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[[File:Egypt Nekhet stellarium-RSC.jpg|thumb|Egyptian constellation Nekhet, The Giant, identified with Ramesside Star Clocks, mapped to Stellarium (CC BY Petrie 1940, SMH 2026). For this screenshot the time and date settings are Alexandria -1180. ]]
[[File:Egypt Nekhet stellarium-RSC.jpg|thumb|Egyptian constellation Nekhet, The Giant, identified with Ramesside Star Clocks, mapped to Stellarium (CC BY Petrie 1940, SMH 2026). For this screenshot the time and date settings are Alexandria -1180. ]]
Nekhet, ''nḫt'', The Giant, is an Egyptian constellation, preserved in the 2nd millennium BCE. Based on Ramesside Star Clocks,<ref>Neugebauer, O. and Parker, R. A., 1969. ''Egyptian Astronomical Texts'', vol. III. Providence: Brown University.</ref><ref>Leitz, Ch., 1995. Altägyptische Sternuhren. OLA, 62. Leuven: Peeters.</ref> it is known that it covers 5 RA-hours.<ref>Petrie W.M.F. (1940). Wisdom of the Egyptians. London.</ref>   
Nekhet, ''nḫt'', The Giant, is an Egyptian constellation, preserved in the 2nd millennium BCE. Based on Ramesside Star Clocks,<ref>Neugebauer, O. and Parker, R. A., 1969. ''Egyptian Astronomical Texts'', vol. III. Providence: Brown University.</ref><ref>Leitz, Ch., 1995. Altägyptische Sternuhren. OLA, 62. Leuven: Peeters.</ref> it is known that it covers 5 RA-hours.<ref name=":1">Petrie W.M.F. (1940). Wisdom of the Egyptians. London.</ref>   
[[File:Peg2Aql-2hi Zodiaque de Dendéra - Musée du Louvre Antiquités Egyptiennes D 38 ; E 13482.gif|thumb|Detail from the circular zodiac of Dendera between the Pegasus Square ("Peg") and a Duck depicted in Aquila ("Aql") with some figures drawn, including an animal cadava resembling the Mesopotamian constellation of The Corpse, instead of one big Giant, this image is not clearly traditionally Egyptian (photo: Musée du Louvre, GIF SMH).]]
[[File:Peg2Aql-2hi Zodiaque de Dendéra - Musée du Louvre Antiquités Egyptiennes D 38 ; E 13482.gif|thumb|Detail from the circular zodiac of Dendera between the Pegasus Square ("Peg") and a Duck depicted in Aquila ("Aql") with some figures drawn, including an animal cadava resembling the Mesopotamian constellation of The Corpse, instead of one big Giant, this image is not clearly traditionally Egyptian (photo: Musée du Louvre, GIF SMH).]]
==Concordance, Etymology, History==
==Concordance, Etymology, History==
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[[File:Fig 4 45 Petrie1940 sky.jpg|thumb|Star map of the Egyptian Sky for the Ramesside Star Clocks. Petrie W.M.F. (1940)<ref name=":1" />. Wisdom of the Egyptians. London, fig. 4.45.]]


=== Identification(s) ===
=== Identification(s) ===

Latest revision as of 05:25, 7 March 2026

Authors: Susanne M Hoffmann, Juan Antonio Belmonte Avilés

Egyptian constellation Nekhet, The Giant, identified with Ramesside Star Clocks, mapped to Stellarium (CC BY Petrie 1940, SMH 2026). For this screenshot the time and date settings are Alexandria -1180.

Nekhet, nḫt, The Giant, is an Egyptian constellation, preserved in the 2nd millennium BCE. Based on Ramesside Star Clocks,[1][2] it is known that it covers 5 RA-hours.[3]

Detail from the circular zodiac of Dendera between the Pegasus Square ("Peg") and a Duck depicted in Aquila ("Aql") with some figures drawn, including an animal cadava resembling the Mesopotamian constellation of The Corpse, instead of one big Giant, this image is not clearly traditionally Egyptian (photo: Musée du Louvre, GIF SMH).

Concordance, Etymology, History

Variants

  • nḫt
  • Nekhet
  • Nekht

Sources

Stars in the Egyptian constellation The Giant, Nekhet, mentioned in the RSCs (CC BY Belmonte 2003[4], tab. 2).

Ramesside Star Clocks (RSC) are ceiling paintings in some tombs in the Valley of Kings, Egypt, from the Ramesside Period.[5] They are not actually used star clocks but information on stars in transit (probably through the meridian) provided in tabular layout.

There are 16 stars related to Nekht named in the Ramesside Star Clocks (RSC)[4].

Star / Asterism Name

(transliteration)

Translation RA (degr) RA (h) ident. (Belmonte 2003)
Predeccesor of the giant’s 2 feathers 260 17.3 Altair (17.1)
The 2 feathers of the giant 273 18.4 Sualocin -alf Del- (18.1)
Head of mace (or Crown) of giant Sadalsuud (18.5)
Mace (or Crown) of the giant Area of Aquarius ?
Head of the giant Area of Equuleus
Nape of his neck 280 18.7 Enif -alf Peg- (18.8)
Neck of the giant 280 18.7 Enif -alf Peg- (18.8)
His breast 290 19.3 tet Peg (19.2) or iot Peg (19.5)
Hip of the giant 300 20.0 Markab -alf Peg- (20.2)
His shank 304 20.2 Scheat -bet Peg- (20.3)
Knee of the giant 309 20.6 Area of the Square of Pegasus
His foot 317 21.1 alf And (21.3)
Pedestal 317 21.1 alf And & gam Peg (21.3)
The one coming after his pedestal 327 21.8 del And (21.8)
star of the back of the pedestal Area of Andromeda
Star map of the Egyptian Sky for the Ramesside Star Clocks. Petrie W.M.F. (1940)[3]. Wisdom of the Egyptians. London, fig. 4.45.

Identification(s)

  • "From Aquila to the Pegasus Square. Including his Feathers, Mace (or Crown) and Pedestal" (Belmonte 2003)[4]
  • "From Aquila to the Square of Pegasus" (Belmonte & Lull 2023)[6]
  • Petrie's drawing also extends across this area
  • The circular zodiac in Dendera the image is drawn above the "Duck" in Aquila. An accurate identification is not possible but it matches the suggestions above.

Mythology

IAU Working Group on Star Names

The name "Nekhet" suggested to be considered by the IAU WGSN in 2023. Nekht extends for five hours of RA (from the RSCs) and it does not make justice to call a single petty star with the name of such a huge constellation. Therefore, if WGSN wants to call a star either in Sagitta or Aquila with the name of Nekht, then the suggestion would be to call it: Sebannekhet (Seba en Nekhet), meaning "Star of the Giant", i.e. this is a star of Nekht but without further details.  

The WGSN chose ... (not to apply/ to apply the name to a neighbouring star/ to ...) in the IAU-CSN.

Reference

  1. ↑ Neugebauer, O. and Parker, R. A., 1969. Egyptian Astronomical Texts, vol. III. Providence: Brown University.
  2. ↑ Leitz, Ch., 1995. Altägyptische Sternuhren. OLA, 62. Leuven: Peeters.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Petrie W.M.F. (1940). Wisdom of the Egyptians. London.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 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.
  5. ↑ Marshall Clagett (1989). Ancient Egyptian Science: Calendars, clocks, and astronomy. American Philosophical Society.
  6. ↑ Belmonte, J.A. andd Lull, J., 2023. Astronomy in ancient Egypt: a cultural perspective. Cham: Springer.
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