Corona Borealis

Authors: Susanne M Hoffmann, Doris Vickers, Youla Azkarrula

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CrB star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg)

One of the 88 IAU constellations.

Etymology and History

Origin of Constellation

The translation from Greek means “wreath.” The modern term “crown” conjures up the image of a pointed crown, but this was not invented until the Carolingian Middle Ages. The headdresses worn by dignitaries in ancient times looked different: Roman emperors and Greek heroes, for example, wore laurel wreaths. This constellation shows a bride's headdress, which may have been more reminiscent of a diadem or headband. Eratosthenes says that it was the world's first bridal wreath.

Babylonian

In Babylonian astronomy, this constellation is the “star of dignity.” It could be a headdress, a sash, or a heavy necklace. Round shapes are suggested by the star pattern, but the religious or cultic significance of the figure has not been handed down. Mesopotamian art always depicts gods with a horned crown as a distinguishing feature, but it is not possible to say with certainty what was meant here.

Greco-Roman

Aratos

[71] There too the famous Crown, which Dionysus established to be an illustrious memorial to the departed Ariadne, circles close to the back o f the labouring figure. (Kidd 1997)

Eratosthenes

Var. 1: It is said to be Ariadne's crown. Dionysus placed it among the constellations on the occasion of her wedding, which the gods were celebrating on the island called Dia. The bride had previously received it from the hands of the Seasons and Aphrodite, and had crowned herself with it. It was said to be the work of Hephaestus, and was made of flaming gold and precious stones from India. It is also said to have been used by Theseus to escape from the labyrinth, as it emitted light. It is also said that the hair visible under the Lion's tail is Ariadne's. The Crown has nine stars arranged in a circle. Among three of them are bright; these are the ones opposite the head the head of the Serpent that separates the two Bears.

Var. 2: It is said to be Ariadne's crown. Dionysus placed it among the constellations on the occasion of her wedding, which the gods were celebrating on the island called Dia, to show them her glory. The bride had previously received it from the hands of the Seasons and Aphrodite, and had crowned herself with it. The author of the History of Crete states that when Dionysus came to the house of Minos with the intention of seducing Ariadne, he gave her to him as a gift, and so she was enticed. It was said to be the work of Hephaestus, and was made of flaming gold and precious stones from India. It is said to have been used by Theseus to escape from the labyrinth, as it emitted light. It was then placed among the constellations as a sign of their engagement when he and Ariadne arrived in Naxos, with the consent of the gods. It is also said that the hair visible under the tail of the Lion is Ariadne's. The Crown has nine stars arranged in a circle. Among three of them are bright; these are the ones opposite the head the head of the Serpent that separates the two Bears. (Pamias and Zucker 2013)

Hipparchus

Rising (Lib II Cap V §10)

The Rising of Corona Borealis

	east		south
	lam1	lam2	lam1	lam2
	Vir 27	Lib 4 1/2	Gem 25 1/2	Cnc 4 1/2
star	the bright one among those in the front	the northern of those to the northeast of the bright one
duration	2/3 hours = 40 min = 10 degree

Setting (Lib II Cap VI §2)

	west		south
	lam1	lam2	lam1	lam2
	Sgr 23	Cap 3 1/2	Psc 1	Psc 13 1/2
star	the brightest	the rather faint and outermost in the rear bow
duration	1 hours = 60 min = 15°

Stars Mentioned

	Greek	German	English	ident.	src		lam_culm
					Lib II Cap V §10	rising, east, first
					Lib II Cap V §10	rising, east, last
					Lib II Cap VI §2	setting CrB, south, last	Psc 13.5
					Lib II Cap VI §13	setting Aql, south, first	Ari 2
					Lib III Cap I §9	rising Ori, south, last	Psc 13

Hyginus, Astronomica

This is thought to be Ariadne's crown, placed by Father Liber among the constellations. For they say that when Ariadne wed Liber on the island of Dia, and all the gods gave her wedding gifts, she first received this crown as a gift from Venus and the Horae. But, as the author of the Cretica says, at the time when Liber came to Minos with the hope of lying with Ariadne, he gave her this crown as a present. Delighted with it, she did not refuse the terms. It is said, too, to have been made of gold and Indian gems, and by its aid Theseus is thought to have come from the gloom of the labyrinth to the day, for the gold and gems made a glow of light in the darkness.

But those who wrote the Argolica give the following reason. When Liber received permission from his father to bring back his mother Semele from the Lower World, and in seeking a place of descent had come to the land of the Argives, a certain Hypolipnus met him, a man worthy of that generation, who was to show the entrance to Liber in answer to his request. However, when Hypolipnus saw him, a mere boy in years, excelling all others in remarkable beauty of form, he asked from him the reward that could be given without loss. Liber, however, eager for his mother, swore that if he brought her back, he would do as he wished, on terms, though, that a god could swear to a shameless man. At this, Hypolipnus showed the entrance. So then, when Liber came to that place and was about to descend, he left the crown, which he had received as a gift from Venus, at that place which in consequence is called Stephanos, for he was unwilling to take it with him for fear the immortal gift of the gods would be contaminated by contact with the dead. When he brought his mother back unharmed, he is said to have placed the crown in the stars as an everlasting memorial.

Others say that this is the crown of Theseus, and for the following reason placed near him, for the constellation called the Kneeler is thought to be Theseus. We shall speak later about him. It is said that when Theseus came to Crete to Minos with seven maidens and six youths, Minos, inflamed by the beauty of one of the maidens, Eriboea by name, wished to lie with her. Theseus, as was fitting for a son of Neptune, and one able to strive against a tyrant for a girl's safety, refused to allow this. So when the dispute became one not about the girl but about the parentage of Theseus, whether he was the son of Neptune or not, Minos is said to have drawn a gold ring from his finger and cast it into the sea. He bade Theseus bring it back, if he wanted him to believe he was a son of Neptune; as for himself, he could easily show he was a son of Jove. So, invoking his father, he asked for some sign to prove he was his son, and straightway thunder and lightning gave token of assent. For a similar reason, Theseus, without any invoking of his father or obligation of an oath, cast himself into the sea. And at once a great swarm of dolphins, tumbling forward over the sea, led him through gently swelling waves to the Nereids. From them he brought back the ring of Minos and a crown, bright with many gems, from Thetis, which she had received at her wedding as a gift from Venus. Others say that the crown came from the wife of Neptune, and Theseus is said to have given it to Ariadne as a gift, when on account of his valor and courage she was given to him in marriage. After Ariadne's death, Liber placed it among the constellations. (Mary Ward 1960)

Almagest Στέφανος

id	Greek (Heiberg 1898)	English (Toomer 1984)	ident.
	Στεφάνου βορείου ἀστερισμός	Constellation of Corona Borealis
1	ὁ λαμπρὸς ὁ ἐν τῷ Στεφάνῳ	The bright star in the crown	alf CrB
2	ὁ προηγούμευος πάντων.	The star most in advance of all	bet CrB
3	ὁ τούτῳ ἐπόμενος καὶ βορειότερος.	The one to the rear and to the· north of this	tet CrB
4	ὁ ἔτι τούτῳ ἑπόμενος καὶ βορειότερος	The one to the rear and north again of this	pi CrB
5	ὁ τῷ λαμπρῶ ἀπὸ μεσημβρίας ἑπόμενος.	The one to the rear of the bright star from the south	gam CrB
6	ὁ ἔτι τούτῳ ἐγγὺς ἐπόμενος	The one to the rear again of the latter, close by	del CrB
7	ὁ μετὰ τούτους πάλιν ἐπόμενος.	The one to the rear again of these	eps CrB
8	ὁ πᾶσι τοῦς ἐν τῷ Στεφάνῳ ἑπόμενος	The ,1 ar to the rear of all [the others) in the crown	iot CrB
	ἀστέρες ἢ, ὥν β’ μεγέθουςα, δ’ ε, εα, ξ’ ἂ.	8 star, 1 of the second magnitude, 5 of the fourth, 1 of the filth, I of the sixth

Convex Hull for the stars inside Stephanos (CC BY Youla Azkarrula).

Stars within the Constellation Area

id	Label	IAU design.	description	Vmag
1	Alphecca	HIP 76267	Constellation lines (Vertex)	2.24
2	Nusakan	HIP 75695	Constellation lines (Vertex)	3.68
3	* gam CrB A	HIP 76952	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.05
4	θ Coronae Borealis	HIP 76127	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.13
5	ϵ Coronae Borealis	HIP 78159	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.13
6	δ Coronae Borealis	HIP 77512	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.63
7	ι Coronae Borealis	HIP 78493	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.971
8	π Coronae Borealis	HIP 77048	Constellation lines (Vertex)	5.575
9	R CrB	HIP 77442	Inside the hull	5.71
10	-	HIP 77397	Inside the hull	6.39
11	-	HIP 76456	Inside the hull	6.46

Mythology

Greek

Ariadne is said to have been the daughter of a king and granddaughter of the sun god, making her a demigoddess. In some places, she was also worshipped as a goddess of fertility. According to an ancient legend, she was married to Dionysus, the god of viticulture.

According to Eratosthenes, her bridal wreath was a gift from Aphrodite and the Horae, made in the workshop of Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths: he had crafted the wreath from fiery red gold and set it with jewels from India. This wreath should not be imagined as a flower wreath worn by a peasant girl, but rather as the diadem of a bride at a royal wedding.

There are two versions of the story with Theseus: Most people today remember that Ariadne gave him a ball of thread, which he used to find his way out of the labyrinth after defeating the Minotaur. In this version, Ariadne first helps Theseus and is later married to Dionysus.

Eratosthenes, however, tells that Ariadne's bridal wreath from her wedding to Dionysus shone so brightly that Theseus could see his way out of the labyrinth with it. The fact that Dionysus' wife helps the hero Theseus initially only highlights her helpfulness.

In one version of the story, however, she then goes with him to Naxos and consequently leaves her husband. This is an affront to the god Dionysus, as she prefers a mortal to him. Eratosthenes reinforces this by remarking that the gods nevertheless agreed to place the wreath among the stars. This statement by the librarian of Alexandria should be seen against the backdrop of the Ptolemies' propaganda against the cult of Dionysus: it is simply too hot for wine in the North African desert. That is why the Greek-descended Ptolemaic family no longer worshipped the god of wine when they ruled Egypt, and Eratosthenes held a very high position as prince tutor under the Ptolemaic government. For him, the crown is also a reminder to renounce wine.

References

• References (general)
• References (Babylonian)
• References (ancient Greco-Roman)
• References (medieval)