Ninnisig
Authors: Susanne M Hoffmann, Youla Azkarrula
| Asterism Info | |
| Native | Ninnisig |
|---|---|
| Translation | the goddess who is butcher of the highest temple |
| Position (2000) | |
| Right ascension | 289.0920557 |
| Declination | 38.13374205 |
| Area | 0 sq. deg. |
| Stars | |
| Bright stars | 1 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars | 1 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 0 |
| Brightest star | Ninnisig (4.38m) |
| Taxonomy | |
| category of asterism | IAU-Star Name |
| IAU- constellations | Lyr |
Ninnisig is a modern star name adopted by the International Astronomical Union in the IAU-Catalog of Star Names (IAU-CSN). Its origin is Sumerian. It is the name of the star θ Lyr in constellation Lyra.
Concordance, Etymology, History
Nin-nisig (see Kurtik n40)[1] and Erragal are a couple of ancient Mesopotamian gods. Ninnisig is the butcher of Enlil’s palace Ekur, wife of Erragal. Her name is usually translated as "Lady Greenery" or "Lady Greens."[2] They are attested as two stars in MUL.APIN, the oldest astronomical known compendium (dating between 1350 and 1150 BCE)[3]:
MUL.APIN (I i 27)[3]
- DIŠ 2 MULmeš ša2 EGIR-šu2 GUBmeš-zu dNin-SAR u dEr3-ra-gal
- The two stars which stand behind it [the Goat]: Nin-nisig and Erragal.
These two stars are identified with η + θ Lyrae (e.g by Weidner 1957-59[4]).
Mythology
IAU Working Group on Star Names
The name was discussed and adopted by the IAU WGSN in 2026 with a set of star names for Lyra.
Decision: On 18 June 2026, the IAU WGSN adopted the name Ninnisig for the star θ Lyrae.
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IAU profile card -
IAU stick figure -
NIN.SAR and Erragal mapped in Stellarium (CC BY SMH).
Weblinks
Reference
- ↑ Planetarium Babylonicum 2.0, All Skies Encyclopaedia.
- ↑ Cavigneaux, Antoine; Krebernik, Manfred (1998a), "dNin-sar", Reallexikon der Assyriologie (in German)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Hunger, H. and Steele, J. M. (2019). The Babylonian Astronomical Compendium MUL.APIN, Routledge, NY
- ↑ Weidner E. mul gir2.tab = zuqaqîpi // AfO. 1957-1958. Bd. 18. S. 393-394].
