Tianjinnan

Authors: Susanne M Hoffmann, IanRidpath

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Tianjinnan is a modern star name adopted by the International Astronomical Union in the IAU-Catalog of Star Names (IAU-CSN). Its origin is Chinese. It is the name of the star ζ Cyg in constellation Cygnus.

Concordance, Etymology, History

Tianjin in Stellarium, across the Milky Way

Tianjin, Celestial Ferry, is an ancient Chinese constellation with a beautiful cultural significance: it represents the bridge for two celestial lovers through which they can cross the Silver River (Milky Way) and meet for a brief hug and kiss.

This constellation is high in the sky in northern summer and closely connected to the "Chinese Valentine's Day", a celebration of love on the seventh day of the seventh month each year. The date can be interpreted as 7 July or a date in the lunar calendar which will vary yearly with regard to the international Roman one.

Mythology

see

• Chinese Tianjin (天津), Zhinü (Weaver Girl) and Hegu (Cowherd)
• Japanese Hikoboshi and Orihime (ひこぼし：彦星 and おりひめ：織姫)

IAU Working Group on Star Names

The name was discussed and adopted by the IAU WGSN in 2026. WGSN adopted the name "Southern Star of Tianjin" in the IAU-CSN because Tianjin itself has already been used for a lunar crater and we aim to avoid duplicates among IAU nomenclatures.

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Reference

• References (general)
• References (early modern)
• Ian Ridpath's Star Tales – Cygnus Chinese associations