaults to that of the primary star (usually the brighter of the two in the V band, where measured). The WGSN may later adopt other cultural/historical names for companions.

In this case, the name '''Bodu''' has been adopted by IAU WGSN specifically for the brighter (in the visible) of the pair: 95 Her A (HR 6730, HD 164669, HIP 88267 A), a hot white subgiant of 2.8 solar masses at a distance of 432 light years.

==References ==
[[References (Chinese)]]

[[Category:Asterism ]]
[[Category:Constellation ]]
[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:East Asian]]
[[Category:Chinese ]]
[[Category:IAU-Star Name]]

Bodu

2025-08-09T07:52:29Z

Ericmamajek: added some astrophysics background and made clear which component the name refers to

{{DISPLAYTITLE: Bodu (帛度)}}
[[File:Bodu profile stickfigure.jpeg|thumb|WGSN star name "Bodu", profile stickfigure, created by M. Sadegh Faghanpour (IAU WGSN).]]
'''Bó Dù''' (帛度, “Textile Ruler”) is a Chinese asterism consisting of two stars, established by the Wuxian (巫咸) tradition during the Han dynasty. Together with [[Tusi]], the Butcher Shop, it formed a double-asterism within the Chinese super-constellation of [[Tianshi (天市)]], the Celestial Market Place. Since 2025, "Bodu" is also the IAU-star name of 95 Her, a white subgiant in the constellation of [[Hercules]].

== Etymology and History ==
The term ''bo'' (帛) refers broadly to silk fabrics, while ''du'' (度) denotes either units or instruments of length measurement. Thus, ''Bodu'' could be interpreted as a tool used for measuring textiles, or by extension, as a shop engaged in the sale of such goods. The Han dynasty (202 BCE - 220 CE) classic ''Liji'' (礼记, ''Book of Rites'') contains strict specifications for commodities, including textiles. It states: “Cloth and silk that are either too fine or too coarse to meet the standard, or '''whose widths are not properly measured''', shall not be permitted in the market.” According to Han regulations, government-issued cloth was required to be “2 chi and 2 cun in width” (1 ''chi'' is about 23.1-24.3 cm in Han, 1 cun is 0.1 ''chi''). The establishment of this asterism may have been informed by such institutional frameworks regulating textile production and trade.

Astrologers later generalized the meaning of ''Bodu'' to represent all measurement, commercial standardization, and market regulation. Since textile trade was primarily associated with women, some traditions even employed this asterism to divine matters related to women’s purchases in the marketplace.

=== Identification of stars ===
Some star charts depict ''Bodu'' as oriented east–west, while others depict it in a north–south arrangement. It is located near the ''[[Tusi]]'' (Butcher’s Shop) asterism, and several charts depict the two together as forming a connected rectangular shape. Given their small size and the low precision of ancient mapping techniques, slight variations in their relative positions are frequent. Interestingly, while the position of ''Tusi'' often varies across ancient catalogues, ''Bodu'' remains remarkably stable—aside from a few erroneous identifications of the coordinate in ''Huangyou Star Catalogue'' (皇祐星表) by modern scholars, the coordinates in various catalogues points to 95 Her and 102 Her. For visual representations of ''Bodu'', see the entry ''[[Tusi]]''.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Star Names or Orders(Traditional/Qing)
!Yi Shitong<ref>Yi Shitong伊世同. ''Zhongxi Duizhao Hengxing Tubiao''中西对照恒星图表1950. Beijing: Science Press.1981: 32.</ref>
Based on catalogue in 18th century
!Pan Nai<ref name=":0">Pan Nai潘鼐. ''Zhongguo Hengxing Guance shi''中国恒星观测史[M]. Shanghai: Xuelin Pree. 2009. p305.</ref>
based on Huangyou Star Catalogue
!Pan Nai<ref>Pan Nai潘鼐. ''Zhongguo Hengxing Guance shi''中国恒星观测史[M]. Shanghai: Xuelin Pree. 2009. p438.</ref>
based on catalogues in Yuan dynasty
!SUN X. & J. Kistemaker<ref>Sun Xiaochun. & Kistemaker J. ''The Chinese sky during the Han''. Leiden: Brill. 1997, Pp241-6.</ref>
Han Dynasty
!Boshun Yang<ref name=":1">B.-S. Yang杨伯顺, ''Zhongguo Chuantong Hengxing Guance Jingdu ji Xingguan Yanbian Yanjiu'' 中国传统恒星观测精度及星官演变研究 (A Research on the Accuracy of Chinese Traditional Star Observation and the Evolution of Constellations), PhD thesis, (Hefei: University of Science and Technology of China, 2023). 248.</ref>
before Tang dynasty
!Boshun Yang<ref name=":1" />
Song Jingyou(1034)
!Boshun Yang<ref name=":1" />
Song Huangyou(1052)
|-
| 1st/Determinative
| 95 Her
| 96 Her
| 96 Her
| 96 Her
| 102 Her
| 95 Her
|95 Her
|-
| 2nd
| 102 Her
| 101 Her
| 101 Her
| 101 Her
| 95 Her
| 102 Her
|102 Her
|}

=== Maps (Gallery) source ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!historical map
!modern identification
(Yang 2023)
!same in Stellarium 25.1
|-
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu on Cheonsang-yeolcha-bunya-jido.jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu on ''Cheonsang-yeolcha-bunya-jido'']]
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu reconstructed by Yang-before Tang.jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu reconstructed in Han dynasty based on the ''Chenzhuo Star Catalogue'', identified by Boshun Yang (2023).]]
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu Stellarium before Tang.jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu reconstructed in Han dynasty based on the ''Chenzhuo Star Catalogue'', mapped in Stellarium 2025 by Boshun Yang.]]
|-
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu on Dunhuang Star Map.jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu on Dunhuang Star Map]]
|
|
|-
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu on Geziyuejintu.jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu on Geziyuejintu]]
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu reconstructed by Yang based on Jingyou star catalogue(1034).jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu based on the Jingyou Star Catalogue in Song Dynasty (1034), identified by Boshun Yang (2023).]]
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu Stellarium in Early Song (1034).jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu based on the Jingyou Star Catalogue in Song Dynasty (1034),mapped in Stellarium 2025 by Boshun Yang.]]
|-
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu on Xinyixiangfayao Star Map.jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu on ''Xinyixiangfayao'' Star Map (1080s)]]
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu reconstructed by Yang based on Huangyou star catalogue(1052).jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu based on the Huangyou Star Catalogue(1052), identified by Boshun Yang (2023).]]
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu Stellarium in Mid Song (1052).jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu based on the Huangyou Star Catalogue(1052), mapped in Stellarium 2025 by Boshun Yang.]]
|-
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu on Suzhou Star Map.jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu on Suzhou Star Map (1247)]]
|
|
|-
|
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu reconstructed by Yang based on Tianwen huichao star catalogue(1360s).jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu reconstructed by Yang based on Tianwen huichao star catalogue(1360s), identified by Boshun Yang (2023).]]
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu Stellarium in Yuan (1363).jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu Stellarium in Yuan (1363),based on the ''Tianwen Huichao'' Star Catalogue, mapped in Stellarium 2025 by Boshun Yang (2023).]]
|-
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu on Jianjie zongxingtu (1630s).jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu on ''Jianjie zongxing tu'' (1630s)]]
|
|[[File:Tusi and Bodu Stellarium Qing.jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu based on catalogues in Qing Dynasty (China), identified by Yi Shitong(1981), mapped in Stellarium 2025 by Shuwei Sun.]]
|-
|
|
|
|}

[[File:Bodu profile.jpeg|thumb|WGSN star name "Bodu", profile card, created by Sadegh Faghanpour (IAU WGSN).]]

== Star Name Discussion (IAU) ==
In 2025, the name of the historical constellation "Bodu" was suggested to be used for one of the stars in this constellation. In June 2025, WGSN chose to adopt the name Bodu for the star 95 Herculis, following the Yi Shitong catalog because earlier identifications are highly uncertain.

== The Star ==
In the [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1991bsc..book.....H/abstract Bright Star Catalog (Hoffleit & Jaschek 1991)], 95 Her refers to a binary of two bright stars: 95 Her A (HR 6730, HD 164669; Vmag=4.96) and 95 Her B (HR 6729, HD 164668; Vmag=5.18). The pair appear together in the Hipparcos catalog with designation HIP 88267, and in the Washington Double Star catalog as STF 2264 (WDS J18015+2136), with the separation recently measured to be 6.3 arcseconds. [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1987ApJS...65..581G/abstract Gray & Garrison (1987)] reported spectral types for the 95 Her A and B components of A2IV and G5III, respectively. 95 Her A is is somewhat brighter in the V-band, but 95 Her B is brighter in the infrared and actually has a higher bolometric luminosity and mass (it is the slightly more massive, and evolved of the two stars). Using Gaia astrometry [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2022A%26A...657A...7K/abstract Kervella et al. (2022)] estimated the pair to be separated by 6.37", corresponding to 840 astronomical units, and their tangential velocities agree within 1.23+-0.05 km/s. No orbit for the pair has been published yet, which is unsurprising, as since the pair was discovered in 1780, the separation has barely changed, and the position angle has only changed by about 9 degrees.

Following IAU WGSN policy, names are adopted for individual stars, and when the star turns out to be multiple, the name defaults to that of the primary star (usually the brighter of the two in the V band, where measured). The WGSN may later adopt other cultural/historical names for companions.

In this case, the name Bodu has been adopted by IAU WGSN specifically for the brighter (in the visible) of the pair: 95 Her A (HR 6730, HD 164669, HIP 88267 A), a hot white subgiant of 2.8 solar masses at a distance of 432 light years.

==References ==
[[References (Chinese)]]

[[Category:Asterism ]]
[[Category:Constellation ]]
[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:East Asian]]
[[Category:Chinese ]]
[[Category:IAU-Star Name]]

Tusizuo

2025-08-09T07:16:23Z

Ericmamajek: updated some description of the importance of the star and comments on its reported multiplicity (or lack thereof)

[[File:Tusizuo profile stickfigure.jpeg|alt=WGSN profile card - map of Tusizuo|thumb|WGSN star name "Tusizuo", profile stickfigure, created by M. Sadegh Faghanpour (IAU WGSN).]]
Tusizuo, "The Left Star of the Butcher Shop", is a modern star name adopted to the IAU-Catalog of Star Names in 2025 for the star 109 Her in [[Hercules]] to memorize the historical Chinese constellation [[Tusi|Tú Sì (屠肆]], "Butcher's Shop") in the superconstellation of Tianshi, The Heavenly Market.

== Etymology and History==
[[File:Tusi and Bodu on Dunhuang Star Map.jpg|thumb|Tusi and Bodu on Dunhuang Star Map]] The old constellation Tú Sì (屠肆, "Butcher's Shop") is a Chinese asterism consisting of two stars, established by the Wuxian (巫咸) school during the Han dynasty. Among these two stars, one is named "the left" and the other "the right one".
==The Star ==
109 Her is a red giant star of one solar mass, so it displays what our Sun will look like in roughly 5 billion years: the entire mass filling a sphere with roughly twelve solar radii. The star is at a distance of 121 light years, so the light that was observed in the year of WGSN-naming left the star's surface one year before Einstein published his theory of special relativity and the fundamental equation of the photoelectric effect for which he obtained the Nobel prize.

This red giant star is one of the stars that defines the spectral type K2IIIab, in the catalog of spectral standard stars by [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1989ApJS...71..245K/abstract Philip Keenan and Raymond McNeil (1989)], where the type "K" implies a star somewhat cooler and oranger than our Sun, and the luminosity class III implies the star has a surface gravity consistent with being a giant.

Although 109 Her / Tusizuo appears in the Washington Double Star catalog (WDS J18237+2146; with 109 Her as component "A" or "Aa"), the evidence that any of the three reported companions is physically associated with the star has been weak. The "B" and "C" components appear to be faint background stars at wide separations (238" and 129", respectively) that do not share the fast proper motion of "A". The "A" component itself was reported to be tight binary (designated TOK 60 Aa,Ab) in a single speckle interferometry observation in 2009 by [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2010AJ....139..743T/abstract Tokovinin et al. (2010)], with separation 0.042 arcseconds and a companion 1.6 magnitudes fainter (in an Halpha filter). However, subsequent observations by Tokovinin in 2018 and 2021 did not recover the companion. If the Tokovinin speckle companion was real, then the secondary would also be likely to be a giant star of similar mass, and then 107 Her should show radial velocity variations of tens of kilometers per second on timescales of ~1-few years. However, no such periodicity has been reported in published radial velocity data for 109 Her, despite multiple investigators reporting relatively steady velocities at the ~km/s-level over the past century (e.g. [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1986ApJS...62..147B/abstract Beavers & Eitter 1986]). Lastly, a comparison of the star's proper motion by the ESA Hipparcos and Gaia missions by [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2022A%26A...657A...7K/abstract Kervella et al. (2022)] was consistent with single star motion (the measured tangential velocity anomaly was statistically insignificant: 35+-19 meters per second).

So thus far, 109 Her appears to be single.
==IAU Working Group on Star Names==
[[File:Tusizuo profileWGSN.jpeg|alt=WGSN profile card of Tusizuo|thumb|WGSN star name "Tusizuo", profile card, created by M. Sadegh Faghanpour (IAU WGSN).]]
The constellation name was discussed as a possible source of a star name by IAU WGSN in 2025. As "Tusi" could be confused with other celestial bodies named Tusi after two Persian astronomers (asteroid (10269) Tusi and asteroid (7058) Al-Tusi), WGSN chose to add a determinative here, and adopted the Chinese name '''Tusizuo''', for "''the left one in Tú Sì (屠肆, 'Butcher's Shop')''", for the star designated 109 Her (aliases: HR 6895, HD 169414, HIP 90139).

==Weblinks==

*[https://simbad.cds.unistra.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=109+Her SIMBAD page for 109 Her]
*[[wikipedia:109_Herculis|Wikipedia page (English) on 109 Her]]

==Reference==
*[[References|References (general)]]
*[[References_(Chinese)]]

[[Category:Single star-asterism‏‎]]
[[Category:Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:IAU-Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:East Asian]]
[[Category:Chinese]]

Triangulum

2025-06-12T07:46:24Z

Ericmamajek:

[[File:Triangulum IAU.svg|alt=star chart|thumb|Tri star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).]]
[[File:Tri kugel.jpg|alt=drawing of the constellation |thumb|Constellation Trianugulum on the 10 cm silver globe from the Kugel collection (Paris), dating 1st century BCE.]]
[[File:Kugel Globe Tri.JPG|thumb|Earliest known depiction of Triangulum on the Kugel Globe (first century BCE), drawing by SMH 2025.<ref>Hoffmann (2025), Some Results on the Ancient Globes, Globe Studies – The Journal of the International Coronelli Society, 69, 4169.</ref> ]]
One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations|88 IAU constellations]]. In Greek antiquity, it was called either '''Trigonon''' (Τρίγωνον; triangle), or alternatively '''Deltoton''' (Δελτωτόν; the letter Delta: Δ). The alternative name incorporates the religious connection for the ancients, but the constellation is missing from the Farnese Globe and the Mainz Globe.

==Etymology and History==
=== Origin of Constellation ===
The triangle constellation is ancient Greek. It did not exist in Mesopotamia; the stars probably belonged to the Babylonian constellation of the Hired Man, mul lu2[[ḪUN.GA2|ḪUN.GA2]] ([[Aries]]). Although it was consistently present as a separate constellation in Greece, the authors disagree about its meaning. Aratos calls it ‘the sign’; the mathematical astronomers call it ‘triangle’. Accordingly, Eratosthenes notes that some interpret it as the initial letter of the word ‘Dios’, i.e., as the Greek capital letter Δ (Delta). Dios is the genitive of the name of Zeus. The astronomer reports that when Hermes arranged the constellations in the sky, he inserted ‘of Zeus’ as a possessive inscription - i.e. ‘constellations of Zeus’, the highest god.

Alternatively, Eratosthenes, the librarian of Alexandria and teacher of the princes of Egypt, reported that the constellation was the Nile Delta. He says that the Nile created a triangular outline of Egypt. The constellation, therefore, symbolises the land that the Nile shapes.

The constellation is missing on the globe of the Atlas Farnese, but it is mentioned in all star catalogues: by Eudoxos, Hipparchus, Eratosthenes and Ptolemy. So, it was probably only omitted because it was too delicate or too tiny for the stonemason to fit between the ram and the princess. Interestingly, according to the Almagest, the triangle (Τρίγωνον) consists of four stars, with the fourth star located on one of the connecting lines. In contrast to the (equilateral) southern triangle, this classic triangle is very small and pointed: the fourth star, therefore, does not have to mark the baseline but is located on the smallest of the three edges.

In modern times, the constellation is called ‘the triangle’ by Johann E. Bode, for example. Whether he is referring to the small musical instrument remains a mystery, as the shape of the constellation is not changed. Mathematically, it makes no difference whether this geometry is called ‘three angles’ or ‘three corners’, so that the words "tri-angel" and "drei-eck(en)" are equivalent.

==== Greco-Roman ====

===== Aratus =====
<blockquote>There is yet another constellation formed near by beneath Andromeda: [235] the Triangle is measured out on three sides, recognisably isosceles; the third side is shorter, but it is very easy to find, for it is well starred compared to the other two. Its stars are a little to the south of those of the Ram. (Kidd 1997)</blockquote>[[File:Tri Duerer.JPG|thumb|Triangulum in Dürer (1515) named "Deltoton".]]

===== Eratosthenes =====
<blockquote>'''Var. 1 (περὶ τοῦ Δελτωτοῦ):''' This is the constellation above the head of Aries, and it is said that it is to compensate for its lack of brilliance is an easily recognisable letter, taken from the initial of the name of Zeus, and placed there by Hermes who organised the entire arrangement of the constellations. In fact, some say that Egypt derives its triangular shape from the triangle of the constellation, and that the Nile shape it has given to the contours of the country, not only guarantees its security, but also makes it easier to sow and provide a favourable climate for harvesting the fruits of the earth.

The Triangle has three stars, one on each of its angles, all three shining brightly.

'''Var. 2 (Δελτωτοῦ):''' This is the constellation above the head of Aries; it is said that the latter is quite dull, and that an easily recognisable letter is located above him, taken from the initial of the name of Zeus, and placed by Hermes who organised arrangement of the constellations. Some say that Egypt derives its triangular shape from the triangle of the constellation, and that the Nile, by this very shape it has given to the contours of the country, not only guarantees its security, but also makes it easier to sow easier and provide a favourable climate for harvesting the fruits of the earth.

The Triangle has three bright stars, one on each angle. (Pamias and Zucker 2013)</blockquote>

===== Hipparchus =====

* not in Hipparchus's lists of rising and setting constellations

* but γ Tri is mentioned as simultaneous culmination with the setting of Aquila, The Eagle

===== Hyginus, Astronomica =====
<blockquote>This constellation, which has three angles like the Greek letter Delta, is so named for that reason. Mercury is thought to have placed it above the head of Aries, so that the dimness of Aries might be marked by its brightness, wherever it should be, and that it should form the first letter in the name of Jove (in Greek, Dis). Some have said that it pictures the position of Egypt; others, that of Aethiopa and Egypt where the Nile marks their boundaries. Still others think that Sicily is pictured there. Others, say that three angles were put there because the gods divided the universe into three parts. (Mary Ward 1960)</blockquote>

===== Geminos =====

==== Almagest Τρίγωνον ====
{| class="wikitable"
!id
!Greek
(Heiberg 1898)
!English
(Toomer 1984)
!ident.
|-
!
!Τριγώνου ἀστερισμός
!Constellation of Triangulum
!
|-
|1
|ὁ ἐν τῇ κορουφῇ τοῦ Τριγώνου
|The star in the apex of the triangle
|α Tri
|-
|2
|τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς βάσεως 7 ὁ προηγούμενος.
|The most advanced of the 3 on the basic
|β Tri
|-
|3
|ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν.
|The middle one of these
|δ Tri
|-
|4
|ὁ ἑπόμενος τῶν τριῶν
|The rearmost of the three
|γ Tri
|-
|
|
|
|
|-
|
|ἀστέρες δ', ὥν γ’ μεγέθους γ', δ’ ἄ.
|4 stars, 3 of the third magnitude, 1 of the fourth
|
|}

=== Arabic Culture ===

According to Laffitte (2025), there are two star names in the Arabic version of the Greek triangle. One is derived from the translation of the Greek term for "Triangle", the other is of unknown origin:<ref>Roland LAFFITTE (2025). Nommer les étoiles. 500 noms hérités des Arabes. Apport de l'uranographie arabe. Lyon: Orient-des-Mots </ref> <blockquote>The Arabs of the classical period borrowed from the Greeks the figure of ''Δελτωτόν / Deltaton'', the ‘Triangle’ introduced by Eudoxus, under the name ''al-Mutallat'', with the same meaning (Ar. ''al-Muṯallaṯ'', al-Ḥağğāğ & Isḥāq. Lat. ''Triangulum'', Gerard of Cremona.), whereas the ancient Arabs considered only the pair called ''al-Anīsān'', ‘the Two Companions,’ (Ar.: ''al-Anīsān'', Ibn Qutayba, al-Ṣūfī > ''“al-anîsaïn”'' (ind. case) Schjellerup; ''al-Šimālī min al-Anisayn'', al-Marrākuši > “the second of the ''Anisaïne''”, J. J. Sédillot) in this region of the celestial vault ''βγ Tri'', which became ''al-Ubaysān'', ‘the 2 Arms [of''al-Ḥamal'']’, in some manuscripts by al-Ṣūfī.

'''''Mothallah''''' ''(α Tri: 3.4) /'' '''رأس]''' '''المثلّث''']

Borrowed at the beginning of the 19th century and validated by the IAU, this is a truncation of ''Ra's al-Muṯallaṯ'', ‘the Summit of the Triangle’, in the Greco-Arabic sky and marked on the astrolabe in classical times; Ar. : al-Ḥağğāğ, al-Ṣūfī, then Uluġ Bēg and Al-Tīzīnī. Lat. “''Râs AlMothállath”'', Hyde, then ''“râs el-motsallats”'', Lach > ''Râs el-motsallats'', Bode, and ''Mothallah'', Piazzi, abs. in Francœur. ''Ras Al Mothallah'', Benhamouda. Var.: not. ''Mothallah'', ''Metallah'' and ''Elmuthalleh'', ''Rassalmotthallah'', Allen, not forgetting ''Caput Trianguli'' and ''Tête du Triangle'', which are calques of the Arabic name, then Nit. 01. After Allen, ''Mothallah'', Hoffleit, ''Simbad'', UAI. ''Caput Trianguli'', Rhoads.

'''''Mizan''''' ''[Trianguli] (β Tri: 3.4) /'' '''الميزان'''

Recently introduced, this is the Arabic ''al-Mīzān'', ‘the Balance’, of unknown origin.

Ar. ''al-Mīzān'', ‘the Balance’. Allen gives ''“Al Mīzān”'' c/ the Arabs, but does not indicate any source. After him, ''Al Mizan'', Rumrill p/ ''αβ Tri'', and ''Mizan'' p/ ''β Tri'', Rhoads.</blockquote>

=== Medieval and Early Modern Variants ===
[[File:Tri Plancius16112.JPG|thumb|Triangulum in Plancius (1612).]]

==== Instrument (Triquetrum) ====
Plancius on his 1612 globe preserves a name variant for Triangulum:

* Triquetrum.

This is a an ancient instrument for astrometrical measurements.

The brightest star he names '''Almutaleth''' which is a derivative of Arabic "Mothallah", The Triangle, adopted for α Trianguli because the phrase the descibes it in the Almagest ends with the word Τριγώνου "triangle".

==== Many Triangles ====
[[File:Triangulum+Fly+Aries Hevelius1690.jpg|thumb|Trianguli in Hevelius (1690).]]
Hevelius (1690) created a second triangle from fainter stars which was taken up by several authors.

Ian Ridpath writes:<ref>Ian Ridpath, Star Tales (Online Edition). [http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/triangulumminus.html Triangulum Minus.]</ref> <blockquote>One of the least imaginative constellations, Triangulum Minus was invented in 1687 by Johannes Hevelius and first depicted on his star atlas, Firmamentum Sobiescianum, published posthumously in 1690. It was formed from three 5th-magnitude stars first catalogued by Hevelius himself. Triangulum Minus lay just south of the existing celestial triangle, Triangulum, which Hevelius renamed Triangulum Majus.</blockquote><blockquote>The little triangle achieved surprisingly wide acceptance among astronomers, including Johann Bode who showed it on his Uranographia in 1801. On some charts the pair were jointly named Triangula. Ultimately, though, the little triangle was deemed superfluous to requirements when the constellations came to be rationalized. Its stars were transferred to Triangulum proper where they are now known as 6, 10, and 12 Trianguli.</blockquote>.

=== Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation ===
<gallery>
File:Perseus et Triangulum - Mercator.jpeg|Perseus et Triangulum - Mercator 1551
File:Tri Plancius16112.JPG|Triangulum in Plancius (1612).
File:Johannes Hevelius - Triangulum Majus, Triangulum Minus & Musca (also shows Aries, Andromeda, Piscis Boreus and Perseus).jpg|Johannes Hevelius - Triangulum Majus, Triangulum Minus & Musca (also shows Aries, Andromeda, Piscis Boreus and Perseus)
File:Aries and Fleur-de-lis (Ignace Gaston Pardies-Plate 2).jpg|Aries and Fleur-de-lis (Ignace Gaston Pardies-Plate 2)
File:MITRAE PONTIFICALIS S PETRI.jpg
File:Ari-Tri etc Capture Tri-hi.JPG|Triangulum in Young (1807): A Course of Lectures on Natural Philosophy and the Mechanical Arts.
File:Lilium, Triangulum - Corbinian Thomas.jpg|Lilium, Triangulum - Corbinian Thomas
File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Gloria Frederici, Andromeda, and Triangula.jpg|Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Gloria Frederici, Andromeda, and Triangula
</gallery>

== Mythology ==
Even Eratosthenes does not narrate any story or mythology.

== IAU WGSN naming ==

# The main star, α Trianguli (3.42 mag), got a name in the early days of WGSN review of star names in 2016: The name "[[Mothallah]]" derives the term for "triangle" (al-muthallath) in Arabic and is, therefore, documented in Kunitzsch and Smart (2006).
# Multiple Arabic names for the brightest star, β Tri (3.00 mag), are being reviewed for possible adoption by WGSN.
# The original Ancient Greek term "Deltoton" is being considered for one of the other unnamed stars among the 4 stars listed in the Almagest (either gamma Tri or delta Tri).
# "Triminus" - a shortened version of Hevelius's "Triangulum Minus" has also been proposed as a name for one of the three stars iota/6 Tri, 10 Tri, and 12 Tri -- of which 6 Tri is the brightest (a quadruple dominated by a G giant).

== Weblinks ==

*

== References ==

* [[References]] (general)
* [[References (Babylonian)]]
* [[References (Greco-Roman)|References (ancient Greco-Roman)]]
* [[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (medieval)]]

[[Category:Eurasia]] [[Category:Constellation]] [[Category:Almagest]] [[Category:Mesopotamian]] [[Category:West Asian]] [[Category:Modern]]
[[Category:88 IAU-Constellations]] [[Category:European]][[Category:Tri]]

Ramus

2025-06-11T04:37:30Z

Ericmamajek: added more details on stars

Ramus, The Apple, is an addition to the early modern asterism Cerberus in Hercules.

#REDIRECT [[Hercules]]

Some of the following material is drawn from the "Medieval and Early Modern Europe" discussion on [[Hercules]]:

=== Medieval and Early Modern Europe ===
[[File:Ramus+Cerberus Senex.JPG|thumb|Ramus et Cerberus in Senex (1721/2), thanks to [https://crouchrarebooks.com/ Daniel Crouch] and Ian Ridpath.]]
Traditionally, [[Hercules]] carries a lion's skin and a club. Yet, in Early Modern Europe, all sorts of variants occurred: instead of the skin that was supposed to protect him, he then was depicted with branches of apples or instead of branches with a three-headed snake in his hand.

The creature with the three heads was typically labelled "[[Cerberus]]" although the ancient Kerberos/ Cerberus had dog-heads and not snake-heads.

The branch with the apples resembled the myth according to which he stole the "golden apples" as one of his celebrated deeds.

John Senex even labelled the apples, as Ian Ridpath points out:<ref>Ian Ridpath, Star Tales (Online Edition), [http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/cerberusramus.html Cerberus et Ramus]</ref> <blockquote>Hercules holds Ramus, the apple branch, and Cerberus, the three-headed monster, in his outstretched hand, as depicted by the English cartographer John Senex (1678–1740) on his chart of the northern celestial hemisphere, ''Stellarum Fixarum Hemisphaerium Boreale'', published 1721/2. This chart was based on the pirated edition of John Flamsteed's unfinished star catalogue that had been published by Edmond Halley in 1712. Senex called the combined figure '''Ramus Cerberus''', and it appeared again on his planisphere of the northern sky issued posthumously in 1746. Johann Bode adopted the combined figure on his Uranographia atlas of 1801 but changed its name to '''Cerberus et Ramus''', and that is the name by which it became most widely known.</blockquote>[https://www.e-rara.ch/zut/content/zoom/3341770 Bode's map in the Uranographia (1801) is available in the digital collection of ETH Zurich].

=== Stars in "Cerberus et Ramus" ===

Cerberus et Ramus is dominated by approximately 14 stars brighter than 6th magnitude, of which 4 dominate which are brighter than V magnitude 4.5. In order of brightness, they are:
109 Her (HIP 90139, HD 169414, HR 6895; Vmag = 3.85, K2III, d = 37pc),
110 Her (HIP 92043, HD 173667, HR 7061; Vmag = 4.19, F5.5IV-V, d = 19pc),
111 Her (HIP 92161, HD 173880, HR 7069; Vmag = 4.34, A3IV, d = 29pc),
102 Her (HIP 88886, HD 166182, HR 6787; Vmag = 4.37, B2IV, d = 357pc).

=== Proposed Star Name ===

The name "Cerberus" is already in use by the IAU for asteroid (1865) Cerberus, and the spelling variant Kerberos was adopted by the IAU for the satellite (134340) Pluto IV, discovered in 2011.

The name "Ramus" is being considered by WGSN for one of the stars in the vicinity of this asterism.

[[Category:Eurasia]] [[Category:Constellation]] [[Category:Modern]]
[[Category:Her]]

Ramus

2025-06-11T04:13:23Z

Ericmamajek: added material from Hercules page on Cerberus/Ramus

Ramus, The Apple, is an addition to the early modern asterism Cerberus in Hercules.

#REDIRECT [[Hercules]]

Material drawn from "Medieval and Early Modern Europe" discussion on [[Hercules]]:

=== Medieval and Early Modern Europe ===
[[File:Ramus+Cerberus Senex.JPG|thumb|Ramus et Cerberus in Senex (1721/2), thanks to [https://crouchrarebooks.com/ Daniel Crouch] and Ian Ridpath.]]
Traditionally, [[Hercules]] carries a lion's skin and a club. Yet, in Early Modern Europe, all sorts of variants occurred: instead of the skin that was supposed to protect him, he then was depicted with branches of apples or instead of branches with a three-headed snake in his hand.

The creature with the three heads was typically labelled "[[Cerberus]]" although the ancient Kerberos/ Cerberus had dog-heads and not snake-heads.

The branch with the apples resembled the myth according to which he stole the "golden apples" as one of his celebrated deeds.

John Senex even labelled the apples, as Ian Ridpath points out:<ref>Ian Ridpath, Star Tales (Online Edition), [http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/cerberusramus.html Cerberus et Ramus]</ref> <blockquote>Hercules holds Ramus, the apple branch, and Cerberus, the three-headed monster, in his outstretched hand, as depicted by the English cartographer John Senex (1678–1740) on his chart of the northern celestial hemisphere, ''Stellarum Fixarum Hemisphaerium Boreale'', published 1721/2. This chart was based on the pirated edition of John Flamsteed's unfinished star catalogue that had been published by Edmond Halley in 1712. Senex called the combined figure '''Ramus Cerberus''', and it appeared again on his planisphere of the northern sky issued posthumously in 1746. Johann Bode adopted the combined figure on his Uranographia atlas of 1801 but changed its name to '''Cerberus et Ramus''', and that is the name by which it became most widely known.</blockquote>[https://www.e-rara.ch/zut/content/zoom/3341770 Bode's map in the Uranographia (1801) is available in the digital collection of ETH Zurich].

[[Category:Eurasia]] [[Category:Constellation]] [[Category:Modern]]
[[Category:Her]]

Musca

2025-04-29T05:05:17Z

Ericmamajek: /* Etymology and History */

[[File:Musca IAU.svg|alt=star chart|thumb|Musca star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg)]]
One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations|88 IAU constellations]]. The constellation was invented by Dutch sailors in the 1590s, perhaps a navigation aid.

==Etymology and History==
[[File:DeHoutman Vlieghe.JPG|alt=screenshot(s) of text|thumb|de Houtman (1603) "de Vlieghe", the Fly (Musca). screenshot of star catalogue. The four stars appear to be, in order, Gamma, Alpha, Beta and Delta Muscae (Apparent V magnitudes 3.84, 2.69, 3.04, and 3.61 respectively).]]

=== Origin of Constellation ===
The Southern Cross, today's constellation Crux, had been used for almost a century by the time of the invention of Musca. A kite-like pattern of stars, however, is not unique in the sky, and sailors had occasionally misnavigated with the asterism of the False Cross (a pattern of stars in Vela). It is somehow striking that the same Dutch sailors who enlarged the body of The Ship, Argo, so that it contains the False Cross, also created this extra constellation next to the real cross (Crux). They do not give any explanation for their inventions but the practical purpose seem obvious as their Hydrus also curled towards the south pole.

However, the image of the fly is much closer to Chamaeleon than to any other constellation. As the creators also depicted the hunting scene of [[Dorado]] and [[Volans]], they perhaps also considered Musca the prey of the [[Chamaeleon]]. This way, the whole group might have served navigational purpose - or star hopping/ recognition purposes for the sake of navigation.

=== Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation ===
<gallery>
File:Musca Bayer1603.jpg|Musca labelled as "Apis", The Bee, in Bayer (1603).
File:Mus Fortin1795.jpg|Musca in Fortin's Atlas Céleste, 3rd edition (1795).
</gallery>Ian Ridpath has summarized the history of Musca in Star Tales at http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/musca.html.

The unnamed fly appeared on the globe of Plancius (1598), just above the new constellation Chamaeleon. For several years afterwards globes circulated which had the new Chamaeleon + unnamed fly. Globes produced by Jodocus Hondius which had the fly, still unnamed, were apparently used by Bayer to inform construction of the Uranometria (1603) - however he apparently did not know what insect it was supposed to represent, so considered a bee and called it "Apis" (not to be confused with "Apus" - the bird of paradise). In 1602 globe-maker Willem Janszoon Blaeu copied the constellation, but attached the name Musca. In 1603, de Houtman published a star catalog and maps which listed the tiny constellation as "De Vlieghe" - "the fly" - in Dutch.

== Mythology ==

== IAU WGSN Discussion ==
Following one of the principles of modern star naming, WGSN discussed the option of naming the brightest star of the constellation with the original Dutch constellation name. However, there is a Wardaman (Australian Aboriginal) name for this star, too: Burangalul, "forehead band" of the "Buran" [Boomerang = Musca] ("Dark Sparklers", Cairns & Harney 2003: p.202).

Other names that could be considered for stars in Musca

* "Vlieghe" - de Houtman's (1603) Dutch name for the constellation.
* "Apis" - while having a historical connection to the origins of the constellation Musca through Bayer's (1603) Uranometria, the name could be confusing as there is the IAU constellation "Apus" which sounds the same.

== Weblinks ==

*

== References ==

* [[References]] (general)
* [[References (Greco-Roman)|References (ancient Greco-Roman)]]
* [[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (medieval)]]

[[Category:Eurasia]] [[Category:Constellation]] [[Category:Modern]]
[[Category:88 IAU-Constellations]] [[Category:European]][[Category:4work]]

Musca

2025-04-29T05:01:47Z

Ericmamajek: /* Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation */

[[File:Musca IAU.svg|alt=star chart|thumb|Musca star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg)]]
One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations|88 IAU constellations]]. The constellation was invented by Dutch sailors in the 1590s, perhaps a navigation aid.

==Etymology and History==
[[File:DeHoutman Vlieghe.JPG|alt=screenshot(s) of text|thumb|de Houtman (1603) "de Vlieghe", the Fly (Musca). screenshot of star catalogue.]]

=== Origin of Constellation ===
The Southern Cross, today's constellation Crux, had been used for almost a century by the time of the invention of Musca. A kite-like pattern of stars, however, is not unique in the sky, and sailors had occasionally misnavigated with the asterism of the False Cross (a pattern of stars in Vela). It is somehow striking that the same Dutch sailors who enlarged the body of The Ship, Argo, so that it contains the False Cross, also created this extra constellation next to the real cross (Crux). They do not give any explanation for their inventions but the practical purpose seem obvious as their Hydrus also curled towards the south pole.

However, the image of the fly is much closer to Chamaeleon than to any other constellation. As the creators also depicted the hunting scene of [[Dorado]] and [[Volans]], they perhaps also considered Musca the prey of the [[Chamaeleon]]. This way, the whole group might have served navigational purpose - or star hopping/ recognition purposes for the sake of navigation.

=== Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation ===
<gallery>
File:Musca Bayer1603.jpg|Musca labelled as "Apis", The Bee, in Bayer (1603).
File:Mus Fortin1795.jpg|Musca in Fortin's Atlas Céleste, 3rd edition (1795).
</gallery>Ian Ridpath has summarized the history of Musca in Star Tales at http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/musca.html.

The unnamed fly appeared on the globe of Plancius (1598), just above the new constellation Chamaeleon. For several years afterwards globes circulated which had the new Chamaeleon + unnamed fly. Globes produced by Jodocus Hondius which had the fly, still unnamed, were apparently used by Bayer to inform construction of the Uranometria (1603) - however he apparently did not know what insect it was supposed to represent, so considered a bee and called it "Apis" (not to be confused with "Apus" - the bird of paradise). In 1602 globe-maker Willem Janszoon Blaeu copied the constellation, but attached the name Musca. In 1603, de Houtman published a star catalog and maps which listed the tiny constellation as "De Vlieghe" - "the fly" - in Dutch.

== Mythology ==

== IAU WGSN Discussion ==
Following one of the principles of modern star naming, WGSN discussed the option of naming the brightest star of the constellation with the original Dutch constellation name. However, there is a Wardaman (Australian Aboriginal) name for this star, too: Burangalul, "forehead band" of the "Buran" [Boomerang = Musca] ("Dark Sparklers", Cairns & Harney 2003: p.202).

Other names that could be considered for stars in Musca

* "Vlieghe" - de Houtman's (1603) Dutch name for the constellation.
* "Apis" - while having a historical connection to the origins of the constellation Musca through Bayer's (1603) Uranometria, the name could be confusing as there is the IAU constellation "Apus" which sounds the same.

== Weblinks ==

*

== References ==

* [[References]] (general)
* [[References (Greco-Roman)|References (ancient Greco-Roman)]]
* [[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (medieval)]]

[[Category:Eurasia]] [[Category:Constellation]] [[Category:Modern]]
[[Category:88 IAU-Constellations]] [[Category:European]][[Category:4work]]

Honores Friderici

2025-04-17T03:58:46Z

Ericmamajek: added details on omi And, "Gloria"

[[File:Honores1801 bode.jpg|alt=historical star chart|thumb|Honores Friderici in Bode (1801), highlighting within the historical boundaries by WGSN.]]
This obsolete constellation was invented in France, but became more famous after a renaming in Prussia. In both cases, the constellation depicts some symbols of honour and admiration for the contemporary ruler. The Latin term "Honores" means honour. As a political constellation, it became obsolete with the global standardization of constellations by the IAU in the 1920s.

==Etymology and History==

=== Bode's creation ===
The young mathematician Johann E. Bode (1747-1826) named a constellation in honour of the Prussian king in German "Friedrichsehre", which can be translated as "honour of Frederick", the deceased king of Prussia. In Bode's greatest atlas, the Uranographia (1801), the constellation is depicted as a sword with laurel branches and a ribbon, and a crown on top. It's a named area without any recognizable star pattern.

The same depiction is inserted in the 1805 edition of his earlier (smaller) celestial atlas in German, first published in 1782 (without this new constellation). In this book, "Anleitung zur Kenntniß des gestirnten Himmels - Vorstellung der Gestirne", Bode's target group is the broad public and not an academic audience. He adds the new constellation in the [[Andromeda]] map (Tafel III) but not in the [[Pegasus]] map (Tafel XII). On Tafel XII, [[Andromeda]]'s right arm is drawn as described in Ptolemy's Almagest with the hand marked by the stars κ, λ, ι And. In contrast, on Tafel III which shows the new constellation, Andromeda's arm had to be moved eastwards.
[[File:BodesEhren aufStellarium-GIF.gif|thumb|Royer's Sceptrum 1679 and Bode's constellation "Honores Fridericis" 1801 and 1805 mapped to the Stellarium star chart (SMH 2025).]]
In the first edition of his 1782 celestial atlas, Bode does not yet have the new constellation "Friedrichsehre". He only adds it in a later edition: the third edition (1805) appeared after the showpiece "Uranographia" in 1801. There, it was added to the headline "Triangel" (Triangulum) which is the wrong place, as Triangulum is southeast of Andromeda and his new constellation northwest of her.

==== Bode's Reasoning ====
In the [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=f_xEAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA234#v=twopage&q&f=false Astronomical Year Book] for 1790 (published in 1787), Bode explains the meaning of the image: The sword acknowledges Frederick as a hero, the feather as a Wise Man, the olive branch as a peacemaker; the laurel stands, of course, for everlasting fame.

The position between the constellation of the celestial royal family was chosen by Bode, as he says because this position crosses right above Prussia (in zenith) during the honoured king's reign.

He dedicates three pages of the yearbook to this explanation and emphasises that the idea is supported by many European astronomers:<blockquote>Am 25sten Januar d.J. hielt die hiesige Königl., Akademie der Wissenschaften eine öffentliche dem Gedächtnis und Lobe ''Friedrichs'', Ihres Durchlauchtigsten Stifters, gewidmeten Versammlung. Diese Feyerlichkeit veranlasste mich, in einer kurzen Rede die Einführung eines neuen dem Andenken des unsterblichen Königs geweiheten Sternbildes unter der Benennung ''Friedrichsehre'' vorzuschlagen, und ich legte der Akademie die Figur desselben in einer stochenen Himmelscharte vor, woraus die Fig. auf Taf. II entlehnt worden.

Ich formire es zwischen der ''Cassiopeja'', dem ''Cepheus'', ''Andromeda'' und ''Schwan'' aus 76 zum Theil von mir neu beobachteten Sterne, und setze eine Stralenkrone, das Zeichen der Königl. Würde, an den Südl. Rande der Milchstr. nahe bey der Krone des Cepheus, weil im Jahrhundert ''Friedrichs'' die dort schimmernden Sterne, Seinem Erdenreiche senkrecht standen. Südwärts unter derselben hängen, mit dem unverwelklichen Lorbeer des Nachruhms umwunden: Ein ''Schwerdt'', eine ''Feder'' und ein ''Oelzweig'', um diesen ewig unvergesslichen Monarchen als ''Helden, Weisen'' und ''Friedensstifter'' zu bezeichnen.

Es ist bekannt, dass mehrere Astronomen der neuern Zeit berühmten Fürsten dergleichen Ehren-Denkmäler am Himmel gestiftet, und selbige gewöhnlich aus Sterne bildeten, die größtentheils zu benachbarten Gestirnen gehörten, auch dabey nicht selten genöthigt waren, dergleichen unwesentliche Abänderungen vorzunehmen, wie z.B. bey Formirung des neuen Bildes mir der einen Hand der Andromede und dem Hevelschen Eidexengestirn, welche erstere ich durch etwas mehr östlich stehende Sterne lege, und letzteres in eine schicklichere Lage bringe. Der Raum, den ich für meine ''Friedrichsehre'' gewählt hatte, schließt nach ddieser Änderung 49 schon in meinen Himmelscharten stehende Sterne ein. Hiezu suchte ich nun in einigen heitern Abenden des Januar-Monats noch 27 kleine dort herum stehende Sterne auf, und trug ihre Oerter nach einem genauen Augenmaaß in meiner gezeichneten Charte ein. Das neue Bild war nun aus 76 Sternen und zwey Sternhäuflein zusammengesetzt, worunter sich 4 Sterne von der 4ten, 3 von der 5ten, 24 von der 6ten, 16 von der 7ten, 24 von der 8ten, und 5 von der 9ten Größe befinden. Zum Pegasus gehören hievon 5; zur Andromede 26, zum Cepheus 6, zur Eidexe 9, und zur Cassiopeja 3 Sterne.

Die Russisch-Kayserl. Akademie zu Petersburg hat meinen wohlgemeinten und uninteressirten Vorschlag, ''Friedrich den Einzigen'' ein Denkmal am Sterngefilde zu stiften, gebilligt, und mir ihre Approbation schriftlich durch Herrn Prof. Euler unterm 24. April zugesandt. Es heißt am Schluss derselben: L'Academie applaudit à cet hommage que Mr. Bode rend à la mémoure d'un des plus grand Souvérains de son Siecle, et Messieurs les Astronomies consentierent avec plaisir d'employer le nom de la nouvelle Constellation, toutes les fois qu'il s'agira dans leurs observations des etoiles qui la composent. *)

Herr Layard, Secretair der Londner Köngl. Societät der Wissenschaften; schrieb unterm 7. Jan. im Namen der Societät an mich: The Royal Society receiv'd your present of ''Friedrichs Sternen-Denkmal'', und J am directed to return you their thanks ce for the same. ---

Herr Justizrath Bugge schrieb dieserwegen aus Kopenhagen an mich unterm 26. Jun.: La Societé Royale a fort approuve votre hommage, et elle ne doute pas, que les astronomes de Dannemark seront Usage de votre nouvelle constellation, de son nom, et de sa figure dans leurs observations et dans leurs ecrits Elle m'a ordonne de Vous marquer sa approbation entiere.

Herr Mechain schreibt aus Paris unterm 23. Febr.: Je presenterai à l'Academie un de vos exemplaires de la nouvelle Constellation que vous aves formé à la gloire du grand frederic: Cette idée vous fait honneur et tous les philosophes ne peuvent qu'y applaudir, le nom de ce grand prince vivra éternellement et il mérite bien d'étre gravé ser la voute des cieux. --

Herr de la Lande scrhieb unterm 7ten May: J'ai reçu avec votre Lettre du 12. Fevrier la figure de votre nouvelle constellation, je l'ai communiquer à nos astronomes: j'en parlerai dans la nouvelle edition de mon Astronomie; personne ne s'interesse plus à la gloire de ce grand prince que moi qui fus pour ainsi dire Son ouvrage, puisque ce fut à Berlin en 1751 que je fis le premier voyage et les premieres observations qui m'ont ouvert la carriere de l'astronomie. --

Unterm 24. Jul. schrieb Herr Prof. Euler an mich: dDas hiesige Directorium der Volksschulen hat bereits das neue Sternbild ''Friedrichsehre'' auf einer bey demselben von dem Herrn Hofr. Gollovin besorgten Himmelskugel auftragen lassen.

Noch haben verschiedene Astronom. mir ihren Beyfall über das vorgeschlagene Sternbild in Briefen zu erkennen gegeben.

Bode. </blockquote>English.<blockquote>On January 25 of this year, the local Royal Academy of Sciences held a public meeting dedicated to the memory and praise of Frederick, its most illustrious founder. This solemnity prompted me to propose in a short speech the introduction of a new constellation dedicated to the memory of the immortal king under the name of Frederick's Honor, and I presented the Academy with the figure of the same in an engraved celestial embrasure, from which the fig. on Pl. II has been borrowed from.

I formed it between Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Andromeda and Swan from 76 stars, some of them newly observed by me, and placed a ray crown, the sign of royal dignity, on the southern edge of the Milky Way near the crown of Cepheus, because in Frederick's century, the stars shimmering there were perpendicular to his earthly realm. Hanging southward beneath it, entwined with the unfading laurel of posthumous fame: A sword, a feather, and an olive branch to mark this eternally unforgettable monarch as a hero, sage and peacemaker.

It is known that several astronomers of modern times have donated such honorary monuments in the sky to famous princes and usually formed them from stars that, for the most part, belonged to neighbouring celestial bodies and were not infrequently forced to make such insignificant changes, as for example in the formation of the new image with one hand of the Andromede and the Hevelian lizard constellation, which, the first one, I place at stars standing somewhat more to the east and bring the latter into a more suitable position. After this change, the space I had chosen for my Frederick's Honor includes 49 stars that are already in my celestial orbits. In addition, on a few bright evenings in the month of January, I sought out another 27 small stars standing around there and entered their positions in my drawn chart according to an exact eye measurement. The new image was now composed of 76 stars and two star clusters, including 4 stars of the 4th, 3 of the 5th, 24 of the 6th, 16 of the 7th, 24 of the 8th, and 5 of the 9th magnitude. Of these, 5 belong to Pegasus, 26 to Andromede, 6 to Cepheus, 9 to Lizard and 3 to Cassiopeia.

The Imperial Russian Academy in Petersburg approved my well-intentioned and uninteresting proposal to erect a monument to Frederick the Unique at the firmament and sent me its approval in writing through Prof. Euler on April 24. At the end, it says [in French]: The Academy applauds this tribute paid by Mr. Bode to the memory of one of the greatest scientists of his century, and the Astronomical Society is pleased to agree to use the name of the new Constellation whenever the stars of which it is composed are observed.

Mr. Layard, Secretary of the Royal Society of Sciences of London, wrote to me on behalf of the Society on 7th Jan.: The Royal Society received your present of Friedrich's Star Monument, and I am directed to return you their thanks for the same. ---

Herr Justizrath Bugge wrote to me about this from Copenhagen on 26 Jun. [in French]: The Royal Society has greatly approved your homage, and it has no doubt that the astronomers of Dannemark will use your new constellation, its name and its figure in their observations and in their writings. It has ordered me to give you its full approval.

Mr. Mechain writes from Paris on 23. February [in French]: I will present to the Academy one of your exemplars of the new constellation which you have formed in the glory of Frederic The Great: this idea will do you honour and all the philosophers can only applaud it, the name of this great prince will live forever, and it deserves to be engraved in the hearts of the people. --

Mr. de la Lande wrote on May 7th [in French]: with your letter of February 12, I received the figure of your new constellation, I communicated it to our astronomers: I will speak about it in the new edition of my astronomy; nobody is more interested in the glory of this great prince than I who was, so to speak, His work, since it was in Berlin in 1751 that I made the first voyage and the first observations which opened to me the career of astronomy. --

On 24. On July 24, Prof. Euler wrote to me: The local directorate of elementary schools has already shown the new constellation ''Friedrichsehre'' on a sky chart provided by Court Councillor Gollovin on a celestial sphere provided by him.

Various astronomers have also written to me to express their approval of the proposed constellation.

Bode.</blockquote>Bode's explanation makes it clear that he had not secretly created a new drawing in one of his atlases, but rather had ensured its approval by the European community of astronomers. Although it is a political constellation to honour the Prussian king, his personality as a promoter of science was acknowledged all over Europe.

==== Star Catalogue compiled by WGSN ====
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Star Catalogue for Bode's Map
!id
!description
!ident.
!Vmag
|-
|1
|westernmore in the head of the sword
|λ And
|3.82
|-
|2
|south of the head of the sword, at the ribbon
|κ And
|4.14
|-
|3
|next to the one south of the head of the sword
|ι And
|4.29
|-
|4
|in the head of the sword
|ψ And
|4.966
|-
|5
|at the end of the sword
|ο And
|3.62
|-
|6
|above the one at the end of the sword
|2 And
|5.25
|-
|7
|the southern one of the two in the laurel branch at the end of the sword
|HIP 113802
|6.42
|-
|8
|the northern one of them
|HIP 113750
|6.43
|-
|9
|at the tip of the leaf of the laurel branch at the end of the sword
|4 And
|5.294
|-
|10
|at the ribbon next to the laurel branch at the end of the sword
|HIP 114981
|6.4
|-
|11
|the one in the middle bottom part of the sword
|6 And
|5.9
|-
|12
|the one where the feather leaf intersects the sword
|13 And
|5.736
|-
|13
|at the end of the ribbon in the middle of the sword
|15 And
|5.563
|-
|14
|at the end of the feather
|14 And
|5.2
|-
|15
|the lonely one under the entire ornament
|12 And
|5.765
|-
|16
|westernmost in the feather
|3 And = HIP 113919
|4.6
|-
|17
|in the feather
|5 And
|5.65
|-
|18
|in the feather
|7 And
|4.5
|-
|19
|in the feather
|8 And
|4.8
|-
|20
|in the feather
|11 And
|5.4
|-
|21
|lower in the northernmost laurel branch
|HIP 115996
|6.15
|-
|22
|upper one in the northernmost laurel branch
|18 And
|5.35
|}
Marked only in the Uranographia (not enough stars in the 1805 edition)
{| class="wikitable"
!id
!description
!ident.
!Vmag
|-
|
|
|HIP 116940
|
|-
|
|
|HIP 116941
|
|-
|
|
|HIP116582 A
|
|-
|
|
|HIP 117340 A
|
|-
|
|crown
|HIP 112731
|
|-
|
|crown
|HIP 113561
|
|-
|
|crown
|HIP 114622
|
|-
|
|crown
|HIP 114924
|
|-
|
|crown
|HIP 114162
|
|-
|
|crown
|HIP 113501
|
|-
|
|
|...
|
|-
|
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|
|-
|
|
|
|
|}

=== Bode's predecessor Royer ===
Although Bode does not mention any sources, it is frequently pointed out that Bode's constellation likely was inspired by the earlier French invention of the constellation "Sceptrum" by Augustin Royer who lived in the time of Louis XIV.<ref name=":0">Ian Ridpath, Star Tales (1988, [http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/honoresfriderici.html#sceptrum Online Edition]).</ref> Royer had dedicated two constellations in honour to his king, the "Sun King" of the absolutist monarchy: the French national emblem, the Lily ([[Lilium]], today surviving in the star name [[Lilii Borea]]), and the '''Sceptrum et Manus Iustitiae''' (Latin for "The Scepter and the Hand of Justice"). As Royer had obtained his star coordinates from the Carthusian monk Anthelme Voituret (1618-1683), whose work is not independently preserved but only in Royer's correction for the equinox 1700, it remains unknown who of the two invented this constellation.<ref>Warner, D. (1979). The Sky Explored - Celestial Cartography 1500-1800. Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, Amsterdam.</ref>

Royer's constellation was larger than Bode's as it also covered the area of [[Lacerta]]. Royer seems to have covered the empty area first, but in Bode's time Hevelius's influencial atlas had defined the Lizard there, and Bode had to shift Andromeda's arm to make room for the sceptrum.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Star Catalogue for Royer's Map
!id
!description
!ident.
!Vmag
|-
|1
|the one in the middle of the hand
|α Lac
|3.77
|-
|2
|the one at the pointer finger of the hand
|β Lac
|4.4
|-
|3
|the one where the thumb joins
|4 Lac
|4.55
|-
|4
|the one where the little finger joins
|9 Lac
|4.6
|-
|5
|the eastern one of the three in the scepter
|8 And
|4.8
|-
|6
|the middle one of them
|7 And
|4.5
|-
|7
|the western one of them
|3 And
|4.6
|-
|8
|the one at the root of the hand
|5 Lac
|4.3
|-
|9
|the eastern one at the intersection of scepter and hand
|11 Lac
|4.5
|-
|10
|the western one of them
|6 lac
|4.5
|-
|11
|the northern one of the two at the end of the scepter
|HIP 109754
|4.65
|-
|12
|the southern one of them
|1 Lac
|4.1
|-
|13
|the easternmost at the ribbon around the intersection
|15 Lac
|4.95
|-
|14
|the southern one of the two at bottom part of the stick of the hand
|10 Lac
|4.85
|-
|15
|the northern one of them
|8 Lac
|5.65
|-
|16
|the one at the ribbon, west of the hand
|2 Lac
|4.55
|-
|17
|the one at the western end of this ribbon
|HIP 109102
|5.05
|}
[[File:Gloria-jamieson.jpg|alt=historical star chart|thumb|Gloria Frederici in Alexander Jamieson's atlas (WGSN).]]

=== Name Variants ===
Ian Ridpath<ref name=":0" /> pointed out that the international derivatives of Bode's Uranographia (1801) occasionally offered the variant "Gloria" instead of "Honores". Jamieson’s atlas named it '''Gloria Frederici''', as did Urania's Mirror, while Burritt had the slightly different '''Gloria Frederica''' (both Burritt and Urania’s Mirror copied from Jamieson, who in turn relied on Bode as primary source<ref>Kanas, Nick (2012, 2019). Star Maps. History, Artistry, and Cartography, Springer Science & Business Media, <nowiki>ISBN 1461409179</nowiki>, 9781461409175 ([https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-13613-0 online version]).</ref>).

In ancient Rome, '''honor''' (plural '''honores''') was the older Latin term encompassing both personal dignity and meritorious public appointments, while '''gloria''' initially signified public recognition and acclaim before being gradually appropriated and recontextualized by the ascendant Christianity during the fourth century.

R. H. Allen,<ref>Allen, Richard Hinckley (1899). Star Names - Their Lore and Meaning. Dover Publications, Inc., New York</ref> for some reason, turned the name round to become '''Frederici Honores'''. but we couldn't find any other source which gave that name.

=== Transformation and Variants ===
<gallery>
File:Royer1629 Scepter inAnd.jpeg|Constellation "Sceptrum" invented by Augustin Royer (1679).
File:Friedrichsehre Bode1782 sw.jpg|Constellation "Friedrichsehre" as drawn by Bode (1782).
File:Bode1782 And+Friedrichsehre color.jpg|Constellation "Friedrichsehre" in the third edition of Bode's popular (small) 1782 atlas "Anleitung zur Kenntniß des gestirnten Himmels".
File:Bode1782 Peg ohneEhre hi.jpg|Bode 1782, map of Pegasus with the area between Lac and And unnamed and the hand of Andromeda drawn as described in the Almagest (not further east as in the same atlas, Andromeda-map - where he squeezed in Honores Fridericis).
File:Bode1782 Sternkatalog.jpg|Bode (1782) star catalogue in a later edition (1805) where "Friedrichsehre" is written at the wrong position.
File:Honores1801 bode.jpg|Honores Fridericis in Bode's Uranographia (1801).
File:Gloria-jamieson.jpg|Gloria Frederici in Alexander Jamieson's atlas (WGSN).
File:Gloria-urania.jpg|Gloria Frederici in Urania's Mirror (WGSN).
File:Gloria-burritt.jpg|Gloria Frederica in Burritt's atlas (WGSN).
</gallery>

==Mythology==

==IAU Working Group on Star Names==
In 2023, it was suggested to keep the memory of this obsolete constellation by naming a star "Honores" or "Gloria" without any political reference - neither the French nor the German. The general concept of "honour" or "glory" of all humans who support science - might that be as taxpayers, political rulers or patrons - could be honoured with this star name. The brightest stars of the obsolete constellation are λ And (3.8 mag), κ And (4.15 mag), ι And (4.25 mag), and ο And (3.7 mag). λ And has an ancient Babylonian star name ([[Asidu|Asidu š]]<nowiki/>a [[UD.KA.DU8.A|U8.KA.DU8.A]]), and κ, ι And form the hand of Andromeda in the Almagest and have the Arabic name [[Kaffalmusalala]]. Thus, ο And (3.7 mag), which is also the brightest one, is recommended for the name "Honores".

ο And (HR 8762, HD 217676, HIP 113726) is a bright Be-type star that illuminates a faint reflection nebulosity (VDB 156). It is also a binary (WDS J23019+4220), so the name "Honores" would refer specifically to the primary.

"Gloria", however, already refers to another IAU-recognized name - that of the asteroid (34047) Gloria.

WGSN decided ... in the IAU-CSN.
== Weblinks ==

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honores_Friderici
* http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/honoresfriderici.html
* https://web.pa.msu.edu/people/horvatin/Astronomy_Facts/obsolete_pages/frederici_honores.htm
* http://judy-volker.com/StarLore/Myths/HonoresFriderici.html
* https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Topics/astronomy/_Texts/secondary/ALLSTA/Frederici_Honores*.html

== Reference ==
* [[References|References (general)]]
* [[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (early modern)]]
* Ian Ridpath's website ([http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/contents.html Star Tales] )

[[Category:Asterism‏‎]]
[[Category:Constellation‏‎]]
[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:East Asian]]

Talk:Honores Friderici

2025-04-17T03:50:07Z

Ericmamajek: disconnect between Honores Frederici and Sceptrum Regium & Justitiae Manus

"This obsolete constellation was invented in France, but became more famous after a renaming in Prussia." - from the discussion of Honores Frederici in Barentine's "The Lost Constellations", although Honores Frederici (from Bode, 1787) and Sceptrum Regium & Justitiae Manus (from Royer, 1679) have similarities, and Honores Frederici is probably a rip off or rebranding of the other - there seems to be both a historical and cartographic disconnect, and it seems as though other famous French astronomers in Bode's time did not seem to mention it in the responses to Bode (see Barentine's quotes from Lalande and Mechain). Looking at the maps of the two constellations, Sceptrum Regium & Justitiae Manus basically occupies Lacerta, whereas most of Honores Frederic was in Andromeda.

So I think the text should not start off with the incorrect statement that the "obsolete constellation was invented in France". The stars occupied different areas (despite being of similar forms, and in vicinity of one another), but it does not seem to be a simple case of Bode rebranding Royer's constellation with honoring a royal of a different nation.

Kui

2025-02-02T06:46:54Z

Ericmamajek: /* IAU WGSN */

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Kui (奎)}}

Kui奎 is an ancient Chinese constellation with 16 stars, belonging to the 28 Lunar Mansions in China, with a very long history. It is roughly located between [[Andromeda]] and [[Pisces]].
[[File:Kui recunstructed by Yang.jpg|thumb|Kui recunstructed by Yang]]

== Etymology and History==
There are actually three meanings of the constellation name: a) the oldest, Neolithic, name of the constellation was "Tianshi天豕" (Heavenly Pig). The later lunar mansion was called Kui奎 which is explained b) in the Eastern Han-time as "the void between two thighs" and c) in Southern Tang time: "the shape of two thighs joining".

=== Detailed Explanation ===
Prof. Shi Yunli (2024)<ref name=":0">Shi Yunli. The astronomical meaning of some jade artifacts unearthed at the Lingjiatan Site. 2: The Jade Pigs. ''Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage'' , 2024, 27(3), 503-520.</ref> explains the meaning of Kui in the following way:<blockquote>
In the first known Chinese dictionary ''Explaining the Word and Analyzing the Character'' (Shuō-wén Jiězì, 说文解字) completed by the famous philologist Xu Shen (许慎, fl. 110–121 CE) under the sponsorship of the Eastern Han Dynasty (25–220 CE), we can find the following explanation to the word 奎: "The word 奎 refers to [the part of the body] between two thighs." In his annotation to Xu Sheng’s explanation, the Southern Tang Dynasty (937–975 CE) philologist Xu Kai (徐锴, 920–974 CE) pointed out further: “In heavenly patterns, the word 奎 just follows the shape [of the constellation].” This annotation is accepted by most modern scholars on the grounds that “… the sixteen stars of the Kui are [arranged] just like the shape of two [joint] thighs..</blockquote>The paper further points out that in addition to Kui, this constellation has another name, called "Tianshi天豕" (Heavenly Pig). In “Annals of Heavenly Offices” (''Tiānguān shū'', 天官书) in the ''Records of the Historian'' (''Shǐjì'', 史记) by Sima Qian (司马迁, ''fl.'' 135–91 BCE), the Head Grand Historian of the Western Han Dynasty (201–8 BCE) mentioned that:"The Crotch is called Fēngshǐ (封豕), [which is] responsible for things concerning ditches and canals.”The history of this constellation being named Tianshi can be traced back to the late Neolithic period. Some jade pig-shaped objects very similar to this constellation were unearthed from the tombs in the sacrificial area of the Lingjiatan Culture (5800 - 5300 BP) in Anhui. The largest jade pig has a very special orientation, which is very close to the posture of this constellation at the heliacal rising at the vernal equinox in the Lingjiatan area more than five thousand years ago.<ref name=":0" /> In addition, we found that the determinative star of Kui is called "Tianshi Mu" (Eyes of the Heavenly Pig), which is in the same position as the eyes of the jade pig.
[[File:The view of the eastern horizon at dawn in the era of the Lingjiatan site (diagram- Shi Yunli).jpg|thumb|The view of the eastern horizon at dawn in the era of the Lingjiatan site (diagram: Shi Yunli)]]

From the perspective of astrological implications, Kui is endowed with the connotation of water. For example, in the astrological work “Observation of Western Celestial offices (''Xīguān hòu'', 西官候) of the Han Dynasty, it is said: Kui is the mysterious darkness of the heaven, and it represents ditches, ponds, Yangtze River, Yellow River, and the Milky Way.<ref name=":1">Qutan Xida. Kaiyuanzhanjing 开元占经. Jiuzhou Press, P. 587.</ref> These implications are related to the pig rather than "between the two thighs", because in ancient China, pigs were black in color and were used to sacrifice to the northern deities, representing water in the Five Phases. Therefore, the astrological connotation of this constellation should essentially be deduced from "Tianshi" (Heavenly Pig). Thus, it is reasonable to believe that "Tianshi" is a more ancient name than "Kui".

===Identification of Stars===
The constituent stars of Kui should have rarely changed before the introduction of European astronomy in the Ming Dynasty. The previous scholars' reconstructions are similar, but there is a common oversight: M31 has not been considered as a member star of Kui. In fact, as an obvious celestial object near Kui, M31 is almost impossible to be ignored by the diligent ancient Chinese observers; they observed with the naked eye and could not realize the essential difference between galaxies and ordinary stars, so they regarded M31 as a star of Kui. In the star catalogue observed in the 1360s, M31 was listed as one of the member stars of Kui. In the map of the ''Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido'' that existed before the 7th century AD, there are two stars that are larger than the other stars, representing beta And and delta And respectively. The 3rd star counting up from the Beta star is nu And, which used to be regarded as the "head star"; but the 4th star is the head star of Kui in the map, which is obviously M31. We can even find earlier evidence. The ancient Chinese astrological scholar Xi Meng in the Han Dynasty mentioned that the head star of Kui is a "big star"<ref name=":1" />, while the brightness of nu And is not sufficient to be called a "big star". Only M31 can fulfill this description.

The determinative star was zeta And before Ming Dynasty, and should be regerded as the first star. In the observation held in Qing dynasty, Jesuits astronomers put the eta And as the first star.
{| class="wikitable"
! Star Names or Orders(Qing)
!Ho PENG YOKE<ref>P.-Y. Ho, “Ancient And Mediaeval Observations of Comets and Novae in Chinese Sources,” ''Vistas in Astronomy'', 5(1962), 127-225.</ref>
!Yi Shitong<ref>Yi Shitong伊世同. ''Zhongxi Duizhao Hengxing Tubiao''中西对照恒星图表1950. Beijing: Science Press.1981: 116-117.</ref>
!Pan Nai<ref>Pan Nai潘鼐. ''Zhongguo Hengxing Guance shi''中国恒星观测史[M]. Shanghai: Xuelin Pree. 1989. p222.</ref>
based on Xinyixiangfayao Star Map
!SUN X. & J. Kistemaker<ref>Sun Xiaochun. & Kistemaker J. ''The Chinese sky during the Han''. Leiden: Brill. 1997, Pp241-6.</ref>
Han Dynasty
!Boshun Yang<ref>B.-S. Yang杨伯顺, ''Zhongguo Chuantong Hengxing Guance Jingdu ji Xingguan Yanbian Yanjiu'' 中国传统恒星观测精度及星官演变研究 (A Research on the Accuracy of Chinese Traditional Star Observation and the Evolution of Constellations), PhD thesis, (Hefei: University of Science and Technology of China, 2023). 292.</ref>
|-
|1st
|eta And
|eta And
| eta And
|eta And
|eta And
|-
| 2nd
|zeta And
|zeta And
|zeta And
|zeta And
|zeta And
|-
|3rd
|i Psc
|i Psc
|i Psc
|epsilon And
|epsilon And
|-
|4th
|epsilon And
|epsilon And
|epsilon And
|delta And
|delta And
|-
|5th
|delta And
|delta And
|delta And
|pi And
|pi And
|-
|6th
|pi And
|pi And
|pi And
|32 And
|HIP 2942
|-
|7th
|nu And
|nu And
|nu And
|nu And
|32 And

|-
|8th
| mu And
|mu And
|mu And
|mu And
|M 31
|-
|9th
|beta And
|beta And
|beta And
|beta And
|nu And
|-
|10th
|sigma Psc
|76 Psc
|82 Psc
|82 Psc
|mu And
|-
|11th
|tau And
|tau And
|tau And
|tau And
|beta And
|-
|12th
|l Psc
|l Psc
|l Psc
|l Psc
| 82 Psc
|-
|13th
|upsilon Psc
|upsilon Psc
|upsilon Psc
|upsilon Psc
|tau And
|-
|14th
|phi Psc
|phi Psc
|phi Psc
|phi Psc
|upsilon Psc
|-
|15th
|chi Psc
|chi Psc
| chi Psc
|chi Psc
|phi Psc
|-
|16th
|psi1 Psc
|psi1 Psc
|psi1 Psc
|psi1 Psc
|chi Psc
|}

==Star Maps ==
<gallery widths="300" heights="300" perrow="4" caption="Kui in different star maps/catalogues">
File:Kui in the Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido.jpg|Kui in the ''Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido''
File:Kui in the Suzhou Star Map.jpg|Kui in the Suzhou Star Map
File:Kui observed in 1360s.jpg|Kui observed in 1360s
</gallery>

== IAU WGSN ==
It has been suggested in 2023 to name the V=4.06 mag-star zeta And [https://simbad.cds.unistra.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=zet+And] "Kui" because it represented the Chinese lunar mansions; the lunar mansions stride from Shi Shen, from 3rd Century BCE. The astronomers in Qing dynasty identified "eta And" as 1st star, but "zet And" (the 2nd one in Qing Dynasty) was typically taken as determinative star, cf. also Pan Nai 1989, Burgess 1860, Stephenson 1994, 1997, Sun 1993, Sun 1997, van Dalen 2000. Note that zeta And is brighter (V=4.06 mag) than eta And (V=4.40 mag).

== Reference ==
<references />

[[Category:Eurasia]][[Category:East Asian]][[Category:Chinese]]
[[Category:And]][[Category:Psc]]

Quadrans Muralis

2025-02-02T06:05:47Z

Ericmamajek: /* IAU WGSN Name Discussion */

[[File:Quadrantiden Stellarium2025 starsTo6.5mag.jpg|alt=star chart|thumb|The radiant of the Quadrantids meteor shower displayed in Stellarium (2025) with stars only shown brighter than 6.5 mag. The star closest to the current radiant is marked.]]
This is one of the obsolete constellations from Early Modern Europe. The term is Latin and means "wall-mounted quadrant", a large astronomical instrument fixed to a wall. The constellation is still in common memory of meteor observers as a rich meteor shower that peaks in the first days of January are known as the Quadrantids. Their apparent point of origin, the radiant, is in the area where historically this constellation used to be defined.

==Etymology and History==

[[File:Mural firstlist2of10.jpg|alt=screenshot of page|thumb|Quadrans Muralis in Lalande's catalogue of circumpolar stars published in the ''Connaissance des Temps'' of 1796 (first page).]]
[[File:Mural firstlist8of10.jpg|alt=screenshot of page|thumb|Quadrans Muralis in Lalande's catalogue of circumpolar stars published in the ''Connaissance des Temps'' of 1796 (second page).|302x302px]]
[[File:LalandesQuadrans HistoireCelesteFrancaise1801.png|alt=book page - screenshot|thumb|The instrument behind "Quadrans" in Lalande's "Histoire Céleste Française" (1801). The [https://cosmos.obspm.fr/index.php/Detail/objects/30229 instrument is still preserved in Paris Observatory]; the maker is J. Bird from Great Britain.]]

=== Origin of Constellation ===

The constellation was invented by the French astronomer Joseph Jérôme Lalande<ref>Lalande, Jérôme de (1796), La Connoissance des temps, ou calendrier et éphémérides du lever & coucher du soleil, de la lune, & des autres planètes..., Imprimerie royaleImprimerie royale (Paris)</ref> in 1795 which he explains in the Connaissance des temps in 1796.<ref>Ian Ridpath, ''Star Tales'', Lalande's Quadrans Muralis ([http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/quadranslalande.html Online Edition])</ref><blockquote>Aux constellations déjà reçues j'ai ajouté le Mural ou quart de cercle mural, qui est gravé dans la nouvelle édition de l'atlas de Flamsteed que j'ai corrigée et augmentée en 1795. Ce Mural est dans un espace vide, entre le Dragon, le Bouvier et Hercule. La Caille après avoir observé les étoiles australes, forma 14 constellations nouvelles avec les instrumens de la physique et des arts; j' ai cru pouvoir, à son exemple, consacrer dans l'hémisphère boréal, I'instrument précieux qui a servi déjà aux observations de 32 mille étoiles, c'est-à-dire, au plus grand monument de I'astronomie; et je crois que les astronomes à venir, profitant de cet immense travaiI, conserveront volontiers une constellation faite pour en rappeler la mémoire.</blockquote>English <blockquote>To the known constellations, I have added Le Mural or The Quarter of a Wall Quadrant, which is engraved in the new edition of Flamsteed's atlas which I had corrected and expanded in 1795. This "Mural" is in a free space between the Dragon, the ... and Hercules. After observing the southern stars, La Caille formed 14 new constellations using the instruments of physics and the arts. Following his example, I thought I could dedicate [a space] in the northern hemisphere to the precious instrument that has already been used to observe 32,000 stars, in other words, the greatest monument of astronomy. Furthermore, I believe that the future astronomers taking advantage of this immense work, will be happy to preserve a constellation designed to serve as a reminder.</blockquote>In his "Bibliographie astronomique, avec l'histoire de l'astronomie depuis 1781 jusqu'à 1802" he notes on page 633: <blockquote>... et de plusieurs constellations nouvelles, entre autres ''le Mural'', que j'ai placé dans le ciel pour conserver la mémoire de l'instrument précieux qui a servi à la détermination de 50000 étoiles. -- ''Connaissance des temps, 1796''.</blockquote>English<blockquote>... and many new constellation, among them ''le Mural'', that I have placed in the sky to preserve the memory on a high-precision instrument that has served to determin 50000 stars.</blockquote>

=== Depictions in Atlases ===
The constellation was first depicted in 1795 under the name Le Mural in the 3rd edition of Jean Fortin’s ''Atlas céleste'', edited by Lalande.

Fortin's atlas started in 1776 as a smaller French edition of Flamsteed's 1729 ''Atlas Coelestis'' written in English (maps labelled in Latin).<ref>''Die Große Flamsteed Edition (Faksimiles of Flamsteed, Fortin, Bode). Begleitbuch'' Latußeck, A. and Hoffmann, S: ''Ein nützliches Unternehmen'', Albireo-Verlag, Köln, 2017 ([https://albireo-verlag.org/product/die-grosse-flamsteed-edition/ online])</ref><ref>Dick, W.R. (2022). Jean Baptiste Fortin oder Jean Nicolas Fortin – wer war der Autor des Atlas céleste de Flamstéed? In: Beiträge zur Astronomiegeschichte, Band 15 (= Acta Historica Astronomiae Vol. 69) (pp.243-268), Leipzig: AVA - Akademische Verlagsanstalt</ref> Fortin's atlas (1st edition 1776; 2nd edition 1778)<ref>Flamsteed (1729). ''Atlas Coelestis'', [https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b53096741t# Online: Gallica]</ref><ref>Fortin (1778), ''Atlas céleste'', 2nd edition (Online [https://repository.ou.edu/uuid/ba3dd872-fe20-5daa-b699-e1c83da4f767/pages Lib. Univ. Oklahoma])</ref> does not show Quadrans, neither in the Bootes map nor in the Draco map. The 3rd edition, published in 1795 and edited by Lalande, shows the new constellation Quadrans in the [[Draco]] map, but not in the map of [[Bootes]].

The German astronomer Johann E. Bode had included a German edition of Flamsteed's atlas in his popular book ''Anleitung zur Kennntniß des gestirnten Himmels'' (1782). In the 2nd edition of this book in 1805, he depicted the new constellation Quadrans in the map of [[Bootes]], but not in the map [[Draco]] (so he did not copy from Fortin directly). It is clearly visible that he had used the same copper plates for the print as in 1782 because he did not erase the boundary lines between the constellations that he had invented. (There are no boundaries drawn in Flamsteed or Fortin.) The image of the constellation Quadrans is at the place where the boundaries of the three constellations [[Bootes]], [[Hercules]] and [[Draco]] meet.

<gallery>
File:QuadransNo Fortin1776 Dra.jpg|Fortin's 1776 (1st edition) of the ''Atlas céleste'' without Quadrans (Dra).
File:QuadransNo Fortin1776 Boo b.jpg|Fortin's 1776 (1st edition) of the ''Atlas céleste'' without Quadrans (Boo).
File:Quadrans Fortin1795.jpg|Fortin's 1795 (3rd edition) of the ''Atlas céleste'' with Quadrans in the map of Draco.
File:QuadransNo Fortin1795 Boomap.jpg|Fortin's 1795 (3rd edition) of the ''Atlas céleste'' still without Quadrans in the map Bootes.
File:Quadrant Goldbach1799 Dra.jpg|Goldbach's 1799 atlas with Quadrans between Draco, Hercules and Bootes.
File:Quadrant Goldbach1799 Boo.jpg|Goldbach's 1799 atlas with Quadrans north of Bootes.
File:Quadrans Bode1805 Boo.jpg|Bode's 1805 edition of his Bootes-star chart in ''Anleitung zur Kenntniß des gestirnten Himmels'' (labelling in German).
File:QuadransNo Bode1805 Dra.jpg|Bode's 1805 edition of ''Anleitung zur Kenntniß des gestirnten Himmels'' with the star chart of Draco still without Quadrans.
</gallery>

In his 1801 trilingual magnus opus ''Uranographia''<ref>Bode (1801) ''Uranographia''. Online: maps not available, but [https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/de/view/bsb10934408?page=,1 star catalogue by MDZ (Munich Library)]</ref> (with text in German and French, and constellation maps labelled in Latin), Bode took up the idea of this constellation and incorporated it in the map of Bootes.<ref>Ian Ridpath, ''Star Tales'', Quadrans Muralis ([http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/quadrans.html Online Edition])</ref> This map is not anymore based on Flamsteed's drawings, but a completely new celestial map with deviating shapes of constellations and many more objects (stars, star clusters and other nebulae) registered.

Alexander Jamieson and Sidney Hall in the subsequent decades also depicted Quadrans together with Bootes.

===Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation===

<gallery>
File:Bode1801 s Quadrans.jpg|Bode 1801 Uranographia, Quadrans as a neighbouring detail next to Draco
File:Quadrans Muralis.jpg|Bode's (1801), Quadrans Muralis in ''Uranographia'', Johann E. Bode. This file is from Wikimedia Commons and may be used by other projects
File:Alexander Jamieson Celestial Atlas-Plate 7 - restoration - crop.jpg|Quadrans in Alexander Jamieson (1822), Plate 7 from ''A Celestial Atlas comprising a systematic display of the heavens in a series of thirty maps illustrated by scientific description of their contents and accompanied by catalogues of the stars and astronomical exercises''
File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Bootes, Canes Venatici, Coma Berenices, and Quadrans Muralis.jpg|alt=Sidney Hall, ''Urania's Mirror'' (1825): "Bootes, Canes Venatici, Coma Berenices, and Quadrans Muralis", plate 10, a set of celestial cards accompanied by A familiar treatise on astronomy ... by Jehoshaphat Aspin. London. Astronomical chart, print on layered paper board : etching, hand-colored.|Sidney Hall, ''Urania's Mirror (1825):'' "Bootes, Canes Venatici, Coma Berenices, and Quadrans Muralis", plate 10, a set of celestial cards accompanied by ''A familiar treatise on astronomy ...'' by Jehoshaphat Aspin. London. Astronomical chart, 1 print on layered paper board : etching, hand-colored.
File:Quadrans muralis map.png|Map of the ancient constellation '''Quadrans Muralis.''' Created by CWitte with PP3 (PP3's homepage) byTorsten Bronger. This file is from Wikimedia Commons and may be used by other projects.
</gallery>

==Mythology==

no mythology

== IAU WGSN Name Discussion ==
In 2023 and 2025, it was suggested to use a name related to this obsolete historical constellation. The terms "Quadrans" or "Muralis" could be used to name a star in the area of this historical constellation; the first term makes more sense with regard to its reminiscence in the name of the meteor shower.

The brightest stars in the vicinity of Quadrans Muralis, in order of brightness are:

44 Boo (HR 5618, HD 133640; V=4.76)

CL Dra (HR 5960, HD 143466; V=4.95)

BP Boo (HR 5857, HD 140728; V=5.51)

47 Boo (HR 5627, HD 133962; V=5.57)

39 Boo (HR 5538, HD 131041; V=5.69)

HR 5830 (HR 5830, HD 139798; V=5.75)

X Her (HD 144205; V=6.58).

The two brightest stars are notable bright stars in the solar neighborhood: 44 Boo (d = 13 parsecs) and CL Dra (d = 34 parsecs).

Note that the radiant for the Quadrantid meteor shower is near RA, Dec = 230.2, +49.5 (ICRS, J2000; Jenniskens et al. 2016), which is in Bootes and closer to 44 Boo than CL Dra (see https://www.obliquity.com/skyeye/88const/Qua.html).

One proposal is to name the V=4.95 mag-star CL Dra for which [https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=CL+Dra&NbIdent=1&Radius=2&Radius.unit=arcmin&submit=submit+id SIMBAD] give a wrong magnitude; [https://www.aavso.org/vsx/index.php?view=detail.top&oid=13784 VSX] registers it with 4.95±0.02 mag and as "delta Scuti"-type variable.

Another proposal would be to apply "Quadrans" to one star and "Muralis" to the other, e.g. "Quadrans" for 44 Boo (the primary of its triple) and "Muralis" for CL Dra.

WGSN chose to ...

==Weblinks==
*
==References==
*[[References]] (general)
*[[References (Babylonian)]]
*[[References (Greco-Roman)|References (ancient Greco-Roman)]]
*[[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (medieval)]]

[[Category:Eurasia]][[Category:European]]
[[Category:Constellation]]
<references />

Quadrans Muralis

2025-02-02T05:34:38Z

Ericmamajek: /* IAU WGSN Name Discussion */

[[File:Quadrantiden Stellarium2025 starsTo6.5mag.jpg|alt=star chart|thumb|The radiant of the Quadrantids meteor shower displayed in Stellarium (2025) with stars only shown brighter than 6.5 mag. The star closest to the current radiant is marked.]]
This is one of the obsolete constellations from Early Modern Europe. The term is Latin and means "wall-mounted quadrant", a large astronomical instrument fixed to a wall. The constellation is still in common memory of meteor observers as a rich meteor shower that peaks in the first days of January are known as the Quadrantids. Their apparent point of origin, the radiant, is in the area where historically this constellation used to be defined.

==Etymology and History==

[[File:Mural firstlist2of10.jpg|alt=screenshot of page|thumb|Quadrans Muralis in Lalande's catalogue of circumpolar stars published in the ''Connaissance des Temps'' of 1796 (first page).]]
[[File:Mural firstlist8of10.jpg|alt=screenshot of page|thumb|Quadrans Muralis in Lalande's catalogue of circumpolar stars published in the ''Connaissance des Temps'' of 1796 (second page).|302x302px]]
[[File:LalandesQuadrans HistoireCelesteFrancaise1801.png|alt=book page - screenshot|thumb|The instrument behind "Quadrans" in Lalande's "Histoire Céleste Française" (1801). The [https://cosmos.obspm.fr/index.php/Detail/objects/30229 instrument is still preserved in Paris Observatory]; the maker is J. Bird from Great Britain.]]

=== Origin of Constellation ===

The constellation was invented by the French astronomer Joseph Jérôme Lalande<ref>Lalande, Jérôme de (1796), La Connoissance des temps, ou calendrier et éphémérides du lever & coucher du soleil, de la lune, & des autres planètes..., Imprimerie royaleImprimerie royale (Paris)</ref> in 1795 which he explains in the Connaissance des temps in 1796.<ref>Ian Ridpath, ''Star Tales'', Lalande's Quadrans Muralis ([http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/quadranslalande.html Online Edition])</ref><blockquote>Aux constellations déjà reçues j'ai ajouté le Mural ou quart de cercle mural, qui est gravé dans la nouvelle édition de l'atlas de Flamsteed que j'ai corrigée et augmentée en 1795. Ce Mural est dans un espace vide, entre le Dragon, le Bouvier et Hercule. La Caille après avoir observé les étoiles australes, forma 14 constellations nouvelles avec les instrumens de la physique et des arts; j' ai cru pouvoir, à son exemple, consacrer dans l'hémisphère boréal, I'instrument précieux qui a servi déjà aux observations de 32 mille étoiles, c'est-à-dire, au plus grand monument de I'astronomie; et je crois que les astronomes à venir, profitant de cet immense travaiI, conserveront volontiers une constellation faite pour en rappeler la mémoire.</blockquote>English <blockquote>To the known constellations, I have added Le Mural or The Quarter of a Wall Quadrant, which is engraved in the new edition of Flamsteed's atlas which I had corrected and expanded in 1795. This "Mural" is in a free space between the Dragon, the ... and Hercules. After observing the southern stars, La Caille formed 14 new constellations using the instruments of physics and the arts. Following his example, I thought I could dedicate [a space] in the northern hemisphere to the precious instrument that has already been used to observe 32,000 stars, in other words, the greatest monument of astronomy. Furthermore, I believe that the future astronomers taking advantage of this immense work, will be happy to preserve a constellation designed to serve as a reminder.</blockquote>In his "Bibliographie astronomique, avec l'histoire de l'astronomie depuis 1781 jusqu'à 1802" he notes on page 633: <blockquote>... et de plusieurs constellations nouvelles, entre autres ''le Mural'', que j'ai placé dans le ciel pour conserver la mémoire de l'instrument précieux qui a servi à la détermination de 50000 étoiles. -- ''Connaissance des temps, 1796''.</blockquote>English<blockquote>... and many new constellation, among them ''le Mural'', that I have placed in the sky to preserve the memory on a high-precision instrument that has served to determin 50000 stars.</blockquote>

=== Depictions in Atlases ===
The constellation was first depicted in 1795 under the name Le Mural in the 3rd edition of Jean Fortin’s ''Atlas céleste'', edited by Lalande.

Fortin's atlas started in 1776 as a smaller French edition of Flamsteed's 1729 ''Atlas Coelestis'' written in English (maps labelled in Latin).<ref>''Die Große Flamsteed Edition (Faksimiles of Flamsteed, Fortin, Bode). Begleitbuch'' Latußeck, A. and Hoffmann, S: ''Ein nützliches Unternehmen'', Albireo-Verlag, Köln, 2017 ([https://albireo-verlag.org/product/die-grosse-flamsteed-edition/ online])</ref><ref>Dick, W.R. (2022). Jean Baptiste Fortin oder Jean Nicolas Fortin – wer war der Autor des Atlas céleste de Flamstéed? In: Beiträge zur Astronomiegeschichte, Band 15 (= Acta Historica Astronomiae Vol. 69) (pp.243-268), Leipzig: AVA - Akademische Verlagsanstalt</ref> Fortin's atlas (1st edition 1776; 2nd edition 1778)<ref>Flamsteed (1729). ''Atlas Coelestis'', [https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b53096741t# Online: Gallica]</ref><ref>Fortin (1778), ''Atlas céleste'', 2nd edition (Online [https://repository.ou.edu/uuid/ba3dd872-fe20-5daa-b699-e1c83da4f767/pages Lib. Univ. Oklahoma])</ref> does not show Quadrans, neither in the Bootes map nor in the Draco map. The 3rd edition, published in 1795 and edited by Lalande, shows the new constellation Quadrans in the [[Draco]] map, but not in the map of [[Bootes]].

The German astronomer Johann E. Bode had included a German edition of Flamsteed's atlas in his popular book ''Anleitung zur Kennntniß des gestirnten Himmels'' (1782). In the 2nd edition of this book in 1805, he depicted the new constellation Quadrans in the map of [[Bootes]], but not in the map [[Draco]] (so he did not copy from Fortin directly). It is clearly visible that he had used the same copper plates for the print as in 1782 because he did not erase the boundary lines between the constellations that he had invented. (There are no boundaries drawn in Flamsteed or Fortin.) The image of the constellation Quadrans is at the place where the boundaries of the three constellations [[Bootes]], [[Hercules]] and [[Draco]] meet.

<gallery>
File:QuadransNo Fortin1776 Dra.jpg|Fortin's 1776 (1st edition) of the ''Atlas céleste'' without Quadrans (Dra).
File:QuadransNo Fortin1776 Boo b.jpg|Fortin's 1776 (1st edition) of the ''Atlas céleste'' without Quadrans (Boo).
File:Quadrans Fortin1795.jpg|Fortin's 1795 (3rd edition) of the ''Atlas céleste'' with Quadrans in the map of Draco.
File:QuadransNo Fortin1795 Boomap.jpg|Fortin's 1795 (3rd edition) of the ''Atlas céleste'' still without Quadrans in the map Bootes.
File:Quadrant Goldbach1799 Dra.jpg|Goldbach's 1799 atlas with Quadrans between Draco, Hercules and Bootes.
File:Quadrant Goldbach1799 Boo.jpg|Goldbach's 1799 atlas with Quadrans north of Bootes.
File:Quadrans Bode1805 Boo.jpg|Bode's 1805 edition of his Bootes-star chart in ''Anleitung zur Kenntniß des gestirnten Himmels'' (labelling in German).
File:QuadransNo Bode1805 Dra.jpg|Bode's 1805 edition of ''Anleitung zur Kenntniß des gestirnten Himmels'' with the star chart of Draco still without Quadrans.
</gallery>

In his 1801 trilingual magnus opus ''Uranographia''<ref>Bode (1801) ''Uranographia''. Online: maps not available, but [https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/de/view/bsb10934408?page=,1 star catalogue by MDZ (Munich Library)]</ref> (with text in German and French, and constellation maps labelled in Latin), Bode took up the idea of this constellation and incorporated it in the map of Bootes.<ref>Ian Ridpath, ''Star Tales'', Quadrans Muralis ([http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/quadrans.html Online Edition])</ref> This map is not anymore based on Flamsteed's drawings, but a completely new celestial map with deviating shapes of constellations and many more objects (stars, star clusters and other nebulae) registered.

Alexander Jamieson and Sidney Hall in the subsequent decades also depicted Quadrans together with Bootes.

===Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation===

<gallery>
File:Bode1801 s Quadrans.jpg|Bode 1801 Uranographia, Quadrans as a neighbouring detail next to Draco
File:Quadrans Muralis.jpg|Bode's (1801), Quadrans Muralis in ''Uranographia'', Johann E. Bode. This file is from Wikimedia Commons and may be used by other projects
File:Alexander Jamieson Celestial Atlas-Plate 7 - restoration - crop.jpg|Quadrans in Alexander Jamieson (1822), Plate 7 from ''A Celestial Atlas comprising a systematic display of the heavens in a series of thirty maps illustrated by scientific description of their contents and accompanied by catalogues of the stars and astronomical exercises''
File:Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Bootes, Canes Venatici, Coma Berenices, and Quadrans Muralis.jpg|alt=Sidney Hall, ''Urania's Mirror'' (1825): "Bootes, Canes Venatici, Coma Berenices, and Quadrans Muralis", plate 10, a set of celestial cards accompanied by A familiar treatise on astronomy ... by Jehoshaphat Aspin. London. Astronomical chart, print on layered paper board : etching, hand-colored.|Sidney Hall, ''Urania's Mirror (1825):'' "Bootes, Canes Venatici, Coma Berenices, and Quadrans Muralis", plate 10, a set of celestial cards accompanied by ''A familiar treatise on astronomy ...'' by Jehoshaphat Aspin. London. Astronomical chart, 1 print on layered paper board : etching, hand-colored.
File:Quadrans muralis map.png|Map of the ancient constellation '''Quadrans Muralis.''' Created by CWitte with PP3 (PP3's homepage) byTorsten Bronger. This file is from Wikimedia Commons and may be used by other projects.
</gallery>

==Mythology==

no mythology

== IAU WGSN Name Discussion ==
In 2023 and 2025, it was suggested to use a name related to this obsolete historical constellation. The terms "Quadrans" or "Muralis" could be used to name a star in the area of this historical constellation; the first term makes more sense with regard to its reminiscence in the name of the meteor shower.

The brightest stars in the vicinity of Quadrans Muralis, in order of brightness are:

44 Boo (HR 5618, HD 133640; V=4.76)

CL Dra (HR 5960, HD 143466; V=4.95)

BP Boo (HR 5857, HD 140728; V=5.51)

47 Boo (HR 5627, HD 133962; V=5.57)

39 Boo (HR 5538, HD 131041; V=5.69)

HR 5830 (HR 5830, HD 139798; V=5.75)

X Her (HD 144205; V=6.58).

The two brightest stars are notable bright stars in the solar neighborhood: 44 Boo (d = 13 parsecs) and CL Dra (d = 34 parsecs).

One proposal is to name the V=4.95 mag-star CL Dra for which [https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=CL+Dra&NbIdent=1&Radius=2&Radius.unit=arcmin&submit=submit+id SIMBAD] give a wrong magnitude; [https://www.aavso.org/vsx/index.php?view=detail.top&oid=13784 VSX] registers it with 4.95±0.02 mag and as "delta Scuti"-type variable.

Another proposal would be to apply "Quadrans" to one star and "Muralis" to the other.

WGSN chose to ...

==Weblinks==
*
==References==
*[[References]] (general)
*[[References (Babylonian)]]
*[[References (Greco-Roman)|References (ancient Greco-Roman)]]
*[[References (Medieval and Early Modern)|References (medieval)]]

[[Category:Eurasia]][[Category:European]]
[[Category:Constellation]]
<references />

Leepwal

2024-12-16T05:50:08Z

Ericmamajek: /* IAU Working Group Star Names */

[[File:Erdland1914 Leepwal.jpg|alt=screenshot(s) of text|thumb|Leepwal as German transliteration "Läböol" in Erdland's book (1914).]]
Original spelling Ļeepwal. Pronounced leyepwal, the first "l" being pronounced with the back of the tongue raised (velarized) and the root of the tongue retracted (pharyngealized) so as to elongate the oral cavity, thereby giving the consonant a "heavier" or "darker" sound. Ļeepwal is the name for ζ Cen in Marshallese.

==Etymology and History==
This star name originates from the Marshall Islands. Ļeepwal is the third child of Lōktañūr (Capella), the mother of all stars.

The name Ļeepwal (in modern Marshallese) was originally recorded as ''"'''Läbôol'''"'' by the Catholic missionary August Erdland, who lived in the Jaluit Atoll from 1904 to 1914 ([https://archive.org/details/diemarshallinsul00erdl/page/78/mode/2up Erdland 1914: 79 #25]).

==Mythology==
According to commonly known Marshallese mythology, ''Lōktañūr (''Capella), the mother of all great stars, has ten offspring (Abo ''et al''. 2019). ''Tūṃur'', a son, is the eldest: this name and variants have also been recorded around Micronesia and generally apply either to Antares or to the asterism Paikauhale, Antares, and Alniyat (τ, α, and σ Sco) (Johnson ''et al''.). ''Ḷōmejdikdik'', the second child, is the asterism formed by Shaula (λ Sco), Lesath (υ Sco), ι Sco, and κ Sco in the tail of Scorpius. ''Ḷeepwal'' (ζ Cen) is the third child; ''Ad'' (Arcturus), the fourth; and ''Mājlep'', "big eye" (Altair, Alshain, and Tarazed — α, β, and γ Aql), the fifth (Abo ''et al''. 2019). The name Mailap and variants are widespread in Micronesia and are mostly identified with Altair (Johnson ''et al''.). Lōktañūr’s sixth child is ''Da'' (Spica), the seventh is ''Jitata'' (γ, ζ and π Aqr), the eighth is ''Ḷokwan-Ḷakeke'' (Cassiopeia), and the ninth is ''Jāpe'', "bowl" (α, β and γ Del).

The legend of Lōktañūr and her sons (of whom there are more than ten in some versions) is well known in the Marshall Islands. According this this story, Ḷeepwal, or Lobol, and his brothers had a canoe race to determine who would be the next chief. The race was won by Jebro, the youngest.<ref>https://pfwpproject.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/marshall-islands-the-111.pdf, 15-17</ref> Jebro is identified as Alcyone (η Tau) in the Pleiades and as a male—the king of the stars. He was also known by various other names: Mājdik when small, Buonṃar when he began the contest with his brothers, Jeḷeilōñ when he became king, Dāpeej as an old man, and also sometimes as Jetakdik (Abo ''et al''. 2019).
[[File:Ten-sons Loctanur Stellarium.jpg|alt=Stellarium map|thumb|Sky over Indonesia, the visible stars of the ten sons marked (not all visible simultaneously), Stellarium map - markings: Susanne M Hoffmann (2024) according to Erdland's identifications. ]]
[[File:Ten-sons Loctanur Stellarium2.jpg|alt=Stellarium map|thumb|Sky over Indonesia, the visible stars of the ten sons marked (not all visible simultaneously), Stellarium map - markings: Susanne M Hoffmann (2024) according to Erdland's identifications (1914). ]]

=== Catasterism ===
Many people will look for a chain or other clear (geometrical) pattern of ten stars/asterisms to fit the "Ten Sons of Loktanur" in the sky. However, the original constellation does not seem to provide such a pattern. The stars are scattered all over the place.

Loktanur's ten sons in order are

* (1) ''Tūṃur'', Antares or (τ, α, and σ Sco),
* (2) ''Ḷōmejdikdik'', tail of Scorpius,
* (3) ''Ḷeepwal'' (ζ Cen),
* (4) ''Ad'' (Arcturus),
* (5) ''Mājlep'', Altair or (α, β, and γ Aql),
* (6) ''Da'' (Spica),
* (7) ''Jitata'' (γ, ζ and π Aqr),
* (8) ''Ḷokwan-Ḷakeke'' (Cassiopeia),
* (9) ''Jāpe'', "bowl" (α, β and γ Del), and
* (10) ''Jebrọ'' (Alcyone).

==IAU Working Group Star Names==
Since 2021, it was suggested to consider the name "Leepwal" (originally spelled "Ļeepwal" in Marshallese) for ζ Cen for [https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=zet+Cen&NbIdent=1&Radius=2&Radius.unit=arcmin&submit=submit+id ζ Cen (SIMBAD)] in the IAU-Catalog of Star Names. The star is a 2.55 mag spectroscopic binary and currently lacks a name in SIMBAD. "'''Leepwal'''" appeared extremely unique - as of 2024, it remarakably did not appear in any Google-accessible websites or books.

=== Other names ===
Other historical names were also considered for ζ Cen:

* in Allen (1899): "ζ probably being Al Tizini's '''Al Nā᾽ir al Baṭn al Kentaurus''', ''the Bright One in the Centaur's Belly''") and
* [https://archive.org/details/untersuchungenb01idelgoog/page/n273/mode/2up Ideler (1809, footnote 3, p.275]; ). Ideler mentions Al Tizini's "'''''Nair baden Kentaurus'''''" - bright one on the Centaur's belly''.''
* '''''[[Alnair]]''''' or '''''Al Na'ir''''': "the bright one" - Kunitzsch (1983), Kunitzsch & Smart (2006) - however the name is duplicative with "Alnair", which was already adopted by IAU WGSN for alf Gru (as it was much more commonly used for in recent centuries).
* '''''Baten Kentaurus''''' (Rhoads 1971) is a useful shortened version, although similar to Rigil Kentaurus and Baten Kaitos, which have already been adopted by IAU WGSN for Alpha Centauri A and Zeta Ceti (might be confusing having "Baten Kaitos" for zet Cet and "Baten Kentaurus" for zet Cen!).
* Schaaf (2008) has "'''Al Nair al Kentaurus'''", missing the Batn/Baten/etc.

In 2024, the IAU WGSN adopted the name Leepwal (Ļeepwal) for ζ Cen and added it to the IAU Catalog of Star Names.

== Weblinks ==

*

== References ==

*Abo, Takaji, Byron W. Bender, Alfred Capelle, and Tony DeBrum (2019). ''Marshallese-English Online Dictionary''. Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press. <ref>https://www.trussel2.com/MOD/MED2A.htm</ref>
*Erdland, Peter August, ''Die Marshall-Insulaner: Leben und Sitte, Sinn und Religion eines Südsee-Volkes'' (Münster i.W.: Aschendorffsche Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1914 [= ''Anthropos'', Band II, Heft 1]) [[https://archive.org/details/diemarshallinsul00erdl/ Internet Archive link]].
* Johnson, Rubellite, John Mahelona and Clive Ruggles (in press, publication expected in 2026). ''Nā Inoa Hōkū: Hawaiian and Pacific Star Names'', 3rd edn. Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press.

[[Category:Single star-asterism‏‎]]
[[Category:Star Name‏‎]]
[[Category:Oceania]]
[[Category:Marshallese]]
[[Category:IAU-Star Name]]

Safina

2024-12-15T08:52:11Z

Ericmamajek: /* IAU Working Group Star Names */

Safina is a new IAU star name that represents the Arabian asterism ''al-safīna'' (السَّفينة), meaning "the Ship". It was decided to use the term without the Arabic article "al" to make it easier to distinguish between this and another star name, Alsephina, that has been applied to a star in the Greek constellation of Argo, The Ship. Safina, however, was chosen to honour an Indigenous Arabic constellation. (Note: The Arabic term denotes a large boat, possibly with multiple masts.) The precise identification of the stars that were incorporated into this asterism is challenging because of obscure and conflicting descriptions in the primary sources, thus leading to multiple interpretations of this figure in the present day.

==Etymology and History==

=== '''''al-safīna''''' in Danielle Adams, ''Rain Stars Set, Lunar Stations Rise'', 2018, pp. 162–163. ===
<blockquote>[[File:Alsafina per Adams 2018.png|alt=The Arabian asterism of the Ship/Boat (al-safīna) as interpreted by Danielle Adams (2018). In this view, a transverse oval of stars between the Two Frogs would have represented the hull of the Ship, and two loops to the north would have represented two sails.|thumb|476x476px|The Arabian asterism of the Ship/Boat (al-safīna) as interpreted by Danielle Adams (2018). In this view, a transverse oval of stars between the Two Frogs would have represented the hull of the Ship, and two loops to the north would have represented two sails. (Image: Danielle Adams, annotations on screen capture from ''Stellarium'')]]"Ibn Qutayba identifies an asterism called the Boat ''(al-safīna)'', which was comprised of dim stars that follow in succession from the vicinity of the Well Bucket ''(al-dalw)'' to the Auspice of Auspices (''saʿd al-suʿūd''; 1956, 81).<ref>Ibn Qutayba al-Dīnawarī, Abū Muḥammad ʿAbdallah b. Muslim. 1956. ''Kitāb al-anwāʾ (fī mawāsim al-ʿArab)''. Hyderabad: Maṭbaʿat Majlis Dāʾirat al-Maʿārif al-ʿUthmāniyya.</ref> He also reported that the Front Frog ''(al-ḍifdiʿ al- muqaddam)'' was at its beginning and the Rear Frog ''(al-ḍifdiʿ al-muʾakhkhar)'' was at its end (1956, 81; al-Ṣūfī 1981, 240).<ref>Ibn Qutayba al-Dīnawarī, Abū Muḥammad ʿAbdallah b. Muslim. 1956. ''Kitāb al-anwāʾ (fī mawāsim al-ʿArab)''. Hyderabad: Maṭbaʿat Majlis Dāʾirat al-Maʿārif al-ʿUthmāniyya.

al-Ṣūfī, Abū al-Ḥusayn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿUmar. 1981. ''Kitāb ṣuwar al-kawākib al-thamāniya wa al-arbaʿīn.'' Beirut: Dār al-Āfāq al-Jadīda.</ref> Al-Ṣūfī further describes a jagged line of stars that connects one end of the boat to the other in the south, and another line extending up towards the Well Bucket that would have represented its mast and sails extending toward the Auspice of Newborn Lambs ''(saʿd al-bihām)'' in the north (1981, 240, 303).<ref>al-Ṣūfī, Abū al-Ḥusayn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿUmar. 1981. ''Kitāb ṣuwar al-kawākib al-thamāniya wa al-arbaʿīn.'' Beirut: Dār al-Āfāq al-Jadīda.</ref> He then criticizes those who conflated the description of this Arabian Boat with the Greek constellation Argo Navis, which was located much further to the east and used the star Suhayl as one of its oars (1981, 240, 303).71"

"Footnote 71: Paul Kunitzsch also berates Ibn Qutayba’s inclusion of Suhayl as the Edge of the Oar ''(ṭarf al-mijdāf)'' of the Boat, as well as the rest of his description of the Boat, saying it “consists of nothing but absurdities” (1961, 103-104).<ref>Kunitzsch, Paul. 1961. ''Untersuchungen zur Sternnomenklatur der Araber.'' Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz.</ref> To his credit, Ibn Qutayba distinguishes that element from the rest of his description by saying it was the speech of the mathematical astronomers ''(aṣḥāb al-nujūm)'', which is his typical method of distinguishing Greek from Arabian astronomy in his ''Kitāb al-anwāʾ'' (1956, 81)."<ref>Ibn Qutayba al-Dīnawarī, Abū Muḥammad ʿAbdallah b. Muslim. 1956. ''Kitāb al-anwāʾ (fī mawāsim al-ʿArab)''. Hyderabad: Maṭbaʿat Majlis Dāʾirat al-Maʿārif al-ʿUthmāniyya.</ref>

From the above source materials, Adams interprets the figure of the Ship/Boat as seen in the diagram above. This locates the Ship among the stars of modern-day Aquarius and Pisces, with the bright stars Fomalhaut (in Piscis Austrinus) and Diphda (in Cetus) as the beginning and end of the Ship's hull. </blockquote>

=== '''''al-safīna''''' per Khalid AlAjaji ===
[[File:Alsafina per AlAjaji.png|alt=The Arabian asterism of the Ship (al-safīna) per Khalid AlAjaji. Used with permission.|thumb|537x537px|The Arabian asterism of the Ship (al-safīna) per Khalid AlAjaji. Used with permission.]]
<blockquote>Khalid AlAjaji interprets the Ship as a jagged line of stars that lies slightly north of the Two Frogs. This is somewhat similar to Danielle's placement of the hull of the Ship, but without the bottom half of Danielle's oval. Khalid also does not include the sails from Danielle's interpretation. Khalid's interpretation locates the Ship among the stars of Piscis Austrinus, Aquarius and Cetus.</blockquote>

=== '''''al-safīna''''' in Roland Laffitte, ''Le ciel des Arabes'', 2012. ===
<blockquote>[[File:Alsafina per Laffitte.png|alt=The Arabian asterism of the Ship (al-safīna) per Roland Laffitte. Used with permission.|thumb|The Arabian asterism of the Ship (al-safīna) per Roland Laffitte. Used with permission.]]'''Figure 34: ''al-Safīna'', « the Ship », under Station XV'''

''d/π Aqr + ν/ 34/35/ρσ/55/57/58//59/66/70 Peg + β Psc'' (?) — Ibn Qutayba

''34/35/ ρσ + 55/57/58/59/66/70, Peg + β Psc'' (?) — Ağdābī[[File:Alsafina drawing per Laffitte.png|alt=The Arabian asterism of the Ship (al-safīna) per Roland Laffitte. Used with permission.|thumb|The Arabian asterism of the Ship (al-safīna) per Roland Laffitte. Used with permission.]]Roland Laffitte interprets the Ship using stars further north than Adams and AlAjaji, locating the asterism among the stars of Pegasus, Pisces and Aquarius.</blockquote>
{| class="wikitable"
|}

==Discussion==
Three scholars of Arabian astronomy have provided three different interpretations of the asterism of the Ship (al-safīna). During an engaging discussion of the original sources (Ibn Qutayba and al-Ṣūfī), the group (Adams, AlAjaji, Laffitte and Matthias Determann) agreed that whereas some elements of the Ship were loosely defined, the sources did locate the Ship in the vicinity of the Well Bucket (modern-day Square of Pegasus) and some of the Auspices (namely, certain stars in northern Aquarius) in the north, and between the Two Frogs (Fomalhaut in Piscis Austrinus and Diphda in Cetus) in the south. Furthermore, the original sources agree that the Front Frog (Fomalhaut) is the start of the Ship and the Rear Frog (Diphda) is the end of the Ship.
[[File:Alsafina Proposed Star.png|alt=Star map from Stellarium, showing the location of the star 88 Aqr, which the WGSN Arabic subgroup has proposed be designated as "Alsafina".|thumb|455x455px|Star map from Stellarium, showing the location of the star 88 Aqr, which the WGSN Arabic subgroup has proposed be designated as "Alsafina".]]
Given that this was a description of reasonable certainty, the Arabic subgroup proposed that one of the stars lying between Fomalhaut and Diphda be recognized as "Alsafina" in honor of the Arabian asterism, ''al-safīna'' (السَّفينة). Specifically the group proposed for this honor 88 Aqr, an as-yet unnamed mag 3.65 star. (See diagram for location.)

==IAU Working Group Star Names==
[[File:Psc-Eri-Stream MellingPan+Ship anim.gif|thumb|modern star names Alsafina (Arabic: The Ship) and Hydor (Greek: The Water) seen in the area covered by the classical (obsolete) constellation The Water and the recently discovered Pisces-Eridanus Stream of stars (4731 members). The image was created with TheGIMP, CDS-Simbad and CDS-Aladin using the Mellinger All Sky Panorama as base map. credits: IAU WGSN 2024]]
The name was discussed by the IAU WGSN in 2024.

It was noted that the originally proposed name "Alsafina" was somewhat duplicative with "Alsephina", a star name with similar etymology - Arabic for "the ship" - in this case referring to the constellation Argo Navis by Al-Ṣūfī (~964) in his ''Book of the Fixed Stars'', and following the spelling and star identification by Andreas Cellarius (1660) in ''Harmonia Macrocosmica''. "Alsephina" was already adopted for the star Delta Velorum Aa by WGSN in 2017, and some members of WGSN thought that Alsafina should not be eligible for use again, since it might cause confusion instead of reducing it (what is considered the main task of the WGSN).

To clarify - the other name "Alsephina" was applied to a star in the former Argo Navis, following the Arabic description of a Greek constellation Argo, ''al-safīna'', the Ship. The proposed new name, Alsafina, was proposed to be applied to a star that formed part of an indigenous Arabian asterism called the Ship ''(al-safīna)'' in a different region of the sky.

In 2024, WGSN decided to adopt the name "Safina" (without the Arabic article) for the naked eye star 88 Aquarii (c02 Aqr, HR 8812, HD 218594, HIP 114341), a bright V=3.64 magnitude K giant star in the constellation Aquarius, in the region between the bright stars Fomalhaut and Diphda.

== Weblinks ==

*

== Reference ==
Ibn Qutayba al-Dīnawarī, Abū Muḥammad ʿAbdallah b. Muslim. 1956. ''Kitāb al-anwāʾ (fī mawāsim al-ʿArab)''. Hyderabad: Maṭbaʿat Majlis Dāʾirat al-Maʿārif al-ʿUthmāniyya.

Kunitzsch, Paul. 1961. ''Untersuchungen zur Sternnomenklatur der Araber.'' Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz.

al-Ṣūfī, Abū al-Ḥusayn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿUmar. 1981. ''Kitāb ṣuwar al-kawākib al-thamāniya wa al-arbaʿīn.'' Beirut: Dār al-Āfāq al-Jadīda.

[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:Arabic]]
[[Category:Constellation]]
[[Category:IAU-Star Name]]

Tianfu

2024-12-15T07:17:25Z

Ericmamajek: /* Star Name Discussion (IAU) */

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Tianfu (天桴)}}
[[File:天桴2-1.jpg|thumb|Tianfu on the ''Gezi Yuejin Tu'' (Tang dynasty)]]
Chinese constellation.

==Etymology and History==
Tianfu contains four stars and literally translates to "Celestial Drumstick." This asterism belongs to the Wu Xian school and is depicted in yellow on ancient Chinese celestial globes and maps. The origin of this asterism postdates the one referred to as "Hegu (河鼓, Drum at the River）" by the Shi school because, by its literal meaning, Tianfu is used to strike the drum. Since the Hegu was primarily associated with military war drums in astrology, Tianfu is also considered related to the military. Additionally, drums were essential timekeeping tools in ancient China, so Tianfu is endowed with significant attributes related to timekeeping. According to the ancient Chinese astrologers, if the stars of Tianfu dim, it could lead to inaccuracies in timekeeping.

According to descriptions from the Wu Xian and Huangdi schools, Tianfu is located to the left of the three stars of the Hegu<ref>Qutan Xida. Kaiyuanzhanjing 开元占经. Jiuzhou Press, P. 705.</ref>. Ancient star maps before the Tang Dynasty correspond to this description, but the position of this asterism shifted downwards after the Song Dynasty.

===Identification of stars===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Star Names or Orders(Traditional/Qing)
! Ho PENG YOKE<ref>P.-Y. Ho, “Ancient And Mediaeval Observations of Comets and Novae in Chinese Sources,” ''Vistas in Astronomy'', 5(1962), 127-225.</ref>
!Yi Shitong<ref>Yi Shitong伊世同. ''Zhongxi Duizhao Hengxing Tubiao''中西对照恒星图表1950. Beijing: Science Press.1981: 56.</ref>
Based on catalogue in 18th century
!Pan Nai<ref name=":0">Pan Nai潘鼐. ''Zhongguo Hengxing Guance shi''中国恒星观测史[M]. Shanghai: Xuelin Pree. 1989. p226.</ref>
based on Xinyixiangfayao Star Map
!Pan Nai<ref>Pan Nai潘鼐. ''Zhongguo Hengxing Guance shi''中国恒星观测史[M]. Shanghai: Xuelin Pree. 2009. p443.</ref>
based on catalogues in Yuan dynasty
!SUN X. & J. Kistemaker<ref>Sun Xiaochun. & Kistemaker J. ''The Chinese sky during the Han''. Leiden: Brill. 1997, Pp241-6.</ref>
Han Dynasty
!Boshun Yang<ref name=":1">B.-S. Yang杨伯顺, ''Zhongguo Chuantong Hengxing Guance Jingdu ji Xingguan Yanbian Yanjiu'' 中国传统恒星观测精度及星官演变研究 (A Research on the Accuracy of Chinese Traditional Star Observation and the Evolution of Constellations), PhD thesis, (Hefei: University of Science and Technology of China, 2023). 261.</ref>
before Tang dynasty
!Boshun Yang<ref name=":1" />
Song Jingyou(1034)
|-
| 1st/4th
|eta Aql
|eta Aql
| eta/58 Aql
|eta Aql
|eta Aql
|phi Aql
|69 Aql
|-
|2nd/3rd
|58 Aql
|58 Aql
|62 Aql
|58 Aql
|58 Aql
|Hip 98526
|66 Aql
|-
|3rd/2nd
|62 Aql
|62 Aql
|tet Aql
|62 Aql
|62 Aql
|tau Aql
|tet Aql
|-
|4th/1st
|tet Aql
|tet Aql
|HIP 100232
|tet Aql
|tet Aql
|Hip 100541
|62 Aql
|}

===Images===
<gallery widths="360" heights="360" perrow="4" caption="Tianfu">
File:天桴1-1.jpg|Tianfu on the ''Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido''
File:天桴2-1.jpg|Tianfu on the ''Gezi Yuejin Tu'' (Tang dynasty)
File:天桴4-1.png|Tianfu on Suzhou star map
File:天桴5-1.jpg|Tianfu on Xinyixiangfayao star map
</gallery>

==Star Name Discussion (IAU)==
In 2024, the name of the historical constellation "Tianfu" was suggested to be used for one of the stars in this constellation. The identifications of the four stars vary over time. The bright stars η and θ had been identified by scholars in the 20th century but are now considered uncertain (possibly incorrect) suggestions. Although the new identification makes the early version of the constellation Tianfu consisting of only faint stars(>5), this identification is preferred about the astrological significance of the asterism in this historical time: the "celestial drum stick" placed close to the asterism of the "drum". With the new identifications (before and after the Tang Dynasty), the stars ϕ and τ are the brightest ones in the asterism. Although ϕ Aql is a bit brighter, whether it formed part of the asterism in earlier epochs is uncertain.

Hence, τ Aql (65 Aql, HD 191692, HR 7710, HIP 99473) was suggested to be named "Tianfu".

τ Aql is a multiple system (WDS J20113-0049) with the components labelled Aa and Ab in the Washington Double Star (WDS) Catalog -- a spectroscopic binary that has been resolved with interferometers in recent decades. The components Aa and Ab appear to be essentially identical B9 giants (Pourbaix et al. 2004; SB9 catalog), with a V-band magnitude difference of 1.53 mags (Hummel et al. 1995). For an unresolved apparent V magnitude of 3.84 (Hipparcos catalog; ESA 1997), this magnitude difference implies V magnitudes of Vmag(Aa)=3.48 and Vmag(Ab)=5.01. The WGSN-adopted name "Tianfu" applies to the primary Aa.

==Weblink==
* Ian Ridpath [http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/aquila.html#chinese Aquila – Chinese associations] Star Tales – Online edition

==References==
[[References (Chinese)]]
[[Category:Asterism ]]
[[Category:Constellation ]]
[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:East Asian]]
[[Category:Chinese ]]
[[Category:IAU-Star Name]]

<references />

Tianfu

2024-12-15T07:14:18Z

Ericmamajek: binarity discussion

{{DISPLAYTITLE:Tianfu (天桴)}}
[[File:天桴2-1.jpg|thumb|Tianfu on the ''Gezi Yuejin Tu'' (Tang dynasty)]]
Chinese constellation.

==Etymology and History==
Tianfu contains four stars and literally translates to "Celestial Drumstick." This asterism belongs to the Wu Xian school and is depicted in yellow on ancient Chinese celestial globes and maps. The origin of this asterism postdates the one referred to as "Hegu (河鼓, Drum at the River）" by the Shi school because, by its literal meaning, Tianfu is used to strike the drum. Since the Hegu was primarily associated with military war drums in astrology, Tianfu is also considered related to the military. Additionally, drums were essential timekeeping tools in ancient China, so Tianfu is endowed with significant attributes related to timekeeping. According to the ancient Chinese astrologers, if the stars of Tianfu dim, it could lead to inaccuracies in timekeeping.

According to descriptions from the Wu Xian and Huangdi schools, Tianfu is located to the left of the three stars of the Hegu<ref>Qutan Xida. Kaiyuanzhanjing 开元占经. Jiuzhou Press, P. 705.</ref>. Ancient star maps before the Tang Dynasty correspond to this description, but the position of this asterism shifted downwards after the Song Dynasty.

===Identification of stars===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Star Names or Orders(Traditional/Qing)
! Ho PENG YOKE<ref>P.-Y. Ho, “Ancient And Mediaeval Observations of Comets and Novae in Chinese Sources,” ''Vistas in Astronomy'', 5(1962), 127-225.</ref>
!Yi Shitong<ref>Yi Shitong伊世同. ''Zhongxi Duizhao Hengxing Tubiao''中西对照恒星图表1950. Beijing: Science Press.1981: 56.</ref>
Based on catalogue in 18th century
!Pan Nai<ref name=":0">Pan Nai潘鼐. ''Zhongguo Hengxing Guance shi''中国恒星观测史[M]. Shanghai: Xuelin Pree. 1989. p226.</ref>
based on Xinyixiangfayao Star Map
!Pan Nai<ref>Pan Nai潘鼐. ''Zhongguo Hengxing Guance shi''中国恒星观测史[M]. Shanghai: Xuelin Pree. 2009. p443.</ref>
based on catalogues in Yuan dynasty
!SUN X. & J. Kistemaker<ref>Sun Xiaochun. & Kistemaker J. ''The Chinese sky during the Han''. Leiden: Brill. 1997, Pp241-6.</ref>
Han Dynasty
!Boshun Yang<ref name=":1">B.-S. Yang杨伯顺, ''Zhongguo Chuantong Hengxing Guance Jingdu ji Xingguan Yanbian Yanjiu'' 中国传统恒星观测精度及星官演变研究 (A Research on the Accuracy of Chinese Traditional Star Observation and the Evolution of Constellations), PhD thesis, (Hefei: University of Science and Technology of China, 2023). 261.</ref>
before Tang dynasty
!Boshun Yang<ref name=":1" />
Song Jingyou(1034)
|-
| 1st/4th
|eta Aql
|eta Aql
| eta/58 Aql
|eta Aql
|eta Aql
|phi Aql
|69 Aql
|-
|2nd/3rd
|58 Aql
|58 Aql
|62 Aql
|58 Aql
|58 Aql
|Hip 98526
|66 Aql
|-
|3rd/2nd
|62 Aql
|62 Aql
|tet Aql
|62 Aql
|62 Aql
|tau Aql
|tet Aql
|-
|4th/1st
|tet Aql
|tet Aql
|HIP 100232
|tet Aql
|tet Aql
|Hip 100541
|62 Aql
|}

===Images===
<gallery widths="360" heights="360" perrow="4" caption="Tianfu">
File:天桴1-1.jpg|Tianfu on the ''Cheonsang Yeolcha Bunyajido''
File:天桴2-1.jpg|Tianfu on the ''Gezi Yuejin Tu'' (Tang dynasty)
File:天桴4-1.png|Tianfu on Suzhou star map
File:天桴5-1.jpg|Tianfu on Xinyixiangfayao star map
</gallery>

==Star Name Discussion (IAU)==
In 2024, the name of the historical constellation "Tianfu" was suggested to be used for one of the stars in this constellation. The identifications of the four stars vary over time. The bright stars η and θ had been identified by scholars in the 20th century but are now considered uncertain (possibly incorrect) suggestions. Although the new identification makes the early version of the constellation Tianfu consisting of only faint stars(>5), this identification is preferred about the astrological significance of the asterism in this historical time: the "celestial drum stick" placed close to the asterism of the "drum". With the new identifications (before and after the Tang Dynasty), the stars ϕ and τ are the brightest ones in the asterism. Although ϕ Aql is a bit brighter, whether it formed part of the asterism in earlier epochs is uncertain. Hence, τ Aql is suggested to be named "Tianfu".

τ Aql is a multiple system with the components labelled Aa and Ab in the Washington Double Star (WDS) Catalog in spectroscopic binary that has been resolved with interferometers. The components Aa and Ab appear to be essentially identical B9 giants (Pourbaix et al. 2004; SB9 catalog), with a V-band magnitude difference of 1.53 mags (Hummel et al. 1995). For an unresolved apparent V magnitude of 3.84 (Hipparcos catalog; ESA 1997), this magnitude difference implies V magnitudes of V(Aa)=3.48 and V(Ab)=5.01. The WGSN-adopted name "Tianfu" applies to the primary Aa.

==Weblink==
* Ian Ridpath [http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/aquila.html#chinese Aquila – Chinese associations] Star Tales – Online edition

==References==
[[References (Chinese)]]
[[Category:Asterism ]]
[[Category:Constellation ]]
[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:East Asian]]
[[Category:Chinese ]]
[[Category:IAU-Star Name]]

<references />

Alsephina

2024-11-15T03:04:18Z

Ericmamajek: /* Etymology and History */

"Al Safinah" (or "al-safinah" or "al-Safina") is Arabic for "the ship", the Arabic name for the constellation Argo Navis in Al Sufi's ''Book of the Fixed Stars'' (ca. 964 AD; see Hafez 2010 PhD thesis translation). The transliteration "Alsephina" appeared in many works in recent centuries (e.g. Christmanno's 1590 translation of Alfragani's Arabis Chronologica et Astronomica; Hues 1592 "Tractatus de Globis", Delambre 1819, Allen 1899, etc.).

==Etymology and History==
von Gent's (2006) book on the "Harmonia Macrocosmica" by Andreas Cellarius (1660) shows "Alsephina" with Delta Velorum (HR 3485) - "''Derived from the Arabic al-safina, "the ship", which actually refers to the entire constellation''", where on plate 28 of Harmonia Macrocosmica the name appears next to the bright star (i.e. not written as an alias for the constellation, which appears elsewhere on the chart).

==IAU Working Group Star Names==
The name was discussed and approved by the IAU WGSN in 2017.

== Weblinks ==

* Wikipedia page for Delta Velorum (Alsephina): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Velorum
* SIMBAD page for Delta Velorum A (Alsephina): https://simbad.cds.unistra.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=Alsephina

== Reference ==

[[Category:Single star-asterism‏‎]]
[[Category:Eurasia]]
[[Category:East Asian]]