Zibbatu

Not to be confused with ZIB.

Authors: Susanne M Hoffmann

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Zibbatu is a modern star name adopted by the International Astronomical Union in the IAU-Catalog of Star Names (IAU-CSN). Its origin is Akkadian. It is the name of the star 112 Psc (HIP 9353) in constellation Pisces.

Concordance, Etymology, History

Sumerian ^mulZIB^meš (𒀯𒍦𒈨), equalling Akkadian zibbātu, 'The Tails,' is a late Babylonian name for the zodiacal sign and constellation Pisces. The term is used exclusively in the Astronomical Diaries from Babylon for the section of the ecliptic. In this late time, traditional cuneiform names of constellations used to be abbreviated. The original name of the constellation in the Path of the Moon in MUL.APIN (I iv 36) is given:

^<mul>KUN^{meš mul}SIM.MAḪ, ^mulA-nu-ni-tu₄

Tails (of) Swallow, Anunitu

The term ^mulAnunītu is a byname of the goddess Inanna/ Ishtar. In the time of MUL.APIN (before 1000 BCE), the term "Tails of the Swallow" refers to an asterism within the constellation of SIM.MAḪ, The Swallow, whose body was imagined in modern Cetus.

In later time, as reconstructed from normal star lists, the constellation of "the Tails" (KUN or ZIB or zibbatu) was visualized as a fish-tail and bird-tail joined (Beaulieu et al. 2018: 44-45). Yet the origin is the earlier and much larger constellation of The Swallow ^mulSIM.MAḪ mentioned in MUL.APIN whose V-shaped tails match the V-shaped chains of stars in Pisces.  

The modern star name is placed next to the star Alrescha where the two ribbons of Pisces join, as if it was an alternative name for the knot in the band.

IAU Working Group on Star Names

The name was suggested to the IAU WGSN in 2023. In September 2026, the WGSN chose to adopt the name for the star 112 Psc (5.87 mag) in the IAU-CSN.

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Reference

• References (general)
• References (early modern)
• Ian Ridpath's website (Star Tales )