Khepdenreret

Authors: Susanne M Hoffmann, Youla Azkarrula

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Khepdenreret profile card (CC BY Sadegh Faghanpour for IAU WGSN).

Khepdenreret

Asterism Info
Native	Khepdenreret
Translation	Buttocks of Reret
Position (2000)
Right ascension	255.072389
Declination	30.92640423
Area	0 sq. deg.
Stars
Bright stars	1
Bayer/Flamsteed stars	1
Stars brighter than 3.00m	0
Brightest star	Khepdenreret (3.92m)
exoplanets	0
Taxonomy
category of asterism	IAU-Star Name
IAU- constellations	Boo

Khepdenreret stick figure (CC BY Sadegh Faghanpour for IAU WGSN).

Khepdenreret is a modern star name adopted by the International Astronomical Union in the IAU-Catalog of Star Names (IAU-CSN). Its origin is ancient Egyptian. It is the name of the star ϵ Her in constellation Hercules.

Provenance, Etymology, History

The constellation of Reret has nine stars, represented on the sarcophagus of Nectanebos (Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung, ÄM 7.), and in the Ramesside Star Clocks.

The name means "Buttocks of Reret" and Reret is a hippopotamus goddess in ancient Egypt who is represented by a constellation that is in charge of guaranteeing the stability of the celestial (north) pole.

Reret (also spelled Reret-Weret, “the Great Sow”) is a protective goddess in ancient Egyptian religion. She is best understood as one of the names or manifestations of Taweret, the famous hippopotamus goddess associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and the protection of mothers and infants.

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  Reret depicted on a sarkophagus (Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung, ÄM 7.)
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  Reret and Menit on Stellarium map, original huge constellation, with the two IAU-star names Khepdenreret and Tepiamenit (CC BY WGSN).
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  Reret and Menit (Berlin) mapped to Stellarium (small version: Bootes only, CC BY SMH for WGSN), late (Roman) smaller version of the constellation.

Mythology/Religion

Reret is a protective hippopotamus goddess, usually treated as a form of Taweret. She safeguarded pregnancy, childbirth, and infants, while also serving as a celestial guardian associated with the stars in the constellations Draco, Hercules, and Bootes, and the ever-visible stars of the northern sky. Though less famous than Taweret, she represents one of ancient Egypt’s most vivid symbols of fierce maternal protection and cosmic stability.

IAU Working Group on Star Names

The name "Reret" was discussed and approved by the IAU WGSN in 2026, and due to its significance in the Egyptian culture, it was decided to use a specific name mentioned in the Ramesside Star Clocks for the adoption in the IAU-CSN.

ϵ Her is a multiple system, easily visible a one dot of light in the keystone-asterism central in constellation Hercules. Both components are A-type stars (A0, A2) but the exact classification is still an open research topic.

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  WGSN
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  WGSN

Reference

• References (general)