Chitra: Difference between revisions

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Chitra
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[[File:14 Chitra draw.png|thumb|Nakshatra 14, Citra, the bright star Spica as drawn in temples with the marker of 180° (a point).]]
[[File:14 Chitra draw.png|thumb|Nakshatra 14, Citra, the bright star Spica as drawn in temples with the marker of 180° (a point).]]
{{Infobox constellation
| name = चित्रा  (Chitra)
| native = चित्रा
| translation = Citrā
| pronounce = Chitra
| IPA =
| culture = Indian_nakshatras
| RA = 201.2982474 to 202.9911861
| dec = -11.16131949 to -6.255817661
| areatotal = 0
| numbermainstars = 2
| numberbfstars = 2
| numberstarsplanets =
| numberbrightstars = 1
| numbernearbystars =
| brighteststarname = Spica
| starmagnitude = 0.97
| neareststarname =
| stardistance =
| numbermessierobjects =
| meteorshowers =
| bordering = Vir
| notes =
| cat = Two Star-Asterism
}}
[[File:13+14 stellarium.gif|thumb|Nakshatras 13 and 14 marked on the Stellarium star chart (WGSN 2025).]]
[[File:13+14 stellarium.gif|thumb|Nakshatras 13 and 14 marked on the Stellarium star chart (WGSN 2025).]]
Citrā (चित्रा), "the bright one", is an Indian name, used by the Indian Vedic tradition. Most of these names are roughly 3000 years old. They pre-date Hinduism but were taken over by it.  
Citrā (चित्रा), "the bright one", is an Indian name, used by the Indian Vedic tradition. Most of these names are roughly 3000 years old. They pre-date Hinduism but were taken over by it.  

Revision as of 04:11, 9 July 2026

Authors: Susanne M Hoffmann, Youla Azkarrula


Nakshatra 14, Citra, the bright star Spica as drawn in temples with the marker of 180° (a point).
चित्रा (Chitra)
Asterism Info
Native
चित्रा
RomanisationChitra
Translation
Citrā
Position (2000)
Right ascension201.2982474 to 202.9911861
Declination-11.16131949 to -6.255817661
Area0 sq. deg.
Stars
Bright stars2
Bayer/Flamsteed
stars
2
Stars brighter than 3.00m1
Brightest starSpica (0.97m)
Taxonomy
category
of asterism
Two Star-Asterism
IAU-
constellations
Vir
Nakshatras 13 and 14 marked on the Stellarium star chart (WGSN 2025).

Citrā (चित्रा), "the bright one", is an Indian name, used by the Indian Vedic tradition. Most of these names are roughly 3000 years old. They pre-date Hinduism but were taken over by it.

Etymology and History

Name Variants

  • Chitra
  • Tvarshtra

Origin of Constellation

Chitra means "the bright one" and is clearly a name for a single star-asterism. In the Indian Vedic coordinate system, the sidereal zodiac, this star marks the point 180° at the ecliptic. As precession continues, the ecliptic latitudes remain always the same, so that a star directly at the ecliptic (like Spica) at any historical epoch marked and will mark the invisible ecliptic.

The temple depictions characterise this nakshatra by a point which refers to the important anchor of their frame of reference.

Stars within the Constellation Area

id Label IAU design. description Vmag
1 Spica HIP 65474 Constellation lines (Vertex) 0.97
2 Apamvatsa HIP 66006 Constellation lines (Vertex) 4.69

Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation

Mythology

mnemonic tales and cultural significance

References