Dabih

Authors: IAU-WGSN Etymology Group, Roland Laffitte, Susanne M Hoffmann, Youla Azkarrula, IanRidpath

---

Dabih 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 100345 (β¹ Cap, HR 7776) in constellation Cap.

Etymology and History

Applied in recent times from the ind-A lunar mansion name sa'd aldhabih, for α and β Cap. Possible meanings for the name are "the Lucky (Stars) of the Slaughterer," or, "Sa'd, the Slaughtering One" (this last using Sa'd as an unspecified proper name). However the exact historical connections are unknown.

Arabic star names in Capricornus (CC BY Roland Laffitte 2025)

Roland Laffitte (2025)

Emprunté par Piazzi sous les formes Dabih Major pour β¹ Cap et Dabih Minor pour β² Cap[1], et aujourd’hui spécialisé par l’UAI pour la première étoile de ce couple, ce nom est le second terme de l’appellation arabe Sa^cd al-Ḏābiḥ, « la Propice du Sacrificateur », qui s’applique, dans le ciel arabe, au couple αβ Cap et constitue la XX^e station lunaire, sachant qu’al-Ḏābiḥ était peut-être une épithète divine liée à l’istisqā’, soit une cérémonie d’imploration de la pluie devenue, dans le cadre islamique, une demande faite à Dieu / Allāh.

En Arabe: Sa^cd al-Ḏābiḥ p/ le couple αβ Cap, Mālik b. Anas, Ibn Qutayba. Lat. Fortuna decollantis, Cal. Cordoue, Scaldebo, Alchandre. Pour l’étoile, ‘Sa’d AlDâbih’, Hyde, Dabih Major p/ β¹ Cap, et Dabih Minor p/ β² Cap, Allen, puis Rhoads, Hoffleit, etc., Dabih Major et Dabih p/ β Cap, Simbad, Dabih Minor p/ β², Simbad, Dabih p/ β¹, UAI.

AUTRE NOM : Sadalzabih. Ar. :سعد الذابح  Sa^cd al-Ḏābiḥ p/ αβ Cap, Mālik b. Anas, Ibn Qutayaba, lat. Scaldebo p/ la station, Alchandre. Puis Sa^cd al-Ḏābiḥ p/ les étoiles, Uluġ Bēg, al-Tīzīnī > ‘Sa’d AlDâbih’, Hyde, ‘Al Sa’d Al Dhābiḥ’, Allen, fr. Sadalzabih, Ambélain, 1936.

English:

Adopted by Piazzi as ‘Dabih Major’ for β1 Cap and ‘Dabih Minor’ for β2 Cap[1], and now officially designated by the IAU for the first star of this pair, this name is the second term of the Arabic designation ‘Sacd al-Ḏābiḥ’, ‘the Propitious One of the Sacrificer’, which, in the Arab sky, applies to the pair αβ Cap and constitutes the 20th lunar station, bearing in mind that al-Ḏābiḥ was perhaps a divine epithet linked to istisqā’, that is, a ceremony to implore rain which, within the Islamic context, became a supplication made to God / Allāh.

In Arabic: Sacd al-Ḏābiḥ for the pair αβ Cap, Mālik b. Anas, Ibn Qutayba. Latin: Fortuna decollantis, Cal. Córdoba, Scaldebo, Alchandre. For the star, ‘Sa’d Al-Dâbih’, Hyde, Dabih Major for β1 Cap, and Dabih Minor for β2 Cap, Allen, then Rhoads, Hoffleit, etc.; Dabih Major and Dabih for β Cap, Simbad; Dabih Minor for β2, Simbad; Dabih for β1, UAI.

ALTERNATIVE NAME: Sadalzabih. Arabic: سعد الذابح  Sacd al-Ḏābiḥ for αβ Cap, Mālik b. Anas, Ibn Qutayaba; Latin: Scaldebo for the station, Alchandre. Then Sacd al-Ḏābiḥ for the stars, Uluġ Bēg, al-Tīzīnī > ‘Sa’d AlDâbih’, Hyde, ‘Al Sa’d Al Dhābiḥ’, Allen, French: Sadalzabih, Ambélain, 1936.

IAU Working Group on Star Names

The name was adopted by the IAU WGSN on 2016/08/21.

Weblinks

• Website of the IAU WGSN: https://exopla.net/

Reference

• 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.