Katarokoya

Lokono constellation: Katarokoya in the planetarium software Stellarium (CC-BY Konrad Rybka)

Katarokoya is an Arawakan constellation name from Lokono. This constellation is referring to spirit of the green sea turtle.

Etymology and History

Spelling Variants

• Katarhokoya

Origin of Constellation

The term kataro (Chelonia mydas) appears to be a term borrowed from Kari’na. However, there are several species of turtles in the Guianas, thus kataro and kasipeni can also refer to different species, and their spirits be identified with different constellations. The constellation Katarhokoya ‘Spirit of the green sea turtle’ is still known on the Pomeroon River in Guyana. It represents the katarho turtle (Chelonia mydas), swimming towards the shore, represented in turn by the Milky Way. When the constellation appears in the morning high in the sky, it is a signal that turtles are arriving on the beaches to lay eggs. The constellation was identified in earlier sources as Corona Borealis and Orion's belt. While the former overlaps with the stars indicated by the Lokono on the Pomeroon, the latter is likely a mistake as Orion’s belt is consistently recognized as Mabukuli ‘Man without a thigh’. The constellation Katarhokoya rises early in the year, but it appears upside down most of the time from the vistas of the Lokono in the Guianas. Only by mid-March, a time when several species of turtles indeed lay their eggs on the Atlantic coast of the Guianas, does it look like a turtle swimming to the shore (Milky Way).

All HIP Stars within this constellation

Convex Hull for the stars inside Katarokoya (CC BY Konrad Rybka).

IAU Working Group on Star Names

In March 2026, it has been proposed to use the name "Katarokoya" for a star in the area to preserve the Lokono heritage. The star ups Corona Borealis (υ CrB, HIP 79757). The identification with a star in Corona Borealis was identified earlier and is still known on the Pomeroon River in Guyana.

References

• References (general)