{"format":"orbitwise-star-names-1","as_of":"2026-09-22","count":484,"table_count":640,"fields":{"name":"IAU proper name, exact UTF-8 spelling with diacritics","hr":"Bright Star number (key into assets/stars/stars.json)","adopted":"date the IAU adopted the name (YYYY-MM-DD)","ascii":"ASCII spelling, only when the name has diacritics","ui":"spelling the app's UI fonts can draw, only when it differs from 'name'; show this when present","language":"language or culture the name comes from (WGSN)","origin":"WGSN note on the name's origin and meaning (IAU wording; words in scripts the UI fonts cannot draw are removed). For Scientist and Expert depths"},"attribution":"Star names and their origins: IAU Working Group on Star Names (WGSN), CC BY 4.0.","sources":[{"name":"IAU Catalog of Star Names, IAU Division C Working Group on Star Names (WGSN), table as of 2026-09-22","url":"https://exopla.net/star-names/modern-iau-star-names/","licence":"CC BY 4.0 (IAU)"},{"name":"IAU Catalog of Star Names (IAU-CSN) text file, edition of 2022-04-04 (HR designations of the older names)","url":"https://www.pas.rochester.edu/~emamajek/WGSN/IAU-CSN.txt","licence":"CC BY 4.0 (IAU)"}],"names":[{"name":"Acamar","hr":897,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"From its name for the Arabic Almagest period akhir al-nahr, \"the River's End\". Applied in medieval times, and reapplied in recent times"},{"name":"Achernar","hr":472,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"Arabic name (āhiru n-nahr) meaning, the End of the River; originally used for theta Eri that was considered the end of the river in the ancient star catalog (Almagest).The name was transferred to alpha Eri in the Early Modern Era when the constellation was extended south to this new terminus."},{"name":"Achird","hr":219,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Contemporary","origin":"The proper name Achird was apparently first applied to Eta Cassiopeiae in the Skalnate Pleso Atlas of the Heavens published in Slovacia in 1950, but is not known prior to that."},{"name":"Acrab","hr":5984,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Arabic name al-'Aqrab for the constellation Scorpius (\"the scorpion\") (e.g. Al Sufi). Application of the transliteration \"Acrab\" specifically to the pair Beta1 and Beta2 Sco was made by Piazzi (1814) in the Palermo Catalog, and its use spread through the 19th century."},{"name":"Acrux","hr":4730,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Contemporary","origin":"A modern creation (1938) that is derived from Bayer's nomenclature by combining the \"A\" from the \"alpha\" in alpha Crucis and the Latin constellation name in the nominative case."},{"name":"Acubens","hr":3572,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied with various spellings since medieval times, from the Arabic word al-zubana, \"the claw\", used in Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos in describing the stars alpha and iota Cnc. Otherwise, the same Arabic word was used for the \"claws\" of Scorpius."},{"name":"Adhafera","hr":4031,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"From the name for the Arabic Almagest period al-dafira, \"the Lock of Hair,\" for the Coma Berenices cluster. Wrongly applied to zeta Leonis in recent times. Yet, misapplications of terms for the \"hairy\" cluster that is called \"Coma\" to the mane of the lion can be traced back to (at least) the 17th century."},{"name":"Adhara","hr":2618,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the Arabic asterism name al-'adhara, \"the Virgins\", for epsilon, delta, eta and omicron2 CMa. The significance of the name is unknown."},{"name":"Adhil","hr":390,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"From the Arabic word al-dhail, \"the hem of a robe or dress\", used in the Arabic Almagest in describing 49 And and chi And, and transliterated in the Medieval Latin Almagest as adhil. This word was wrongly applied as a star name to xi And in recent times."},{"name":"Aerostaticus","hr":8135,"adopted":"2026-07-16","language":"Latin","origin":"Globus Aerostaticus is one of the obsolete constellations, introduced in early modern time to celebrate new technologies."},{"name":"Ain","hr":1409,"adopted":"2015-12-15","language":"Arabic","origin":"From an abbreviation of the name for the Arabic Almagest period ain al-thaur \"the Bull's Eye,\" for a Tau. Applied to epsilon Tau in recent times (Ptolemy had alpha Tau the southern eye, and epsilon Tau on the northern eye)."},{"name":"Ainalrami","hr":7116,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"Arabic ain al-rāmī (simplified Ainalrami) means The Eye of the Archer. It originates from Arabic Almagest translations."},{"name":"Aladfar","hr":7298,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"Aladfar derives from the Arabic al- uzfur \"the talons (of the swooping [eagle])\" which designates and asterism consisting of mu and eta Lyr. It was made popular by Allen."},{"name":"Alaybasan","hr":622,"adopted":"2025-11-07","language":"Arabic","origin":"Al-Aybasān, the Two Joints (of bones), is an Indigenous Arabian asterism. Name variants are Al-Anīsān and Al-Baysan. The later spelling variant al-Anīsān that originated from a mistake changed the meaning, as it translates The Two Friends. WGSN adopts a spelling variant without hyphen: \"Alaybasan\" is the name for beta Tri"},{"name":"Albaldah","hr":7264,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"The name of the 21st Arabic lunar station, Al-Baldah (The empty area), designates a starless region between zeta Sgr and alpha Cap; the star pi Sgr is at its northern edge and was wrongly attributed with this name by Allen (1899, 359)."},{"name":"Albali","hr":7950,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"From the Arabic word bali(\"swallower\", used in an Arabic discussion pertaining to the Arabic lunar mansion name sa(d bula((given for epsilon, mu and nu Aqr; of unknown meaning). In recent times the Arabic article al- was added to bali(and the word was applied as a star name."},{"name":"Albireo","hr":7417,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"The formation of this name begins with Ptolemy's name for the constellation Cygnus -, \"the Bird\". The Arabs transliterated this name as urnis. The Medieval Latin translator of the Arabic Almagest, in turn, did not recognize any Greek word behind urnis (or whatever Arabic corruption he may have read), so he merely transliterated it into a form which appeared int he manuscripts variously as eurisim, eirisun, eirism, etc. In a note appended to this Medieval Latin constellation name for Cygnus, one Latin commentator ventured to derive it from the name of an aromatic herb he knew: ireus. This erroneous commentary read, in brief part: \"eirisim...ab ireo\", or, \"[the constellation name] eirisim...[coming] from [the word] ireus\". Apparently in one manuscript of the Latin Almagest, the final word of this commentary, ab ireo, were written on the next line below the constellation title, where the descriptions of the stars begin. Since the first star entered in the Almagest under the constellation Cygnus is beta Cyg, the words ab ireo seem to have been confused as a name for this star. \"Arabicized\" with the insertion of the letter \"l\", ab ireo, written as \"Albireo\", was applied as a star name to beta Cyg by Early Modern times."},{"name":"Alchiba","hr":4623,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"From the pre-Islamic Arabian asterism name al-khibā, “the Tent,” for beta, gamma, delta and epsilon Crv. Wrongly applied as a star name to alpha Crv in recent times."},{"name":"Alcor","hr":5062,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"Ultimately from the pre-Islamic Arabian name al-jaun, for epsilon UMa, which was transliterated and eventually corrupted in Latin to \"Alcor.\" The name was wrongly transferred to 80 UMa in Early Modern times."},{"name":"Alcyone","hr":1165,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Greek","origin":"These names were individually applied in Early Modern times from a family of characters in Greek mythology: Atlas, Pleione and their seven daughters, the Pleiades."},{"name":"Aldebaran","hr":1457,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in the early Islamic period from its pre-Islamic Arabian name al-dabaran, possibly meaning \"the Follower,\" alternatively used as the lunar mansion name for all the Hyades (or again for alpha Tau alone). The name is thought to refer to this star's following the Pleiades across the sky, or to the Hyades (or alpha Tau) coming after the Pleiades as a lunar mansion. \"Aldebaran\" is one of the oldest Arabic star names applied in the West, from the end of the 10th century A.D."},{"name":"Alderamin","hr":8162,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied to alpha Cep since medieval times. The erroneous derivation understood since Early Modern times was from al-dhira (al)yamin, \"the Right Forearm,\" an assumed Arabic descriptive term for alpha Cep. Firstly, in the Almagest, alpha Cep is described on the right \"shoulder\" (Arabic al-katif or al-mankib) of Cepheus, whereas no right \"forearm\" (al-dhira<) is described for the figure. Secondly, in Arabic, \"right forearm\" is spelled correctly as al-dhira al-yumna, which (in contrast to al-yamin) lacks assonance in the last syllable to Alderamin. Therefore, it is more likely that Alderamin is derived from the various medieval Christian abbreviations of muqaddam al-dhira<ain, \"the Preceding One of the Two Cubits, or Forearms,\" which was a name for the Arabic Almagest period (based on pre-Islamic Arabian) for alpha Gem. This would have been wrongly transferred to alpha Cep in medieval times."},{"name":"Aldhanab","hr":8353,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"Al Dhanab from Arabic (adh-dhanab), The Tail, became common since its mentioning in Allen (1899). There it is attributed to a Persian astronomer but the whole constellation Grus is a constellation invented in the Early Modern Era."},{"name":"Aldhibah","hr":6396,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"zeta and eta Draconis together had been considered the asterism of, al-dhi b, Two Hyenas or Two Wolfs that are lurking for the Camel's Foal that is protected by its mother (other stars in Draco)."},{"name":"Aldulfin","hr":7852,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"Arabic scholarship adopted the Greek loanword \"dulfim\" or \"dulfin\" (with article: ad-dulfin or simplified adulfin) for the marine mammal. The star epsilon Del at the dorsal fin of the Ptolemaic (smaller than ancient Greek) figure was called Al Dhanab al Dulfim (the Dolphin's Tail) and as there are many stars named with the Arabic root for \"tail\", WGSN adopted only the last part of the name."},{"name":"Alfarasalkamil","hr":8762,"adopted":"2025-05-08","language":"Arabic","origin":"Alfarasalkamil means \"The Complete Horse\", as opposed to the Greek constellation of a half horse that is now called Pegasus. The Arabian tradition may perhaps root in or connect to the Babylonian one."},{"name":"Alfirk","hr":8238,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of the pre-Islamic Arabian names kaukaba al-firq (for alpha and beta Cep), and kawakib al-firq (for alpha, beta, and eta Cep). kaukaba and kawakib mean \"two stars\" and \"stars\" (more than two), respectively, but the original Arabic script for al-firq can be vocalized in various ways with various meanings. If the vocalization al-firq is accepted, it means \"the Flock,\" and may refer to a flock of sheep here."},{"name":"Algedi","hr":7754,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Reapplied in recent times (from its older medieval spelling), from the scientific Arabic constellation name al-jady, \"the Kid,\" for Capricornus."},{"name":"Algenib","hr":39,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"From the name for the Arabic Almagest period al-janb, \"the Side,\" for alpha Per. Wrongly transferred to gamma Peg in Early Modern times."},{"name":"Algieba","hr":4057,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the pre-Islamic Arabian lunar mansion name al-jabha \"the Forehead,\" for zeta, gamma, eta, and alpha Leo, associated with the pre-Islamic Arabian asterism al-asad."},{"name":"Algol","hr":936,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in medieval times from an abbreviation of its name for the Arabic Almagest period ras al-ghul \"the Demon's Head\" (for Ptolemy's Gorgon-head). \"Algol\" is one of the oldest Arabic star names applied in the West, from the end of the 10th century A.D."},{"name":"Algorab","hr":4757,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"From an abbreviation of the name for the Arabic Almagest period janab al-ghurab, \"the Raven's Wing,\" for gamma Crv. Transferred to delta Crv in Early Modern times (both gamma and delta were on the Raven's wings in the Almagest)."},{"name":"Alhena","hr":2421,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the pre-Islamic Arabian lunar mansion name al-bana, possibly meaning \"the Mark on the Neck of a Camel,\" for gamma and xi Gem, or alternatively for gamma, xi, eta, mu, and v Gem."},{"name":"Alioth","hr":4905,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"Ultimately from its pre-Islamic Arabian name al-jaun, \"the Black Horse, or Bull,\" which became corrupted even in Arabic sources (where some of the corruptions carried other meanings). For example, in the Arabic manuscript of the Almagest that was translated into Latin in 1175 A.D., this name of epsilon UMa had apparently been miswritten as al-jauza or al-jauza (the latter being identical to the name for the Arabic Almagest period for Orion and Gemini). Whatever was read in this Arabic manuscript was transliterated into Latin as alioze. In subsequent Latin copies, this name was further corrupted to aliore, Alcor, Alioth, etc. Since late medieval times, \"Alioth\" became the preferred name for epsilon UMa."},{"name":"Aljanah","hr":7949,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"The star used to be commonly named Gienah (cf. Kunitzsch and Smart 2006, Allen 1899) which derives from Arabic al-Janāh, The Wing, based on Almagest translations. WGSN adopted the original Arabic word instead of the corrupted one."},{"name":"Alkaid","hr":5191,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied with various spellings since medieval times, from its pre-Islamic Arabian name al-qa'id, \"the Leader\" (probably as leader of the Daughters of the Bier)."},{"name":"Alkalurops","hr":5733,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Latin","origin":"The formation of this name begins with one of the words used by Ptolemy to describe this star in the Almagest:, \"club\", rarely used as \"sphepherd's staff\". This word was transliterated into Arabic as qulurubus, and hence into Latin as calurus. Then in Early Modern times, the derivation of calurus was mistakenly attributed to another Greek word:, \"shepherd's staff\". This erroneous word, in its turn, was transliterated into Latin, then Arabicized with the article al-, then its spelling corrupted, to become \"Alkalurops\", which was thereafter applied as a star name to mu Boo."},{"name":"Alkaphrah","hr":3594,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"corrupted spelling of Arabic al-qafzah \"the leap\" of the Indigenous Arabic group of gazelle asterisms preserved in Ibn Qutaybah."},{"name":"Alkarab","hr":8905,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"traditional Arabic name Al Karab, The Bucket-rope, was an asterism consisting of tau and upsilon Peg"},{"name":"Alkes","hr":4287,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied with various spellings since medieval times, from the Arabic constellation name al-ka's, \"the (Wine) Cup,\" for Crater."},{"name":"Almaaz","hr":1605,"adopted":"2017-02-01","language":"Arabic","origin":"The Arabic term (al-ma az) can refer to the plural \"goats\" but has also been interpreted as a He-Goat (contrasting Capella, the She-Goat). Allen (1899, 90) cites Hyde's 1665 translation of Ulugh Beg with this term for a group of stars (asterism or sub-constellation) in Auriga."},{"name":"Almach","hr":603,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"The formation of this name begins with the Arabic name for this star: anaq al-ard, \"the Caracal\" (a black-eared feline predator found in the Middle East). The Arabs also gave the name in short form as al- anaq, which became transliterated into Medieval Latin as alamac. Later, the derivatin of alamac was erroneously attributed to the assumed Arabic word al-maq (properly al-muq) for \"the boot\" or \"buskin\", rather than to al- anaq. Subsequently the erroneous word, as \"Almaak\" and later \"Almach\" was applied as a star name to gamma And, mostly in astronomical works in English. Other, non-English works use the spelling \"Alamak\" derived directly from the Medieval Latin transliteration."},{"name":"Almighzal","hr":7615,"adopted":"2026-07-16","language":"Arabic","origin":"Wool Spindle – central Saudi Arabia. The constellation is used in a contemporary oral tradition by the ordinary people."},{"name":"Alnair","hr":8425,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of its late Arabic name al-nayyir min dhanab al-but, \"the Bright One from the Fish's Tail\" (where a l6th century Arabic astronomer had extended Ptolemy's Southern Fish [Piscis Austrinus] into what is today Grus). The form Al Na'ir was taken from a wrong transliteration (Al Na'ir) of the Arabic adjective al-nayyir, \"the Bright One.\""},{"name":"Alnasl","hr":6746,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from its late Arabic name al-nasl, \"the Point,\" in turn an abbreviation of the Arabic Almagest's nasl al-sahm, \"the Point of the Arrow.\""},{"name":"Alnilam","hr":1903,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the pre-Islamic Arabian asterism name al-nizam, \"the String of Pearls,\" for delta, epsilon, and zeta Ori."},{"name":"Alnitak","hr":1948,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of the pre-Islamic Arabian asterism name nitaq al-jauza, \"the Belt (or Girdle) of al-jauza,\" for delta, epsilon, and zeta Ori."},{"name":"Alniyat","hr":6084,"adopted":"2017-02-01","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the pre-Islamic Arabian name al-niyat, \"the Arteries\", for sigma and tau Sco. alpha Sco, between the arteries, was the pre-Islamic Arabian qalb al'aqrab, \"the Scorpion's Heart\" (all were part of the pre-Islamic Arabian Scorpion)."},{"name":"Alphard","hr":3748,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in medieval times from its pre-Islamic Arabian name al-fard, \"the Solitary One,\" descriptive of this star's standing out among the surrounding dim stars. (See the same word in the plural, with zeta CMa.)"},{"name":"Alphecca","hr":5793,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in medieval times from the pre-Islamic Arabian asterism name al-fakka, for Corona Borealis. The Arabic name, from the root f-k-k, \"to separate, break up, etc.,\" apparently refers to this asterism's shape: an incomplete circle."},{"name":"Alpheratz","hr":15,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"The specific origin of this name is unclear. It may represent a transfer from beta Peg, where alferaz and other variants were applied in medieval times as abbreviations for beta Peg's Arabic name mankib al-faras, \"the Horse's Shoulder\". Or, it may be from an abbreviation of the name alpheraz id est equus, \"alpheraz, that is, the Horse\", which was applied directly to alpha And also in medieval times. In any case, Medieval Latin authors confused these two names, their spellings, and their identifications, and the modern application of \"Alpheratz\" to alpha And comes down to us from late medieval times."},{"name":"Alpherg","hr":437,"adopted":"2018-06-01","language":"Arabic"},{"name":"Alqiladah","hr":7217,"adopted":"2026-08-13","language":"Arabic","origin":"al-Qilāda, “the necklace”, is an Indigenous Arabian six star asterism recorded by al Sūfī, Ibn Qutayba, and al Marzūqī."},{"name":"Alqubba","hr":7259,"adopted":"2026-08-13","language":"Arabic","origin":"al-Qubba, “the dome or domed tent”, is an Arab asterism that correspond to the stars of Corona Australis."},{"name":"Alrakis","hr":6370,"adopted":"2017-02-01","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from its pre-Islamic Arabian name al-raqis, \"the Trotting Camel.\""},{"name":"Alrescha","hr":596,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"From the pre-Islamic Arabian lunar mansion name al-risha', \"the Cord,\" for beta And. Wrongly transferred to alpha Psc in recent times. According to a Arabic source, the pre-Islamic Arabian al-risha' included, in a larger sense, two curving lines of mostly dim stars in Andromeda and Pisces, meant to attach to the pre-Islamic Arabian al-dalw \"the Well Bucket\" (marked by today's Square of Pegasus). It is also possible that this \"cord\" was a remnant of the cord joining the two fish of the older Babylonian zodiac. Indeed, these stars of the cord were alternatively known by the pre-Islamic Arabians as al-hut, \"the Fish\" (a single fish), corresponding to what in other cultures was Pisces among the zodiacal signs (and according to this tradition, the Fish's brightest star, beta And, was batn al-hut, \"the Fish's Belly\")."},{"name":"Alruba","hr":6618,"adopted":"2018-06-01","language":"Arabic","origin":"Arabic Al Ruba translates \"the foal\" and specifically refers to a young camel born in the spring. The name was considered traditional by WGSN in 2018 as it is listed in Allen (1899)."},{"name":"Alrumh","hr":5490,"adopted":"2026-04-15","language":"Arabic","origin":"Al-Rumh, the Lance/ Spear, is an Arabic asterism from pre-Islamic times that covers the area between Epsilon, Upsilon, Eta and Sigma Bootis. The named star is close to the dominant Epsilon Bootis, which also forms part of the Chinese constellation of The Lance (Genghe)."},{"name":"Alsafi","hr":7462,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"Alsafi is corrupted from Athāfi, erroneously transcribed from the Arabic plural Athāfiyy, by which the nomads designated the tripods of their open-air kitchens; one of these being imagined in sigma, tau and upsilon [Dra]."},{"name":"Alsamaka","hr":8538,"adopted":"2026-08-13","language":"Arabic","origin":"Al-Samaka al-Suġrā (Arabic:, The Smaller Fish) is an Arabic asterism in Lacerta and Andromeda, attested since Ibn Qutayba."},{"name":"Alsciaukat","hr":3275,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"misspelled Arabic aš-šawkat (al-shaukat), The Thorn. The name obviously has nothing to do with the figure of the lynx (or historically sometimes called \"Tiger\" or \"Tigris\") that was invented in Early Modern Times."},{"name":"Alsephina","hr":3485,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"The term is Arabic for \"The Ship\". It originates from the translation of Greek knowledge to Arabic when Argo Navis (The Ship Argo) was translated to Arabic and, thus, originally referred to the whole constellation rather than any specific star."},{"name":"Alshain","hr":7602,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Persian","origin":"Applied in recent times (with a misreading in the second word) from abbreviating the Persian asterism name shahin-i tarazu, \"the Scale Beam,\" for alpha, beta and gamma Aql. The Persian name, in turn, was a medieval translation of these stars' pre-Islamic Arabian name al-mizan, \"the Balance\" (said to be a popular name for the pre-Islamic Arabians al-nasr al-ti'ir listed under alpha Aql)."},{"name":"Alshat","hr":7773,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"The Arabic term, Sa d al-Dhābih, The Lucky Asterism of the Slaughterer (22 lunar station), consists of the 3 stars: alpha1, beta and nu Cap. As alpha and beta already have proper names, the corrupted form \"shat\" (for sad) was used to name nu Cap."},{"name":"Altair","hr":7557,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied with various spellings since medieval times, from an abbreviation of its Arabic name al-nars al-ta)ir, \"the Flying Eagle (or Vulture)\", alternatively used as an asterism name for alpha, beta and gamma Aql. The name has probable origins among the Babylonians and Sumerians, for whom alpha Aql was \"the Eagle Star\"."},{"name":"Altais","hr":7310,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from a misreading of the script for the Arabic constellation name al-tinnin, \"the Serpent,\" as it appeared incorrectly in a late Arabic star catalog, as part of the name for delta Dra. (The incorrect word, al-tais, is a real word in Arabic meaning \"the He-goat,\" however it was never used by the pre-Islamic Arabians in stellar nomenclature. Furthermore, in the same Arabic source, in the name of epsilon Dra [formed parallel to that of delta Dra], the word was correctly written al-tinnin.)"},{"name":"Alterf","hr":3773,"adopted":"2017-02-01","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the pre-Islamic Arabian lunar mansion name al-tarf, \"the Glance,\" for kappa Cnc and lambda Leo, associated with the pre-Islamic Arabian asterism al-asad, as if being located on that lion's eyes."},{"name":"Aludra","hr":2827,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the alternative Arabic asterism name al-(udhra, \"the Virginity\", and (udhrat aljauza), \"the Virginity [?] of al-jauza)\", for epsilon, delta, eta and omicron2 CMa. The name (udhrat al-jauza), by tying it with the nearly Arabic asterism al-jauza) (today's Orion), may have been an attempt to apply significance to the enigmatic and perhaps older name al-(udhra."},{"name":"Alula Australis","hr":4375,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from their pre-Islamic Arabian name al-qafza al-ula, \"the First Leap\", and the Latin distinctions of \"northern\" and \"southern,\" respectively."},{"name":"Alula Borealis","hr":4377,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from their pre-Islamic Arabian name al-qafza al-ula, \"the First Leap\", and the Latin distinctions of \"northern\" and \"southern,\" respectively."},{"name":"Alwasl","hr":6960,"adopted":"2026-08-13","language":"Arabic","origin":"al-Wasl, “the Joint\" or \"Connection” is an Arabic name for the sky region between \"al-Na ām al-Wārid”, the incoming ostriches and \"al-Na ām alSādir”, the outgoing ostriches."},{"name":"Alya","hr":7141,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"From the Arabic word alya, naming the fatty tail of a breed of Eastern sheep. In Early Modern times this word was erroneously proposed as the origin of Alioth, a Medieval Latin name for epsilon UMa. The erroneous \"Alya\" was applied as a star name to theta Ser in recent times."},{"name":"Alzirr","hr":2484,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"Arabic, al-zirr, \"the button\". Allen (1899) attributes the name to Al Birūnī and it certainly does not have Greek roots as it is located at the foot of the eastern Twin."},{"name":"Ancha","hr":8499,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Latin","origin":"A Latin word meaning \"hip\", used in the Medieval Latin Almagest in describing sigma and iota/38 Aqr in the right and left hips, respectively (following an error, for Ptolemy had these stars in \"the buttocks\"). The word was applied as a star name to theta Aqr (correctly in Ptolemy's \"right socket of the hip\") in recent times."},{"name":"Angetenar","hr":850,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"derived from the Arabic Al Hināyat an-Nahr, 'the Bend in the River', based on Arabic Almagest translations"},{"name":"Ankaa","hr":99,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the modern Arabic constellation name al-'anqa' (a fabulous bird) for Phoenix."},{"name":"Anser","hr":7405,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Latin","origin":"Johannes & Elisabetha Hevelius created “Vulpecula cum Ansere” (the Little Fox with the Goose) out of unformed stars in the space between Cygnus and Aquila. The constellation first appeared in Firmamentum Sobiescianum sive Uranographia (1687) and the accompanying introductory text, Prodromus astronomiae (1690). To emphasize that it was his own creation, Hevelius dedicated Figure L to the pair, shown as a detail in Fig. 3.1. In atlases published before Hevelius, its stars are shown simply marking the flow of the Milky Way through the area. Ian Ridpath (1989) noted that “Hevelius placed the fox near two other hunting animals, the eagle (the constellation Aquila) and the vulture (which was an alternative identification for Lyra). He explained that the fox was taking the goose to neighbouring Cerberus, another of his inventions.”unnamed before."},{"name":"Antares","hr":6134,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Greek","origin":"From its ancient Greek name, \"like Ares\", likening the red colour of this star to its planetary namesake (the Roman Mars), name occurs in the Almagest. Possibly the Greek name goes back to a Sumerian precursor AN.TA.GUB (as suggested by Horowitz)."},{"name":"Antinous","hr":7710,"adopted":"2024-06-06","language":"Greco-Roman","origin":"A \"sub\"-constellation (or asterism) Antinous was created by Ptolemy of Alexandria and published in the Almagest star catalogue 137 CE. It is placed in the constellation of Aquila, The Eagle."},{"name":"Apamvatsa","hr":5095,"adopted":"2025-10-16","language":"Sanskrit","origin":"Apāmvatsa, \"calf of the waters\" (or: \"the smaller one\"), is an Indian star name attested throughout the last millennium. The only indication of the position is Apamvatsa is 5° to the north of Citrā (Spica) in Virgo, attested in several historical documents."},{"name":"Apdu","hr":664,"adopted":"2025-11-13","language":"Egyptian","origin":"Apd(w), pd, The Bird, is an ancient Egyptian constellation from the second millennium BCE; the language is moribunt. There are at least 21 spelling variants throughout the millennia in hierglyphs, and it is probably not any specific bird; might be a goose or falcon or something else. Four star names within the constellation are attested in Ramesside Star Clocks and identified with the area between alpha, beta Per and all of Triangulum. WGSN adopts the name of the constellation for any unspecific spot within its area to preserve an old Egyptian cultural name."},{"name":"Arcturus","hr":5340,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Greek","origin":"From its ancient Greek name, \"the Guard, or Guardian\". Reapplied in Early Modern times. As the Greek word, \"bear,\" also came to mean \"north,\" the meaning can ambiguously be \"Guardian of the North\" and \"Guardian of the Bear\", referring to the nearby constellation Ursa Major."},{"name":"Arin-majlep","hr":7176,"adopted":"2026-06-18","language":"Marshallese","origin":"Arin-majlep, the \"replica of the Big Eye\", with the Big Eye referring to Altair, is the name of a small asterism of three stars in a row: epsilon, zeta, and omega Aql. WGSN named epsilon Aql after it."},{"name":"Arkab Posterior","hr":7343,"adopted":"2016-10-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of its name for the Arabic Almagest period 'urqub al-rami, \"the Archer's Achilles Tendon.\""},{"name":"Arkab Prior","hr":7337,"adopted":"2016-10-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of its name for the Arabic Almagest period 'urqub al-rami, \"the Archer's Achilles Tendon.\""},{"name":"Arneb","hr":1865,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the Arabic constellation name al-arnab \"the Hare\", for Lepus."},{"name":"Ascella","hr":7194,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Latin","origin":"ascella (\"armpit\"). Although it appeared in the 1515 Almagest, the name does not appear to have come into common usage until the 20th century after appearing as Ascella in Richard Hinckley Allen's \"Star Names Their Lore and Meaning\" (1899)."},{"name":"Asellus Australis","hr":3461,"adopted":"2016-11-06","language":"Latin","origin":"From their joint Roman name the Aselli (and also Asini), \"the Asses\" of \"Donkeys\", being a translation of these stars' Greek name. Reapplied in Early Modern times, along with the Latin distinctions of \"northern\" and \"southern\"."},{"name":"Asellus Borealis","hr":3449,"adopted":"2016-11-06","language":"Latin","origin":"From their joint Roman name the Aselli (and also Asini), \"the Asses\" of \"Donkeys\", being a translation of these stars' Greek name. Reapplied in Early Modern times, along with the Latin distinctions of \"northern\" and \"southern\"."},{"name":"Ashlesha","hr":3482,"adopted":"2018-06-01","language":"Sanskrit","origin":"Āślesā is the Sanskrit name for an asterism in Hydra. It is considered one of the traditional Naksatras (lunar stations)."},{"name":"Aspidiske","hr":3699,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Greek","origin":"Applied in recent times from the Greek word π, \"little shield\", used by Ptolemy in the Almagest in describing several stars in his constellation Argo, that were fixed to the ship for protection and decoration. Ptolemy's shields were in today's Puppis and Vela, but their identification was confused when Argo was divided into the modern Carina, Puppis, and Vela."},{"name":"Asterope","hr":1151,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Greek","origin":"These names were individually applied in Early Modern times from a family of characters in Greek mythology: Atlas, Pleione and their seven daughters, the Pleiades."},{"name":"Asuusiha","hr":6092,"adopted":"2026-05-14","language":"Manchu","origin":"Asu Usiha (Manchu:, Net Stars), a Manchu shamanic constellation. It represents a hunting net to capture sables."},{"name":"Athebyne","hr":6132,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"The transliteration Athebyne is one of several renderings of the Arabic asterism name al-dhi bayn, \"the (two) wolves\" (zeta and eta Draconis) aiming at the Camel's Foal (group of northern asterisms)."},{"name":"Atik","hr":1131,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times (also to zeta Per), from an abbreviation of the pre-Islamic Arabian name 'atiq al-thurayya, \"the Collarbone of the Pleiades,\" for omicron and zeta Per, after their location in the pre-Islamic Arabian asterism here"},{"name":"Atlas","hr":1178,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Greek","origin":"These names were individually applied in Early Modern times from a family of characters in Greek mythology: Atlas, Pleione and their seven daughters, the Pleiades."},{"name":"Atria","hr":6217,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Latin","origin":"Contraction of Bayer designation A(lpha) Tri(anguli) A(ustralis). The name is listed as \"Alpha Tri. Aust.\" in 1951 American Nautical Almanac, but listed as \"Atria\" in 1952 version and subsequent versions."},{"name":"Aurwandilsta","hr":5971,"adopted":"2026-05-14","language":"Norse","origin":"Aurvandils tá, Aurvandill's Toe, is a Norse constellation from Iceland, documented in Snorri's Edda from the 13th century CE."},{"name":"Avior","hr":3307,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"English","origin":"Invented for The Air Almanac of the HM Nautical Almanac Office"},{"name":"Azelfafage","hr":8301,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"From the Arabic constellation name al-sulahfat, \"the Tortoise,\" for Lyra (corresponding to the Greek image of a tortoise shell for the Lyre's soundboard). Transliterated as Azelfage, a Medieval Latin translator erroneously attributed this constellation name to Cygnus. Then in Early Modern times, the corruption \"Azelfafage\" was applied as a star name to pi1 Cyg."},{"name":"Azha","hr":874,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of the pre-Islamic Arabian asterism name udhi al-na'am, \"the Ostrich's Nest,\" for zeta, rho2,3, eta and tau1 Eri, and epsilon and pi Cet."},{"name":"Azmidi","hr":3045,"adopted":"2018-06-01","language":"Greek","origin":"The name is an abbreviated misspelling of a Greek term. In the Almagest, the third star in Argo is called \"The northernmost of the 2 stars close together over the little shield in the poop.\" The 'little shield' in Greek is π (Aspidiske), sometimes misspelled Azmidi(ske), and the asterism may or may not consist of stars, while the Almagest lists xi and omicron Pup \"above\" it. According to Allen (1899) The Century Atlas (1897) by Benjamin E. Smith registers iota Arg (now Car) with the name \"Aspidiske\"."},{"name":"Bade","hr":1702,"adopted":"2026-03-22","language":"Balinese","origin":"Bade, the Funeral Tower, is an Oceanic constellation name from Bali (Indonesia)."},{"name":"Bagu","hr":2077,"adopted":"2025-11-13","language":"Chinese","origin":"Bā Gu (Eight Kinds of Crops) is a Chinese constellation consisting of eight stars located within the constellations Lynx, Auriga, and Camelopardalis. It refers to land management officials in charge of rice, millet, barley, wheat, soybean, bean, chestnut, and hemp. It belongs to the asterisms introduced by Gan De and originated during the Han dynasty (roughly 2000 years ago)."},{"name":"Baijiu","hr":8305,"adopted":"2026-09-17","language":"Chinese","origin":"Bài Jiù (Broken Mortar) is a Chinese asterism of four stars that represents damaged implement for processing staple food."},{"name":"Bake-eo","hr":6629,"adopted":"2024-08-20","language":"Marshallese","origin":"A Marshallese star name for gamma Oph. Pronounced \"bakey-yew\". Both spellings, \"Bake-eo\" and \"Bake Eo\" are accepted. The particle \"Eo\" simply means \"here it is, take it\", Bake is the spondylus mussel."},{"name":"Baltesha","hr":5849,"adopted":"2026-05-14","language":"Sumerian","origin":"(MUL.)BAL.TEŠ2.A, the Asterism of Dignity, is an ancient Sumerian constellation in CrB."},{"name":"Baten Kaitos","hr":539,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from its name for the Arabic Almagest period batn qaitus, \"the Sea Monster's Belly.\""},{"name":"Beemim","hr":1393,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"corrupted","origin":"Spelling variations of this name appeared in medieval sources for star 29 in Eridanus in the Almagest (Upsilon3 Eri), with the Alfonsine Tables (1492, Tabule Astronomice Alfonsi Regis) spelling it as \"Beemim\"."},{"name":"Beid","hr":1298,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the pre-Islamic Arabian name al-baid, \"the Eggs\" for unspecified dim stars around the pre-Islamic Arabian ostrich's nest."},{"name":"Bellatrix","hr":1790,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Latin","origin":"A Latin name meaning \"the Female Warrior\", given to alpha Aur in a medieval astrological text (the reason behind this initial application is not fully understood and awaits further findings in corresponding Arabic texts). In late medieval times, bellatrix was transferred to gamma Ori, perhaps by association with the name Bellator, \"the Male Warrior\", which was used for Orion in other astrological texts."},{"name":"Betelgeuse","hr":2061,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied with varied spellings since medieval times, from its pre-Islamic Arabian name yad al-jauza', \"the Hand of al-jauza'\" (The first medieval transliteration into Latin was bedalgeuze, mistaking the initial Arabic letter as \"b\" instead of \"y.\" In Early Modern times this corruption was erroneously attributed to the assumed Arabic word \"bat\" [properly ibt], for \"the Armpit\" of al-jauza', giving rise to the corruption Betelgeuse\" seen today. Thus by Early Modern times both the \"y\" and \"d\" of the first part of the pre-Islamic Arabian name had become corrupted.) The pre-Islamic Arabian asterism al-jauza' was a feminine figure represented in the stars of what is today Orion. The origin of its name is unclear (as with nearly all of the ancient group of pre-Islamic Arabian names). The root jwz can mean \"middle,\" and the word al-jauza' is structured as a feminine adjective, thus al-jauza' may mean \"the female one, having something about her related to the middle.\" There have been different speculations as to what the \"middle\" reference, if that is what it is, could be (for one example). The pre-Islamic Arabians' al-jauza' corresponded to what in other cultures was Gemini among the zodiacal signs. The Arabics subsequently used the indigenous name for both the Greek Orion and Twins, leading to some confusion in star names between the two constellations. An alternative name for the Arabic Almagest period for Orion was al-jabbar, \"the Giant\" and for Gemini, al-taw'aman, \"the Twins.\""},{"name":"Bharani","hr":838,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Sanskrit","origin":"the Indian term (Sanscrit), The Bearer, designates the 2nd of the 27 nakshatras consisting of the three stars 35, 39 and 41 Ari, among which 41 Ari is the brightest. The modern star name was given to the brightest star of the historical constellation."},{"name":"Bibing","hr":1239,"adopted":"2026-05-17","language":"Chinese","origin":"Bibing, The handle of the Net (Lunar Mansion) in the super-constellation of the White Tiger of the West, attested in ancient China for more than 2000 years."},{"name":"Bie","hr":6951,"adopted":"2026-08-13","language":"Chinese","origin":"Biē (River Turtle) is a traditional Chinese asterism. The huge cultural significance of turtles in China can be traced archaeologically to Late Hongshan culture (3300-3000 BCE)."},{"name":"Biham","hr":8450,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of the pre-Islamic Arabian name sa'd al-biham, for theta and nu Peg. A possible meaning for the name is \"the Lucky (Stars) of the Young Beasts [lambs, kids, and the like],\" but the exact historical connections are unknown."},{"name":"Blaze Star","hr":5958,"adopted":"2025-09-22","language":"English","origin":"\"Blaze Star\" as a nickname for the recurrent nova T CrB has occurred in magazines since 1866. At that time, the physics of novae and supernovae was yet unknown, and the eruption of T CrB in 1866 was actually the first time of a naked-eye transient with spectroscopic evidence for hydrogen in the emission nebula. Recurrent Novae are a rare type of stars; only ten Galactic objects are known. T CrB is the prototype of T CrB-type recurrent novae which are contact binaries composed of a white dwarf orbiting a red giant."},{"name":"Bodu","hr":6730,"adopted":"2025-06-17","language":"Chinese","origin":"Bó Dù (“Textile Ruler”) is a Chinese asterism consisting of two stars, established by the Wuxian tradition during the Han dynasty. WGSN chose to adopt the name according to the Yi Shitong catalog because earlier identifications are highly uncertain."},{"name":"Botein","hr":951,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the pre-Islamic Arabian lunar mansion name al-butain, \"the Little Belly\", for delta, and rho Ari."},{"name":"Brachium","hr":5603,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Graeco-Latin","origin":"For Bayer (1603), this star is gamma Scorpii with no proper name but in the register for the Scorpius-star chart, he lists \"Virgilius brachium\" among other (Greek and Arabic) designations for this star. Allen (1899, 368/9) that Vergil had not meant it as a star name but only as a marker for the \"claws\", so it was never meant as a proper name."},{"name":"Bunda","hr":8264,"adopted":"2018-06-01","language":"Persian","origin":"Bunda is a Persian lunar mansion."},{"name":"Buranun","hr":367,"adopted":"2026-09-17","language":"Sumerian","origin":"The Sumerian name for the river Euphrates. Euphrates has been honoured with two constellations, independently invented in early modern Europe and ancient Mesopotamia. WGSN picked a star in the ancient constellation."},{"name":"Canopus","hr":2326,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Greek","origin":"From its ancient Greek name (Ptolemy's spelling), an untranslated proper name that was introduced rather late into Greek astronomy (perhaps in the 2nd century BCE). There seem to be Egyptian influences in the name's development. Reapplied in Early Modern times."},{"name":"Capella","hr":1708,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Latin","origin":"Its ancient Roman name meaning \"the She-goat\" (but more commonly given, in antiquity, as Capra), after the star's Greek name, \"the Goat\". Reapplied in recent times. The Roman names Capella, Aselli (for gamma/ delta Cnc), and others in the diminutive form (also in Greek), are likely meant to indicate an atypical use of words, as an animal's name given to a star instead of to the animal (rather than meaning \"small\" animals or personages)."},{"name":"Caph","hr":21,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of its pre-Islamic Arabian name al-kaff al-khadib \"the Stained Hand,\" alternatively and more correctly used for all the brighter stars of today's Cassiopeia (probably alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and epsilon). The pre-Islamic Arabian figure here represented a hand with its finger-tips stained reddish-brown in the traditional Eastern way using henna leaves. al-kaff al-khatdib, in turn, was part of the larger pre-Islamic Arabian asterism kaff althurayya al-yumna al-mabsuta, \"the Outstretched Right Hand of the Pleiades.\" The latter extended from today's Taurus through Perseus into Cassiopeia. A second hand (the Pleiades were a \"head\" from which two arms or hands radiated) was al-kaff al-jadhma', \"the Amputated Hand,\" in today's Cetus."},{"name":"Castor","hr":2891,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Greek","origin":"From its ancient Greek name, a character in Greek mythology, the twin of Pollux (beta Gem). Reapplied in Early Modern times."},{"name":"Castula","hr":265,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Latin","origin":"Castula is Latin for a type of woman's tunic. Bayer (1603, Uranometria) attributes the name \"castulum\" to Nonius (Portugese scholar Pedro Nunez, 1502-1578), with the Greek alias for a ribbon."},{"name":"Cebalrai","hr":6603,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from its pre-Islamic Arabian name kalb al-ra'i, \"the Shepherd's Dog\" (in other traditions alpha Her and 28/29 Cep are given the same name). This dog, together with the shepherd (marked by alpha Oph), and the two lines of stars enclosing the Pasture, and all the dim stellar sheep in that portion of the sky (al-ghanam or al-aghnam for the sheep), seem to form a complete group of pre-Islamic Arabian figures."},{"name":"Celaeno","hr":1140,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Greek","origin":"These names were individually applied in Early Modern times from a family of characters in Greek mythology: Atlas, Pleione and their seven daughters, the Pleiades."},{"name":"Cervantes","hr":6585,"adopted":"2015-12-15","language":"Spanish","origin":"Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547-1616) was a famous Spanish writer and author of \"El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha\"."},{"name":"Cexing","hr":130,"adopted":"2025-11-13","language":"Chinese","origin":"Cè (Whip) is an ancient Chinese star name representing the horsewhip, located beside the asterism Wangliang and closely associated with both Wangliang and Tiansi. It belongs to the Gān school. \"Xing\" means star. The ancients sometimes also call it Cexing (whip star) or Tiance (celestial whip). In modern and postmodern literature in English, the name is occasionally used for gamma Cas but this is a late shift, only attested from the 18th century onwards when the Chinese uranography was reworked under Jesuit influence. WGSN corrects the adoption to the Indigenous version."},{"name":"Chalawan","hr":4277,"adopted":"2015-12-15","language":"Thai","origin":"Chalawan is a mythological crocodile king from a Thai folktale."},{"name":"Chamukuy","hr":1412,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Yucatec","origin":"The Yucatec Maya identify Theta Tauri as chamukuy, the name of a small bird."},{"name":"Chara","hr":4785,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Greek","origin":"Applied in Early Modern times from the Greek word, \"joy\", that was used by Hevelius in 1690 to name the southern dog (marked by alpha and beta CVn) in his new constellation Canes Vanatici."},{"name":"Chertan","hr":4359,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from one spelling of the pre-Islamic Arabian lunar mansion name al-khurtan, \"the Two Small Ribs (at or near the breast),\" for delta and theta Leo. The more common and apparently correct spelling of the lunar mansion name is al-kharatan, of unknown meaning."},{"name":"Citalá","hr":2622,"adopted":"2019-12-17","ascii":"Citala","language":"Nawat language","origin":"Citalá means River of stars in the native Nahuat language."},{"name":"Copernicus","hr":3522,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Latin","origin":"Nicolaus Copernicus or Mikolaj Kopernik (1473-1543) was a Polish astronomer who proposed the heliocentric model of the solar system in his book \"De revolutionibus orbium coelestium\"."},{"name":"Cor Caroli","hr":4915,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Latin","origin":"The name first appeared in 1673 on the northern half of a pair of celestial hemispheres that accompanied a book called Astroscopium by the English cartographer Francis Lamb. He labelled the star Cor Caroli Regis Martyris, a reference to the fact that King Charles I was beheaded, or ‘martyred’, as Lamb loyally put it (Charles had declared himself ‘martyr of the people’ at his execution)."},{"name":"Cujam","hr":6117,"adopted":"2017-02-01","language":"Latin","origin":"From the Latin word caiam, \"club\" (in the accusative case, nominative case \"caia\"), see Kunitzsch and Smart (2006). The Greek term for \"club\" is already a star name in Eratosthenes (Pamias and Zucker 2013)."},{"name":"Cursa","hr":1666,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of the pre-Islamic Arabian asterism name kursiy al-jauza' al-muqaddam, \"the Foremost footstool of aljauza' [today's Orion],\" for lambda, beta and psi Eri, and tau Ori."},{"name":"Custos","hr":1155,"adopted":"2025-12-25","language":"Latin","origin":"Custos Messium, the Harvest Keeper, was a constellation invented in Early Modern Time by the French astronomer Joseph Jérôme de Lalande (1732–1807) who might have punned with the name of his compatriot Charles Messier. Some European astronomers copied and translated it, though. The constellation became obsolete in the depolitisation of the IAU-sky and WGSN only resembles the Keeper, Custos."},{"name":"Dabih","hr":7776,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the pre-Islamic Arabian lunar mansion name sa'd aldhabih, for alpha and beta Cap. Possible meanings for the name are \"the Lucky (Stars) of the Slaughterer,\" or, \"Sa'd, the Slaughtering One\" (this last using Sa'd as an unspecified proper name). However the exact historical connections are unknown."},{"name":"Dajiangjunbei","hr":496,"adopted":"2025-08-25","language":"Chinese","origin":", “Celestial Grand General” is an important constellation in ancient China. As the determinative star was already named, WGSN named the northernmost star \"The Northern one of The Great General\" (Dajiangjunbei)."},{"name":"Dalim","hr":963,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"The name was introduced for the star by Piazzi (1814) originating from the Indigenous Arabian asterism al-zalīm, The Ostrich, seen in various stars (e.g. Fomalhaut, theta Eridani)"},{"name":"Darlugal","hr":1998,"adopted":"2026-03-22","language":"Sumerian","origin":"Derived from Sumerian DAR.LUGAL, The Rooster, an animal first domesticated in China and India, and archaeologically attested in West Asia only since the 2nd millennium BCE for cockfights."},{"name":"Deltoton","hr":660,"adopted":"2025-06-17","language":"Greek","origin":"Deltoton (Δ; the letter Delta: delta) is an ancient Greek name variant for the constellation triangulum, probably the original one as \"Delta\" is the first letter in the ancient Greek term for \"dios\", the highest god who possesses and rules the stars. In early uranographies, this triangle was considered a sign of the divinity of the starry sky, a divine inscription \"written in the stars\"."},{"name":"Deneb","hr":7924,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"\"Tail\" in Arabic"},{"name":"Deneb Algedi","hr":8322,"adopted":"2017-02-01","language":"Arabic","origin":"\"Tail of the Goat\" in Arabic"},{"name":"Denebola","hr":4534,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied with various spellings since medieval times, from its name for the Arabic Almagest period dhanab al-asad, \"the Lion's Tail.\""},{"name":"Dhanishta","hr":7947,"adopted":"2026-07-16","language":"Sanskrit","origin":"one of the Nakshatras, a constellation, depicted as an (unnumbered) multitude of stars"},{"name":"Dhanuśarāgra","hr":6742,"adopted":"2026-08-13","ascii":"Dhanusaragra","language":"Sanskrit","origin":"Dhanuśarāgra, The Arrow, is an Indian star name found on astrolabes since the 14th century CE for a star in (Greek) Sagittarius."},{"name":"Diadem","hr":4968,"adopted":"2017-02-01","language":"Contemporary"},{"name":"Diphda","hr":188,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of its pre-Islamic Arabian name al-difdi' al-thani, \"the Second Frog\" (a PsA was the pre-Islamic Arabians' \"First Frog,\" al-difdi' al-awwal)."},{"name":"Dschubba","hr":5953,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of the name for the Arabic Almagest period jabhat al-'aqrab, \"the Scorpion's Forehead,\" for beta, delta, and pi Sco."},{"name":"Dubhe","hr":4301,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in medieval times from the Arabic constellation name al-dubb, \"the Bear,\" for Ursa Major. The spelling in the oldest sources was edubh (corresponding to the Arabic noun with the article al prefixed as e). Afterwards, by corruption, the initial e was transferred to the end of the word: dubhe."},{"name":"Dziban","hr":6636,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"Dsiban, from Al Dhibain (the Arabs' title for zeta and eta), has been given by some to this pair [psi1, psi2 Dra]."},{"name":"Edasich","hr":5744,"adopted":"2015-12-15","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from its pre-Islamic Arabian name al-dhikh, \"the Male Hyena.\""},{"name":"Electra","hr":1142,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Greek","origin":"These names were individually applied in Early Modern times from a family of characters in Greek mythology: Atlas, Pleione and their seven daughters, the Pleiades."},{"name":"Elgafar","hr":5409,"adopted":"2018-06-01","language":"Arabic","origin":"This name is a rare transliteration of Arabic al-ghafr (or \"El-ġafr\"), The Cover. This transliteration was used by Ideler (1809) but is uncommon today except in the Arabic Maghreb (northwest Africa). It is the name of the 15th lunar station (5 Oct)."},{"name":"Elkurud","hr":2177,"adopted":"2018-06-01","language":"Arabic","origin":"Early Arab poets referred to a number of anonymous stars as al-furūd, \"the solitary ones\". Besides this known name, Allen (1899) suggested that al-furūd might have been an old transcriber's error for al-qurūd \"the apes\", which he rendered \"Al Kurūd\". Although this idea did not receive scholarly support, WGSN used the rare transliteration Elkurud for this star, as \"Furud\" was already chosen for zeta CMa."},{"name":"Elnath","hr":1791,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"From the pre-Islamic Arabian name al-nath, \"the Butting (with the horns),\" an alternative name for the 1st lunar mansion al-sharatān consisting of beta and gamma Ari (see beta Ari). Some late Arabic authors also applied al-nath as a star name to alpha Ari. In recent times the name, as “Nath,” was wrongly transferred to beta Tau, and subsequently it was completed to “Elnath” (adding the Arabic definite article)."},{"name":"Eltanin","hr":6705,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in Early Modern times from the Arabic constellation name al-tinnīn, “the serpent”, for Draco."},{"name":"Enduri Senggu","hr":8130,"adopted":"2026-07-16","language":"Manchu","origin":"Name of the Hedgehog Goddess. She is the guardian of human dwellings and in the sky points head northwards, tail southwards in winter."},{"name":"Enif","hr":8308,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in medieval times, evidently from the Arabic word anf, \"nose\" (Ptolemy had described this star on the horse's \"muzzle\"). However, Arabic sources do not mention anf for epsilon Peg, only other terms, hence the ultimate origin of \"Enif\" remains uncertain."},{"name":"Errai","hr":8974,"adopted":"2015-12-15","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from its pre-Islamic Arabian name al-ra'i, \"the Shepherd\". This shepherd, with the sheep he attended (al-aghnam, marked by the various dim stars nearby), and the shepherd's dog (kalb al-ra'i,marked by 28/29 [rho] Cep), seem to form a complete group of pre-Islamic Arabian figures."},{"name":"Fafnir","hr":6945,"adopted":"2015-12-15","language":"Old Norse","origin":"Fafnir was a Norse mythological dwarf who turned into a dragon."},{"name":"Fang","hr":5944,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Chinese","origin":"determinitive star of lunar mansion Fang (The Room) whose naming constellation constists of 4 stars according to sources back to the 3rd millennium BCE."},{"name":"Fawaris","hr":7528,"adopted":"2018-06-01","language":"Arabic","origin":"al-Fawāris, \"the Riders\" is an in indigenous Arabic asterism consisting of at least four stars. WGSN applied the name of the group to one of its members that now preserves (pars pro toto) the Indigenous heritage."},{"name":"Felis","hr":3923,"adopted":"2018-06-01","language":"Latin","origin":"Felis (The Cat) is the name of a constellation invented by Lalande. The name is applied to one star in the area that the constellation covered."},{"name":"Fenmu","hr":8597,"adopted":"2026-09-17","language":"Chinese","origin":"Fén Mù (Tomb) is an ancient Chinese constellation. The cluster of constellations with that topic can be understood as a celestial projection of funeral rituals."},{"name":"Fomalhaut","hr":8728,"adopted":"2015-12-15","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied with various spellings since medieval times, from an abbreviation of its name for the Arabic Almagest period fam al-but al-janubi, \"the Mouth of the Southern Fish.\""},{"name":"Formosa","hr":4459,"adopted":"2019-12-17","language":"Portuguese","origin":"Formosa is the historical name of Taiwan used in the 17th century, meaning beautiful in Latin."},{"name":"Fulu","hr":153,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Chinese","origin":"traditional Chinese single star asterism: an auxiliary road to Gedao; also represents the chief assistant to maintain roads. Gedao (the flying corridor) is a long chain of stars next to the Purple Palace enclosure constellation. Paradoxically, the auxiliary road is considered a single star asterism as attested in several historical star charts (e.g. the famous Suzhou map). Sun and Kistemaker (1997) who studied sources from the Han dynasty (around the year \"0\" plusminus 200 years) identify zeta Cas with this single star. Another researcher, Sun Shuwei, who dealt with the Xinyixiangfayao Star Map from Su Song (1020-1101 CE) identifies delta Cas. Both is plausible."},{"name":"Fumalsamakah","hr":8773,"adopted":"2018-06-01","language":"Arabic","origin":"Arabic fum al-samakah means \"mouth of the fish\". The name was considered traditional by the IAU in 2016, although it does not appear in Kunitzsch and Smart (2006) and not in Allen (1899)."},{"name":"Furud","hr":2282,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Ultimately from the Arabic word al-furud, \"the solitary ones\", used in an Arabic poet's allusion to anonymous \"solitary stars\" around some star hadari. The word was not intended as a name for specific stars as some later Arabic authors supposed. The attempted identity of the \"al-furud\" stars, like their companion hadari, was variously attributed to stars in today's Centaurus and Columba. The latter stars were included under Canis Maior in the Almagest, leading, in recent times, to the confused assignment of the erroneous \"Furud\"."},{"name":"Fuyue","hr":6630,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Chinese","origin":"traditional Chinese single star asterism: a legendary wise minister of the Yin or Shang dynasty, 18th century BCE. According to Rufus and Tien (1945), sometimes called the invocator (regarding faults). Sun and Kistemaker (1997) quote Sima Qian that Fu Yue was a chancellor of Emperor Wu Ding of the Yin dynasty but they admit that the could also represent a shaman in the royal harem helping to produce sons. The ancient star name is typically identified with the bright star G Sco."},{"name":"Gacrux","hr":4763,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Contemporary","origin":"Contraction of Gamma and Crux, appearing in the 1940s."},{"name":"Gaja","hr":1497,"adopted":"2026-02-22","language":"Sanskrit","origin":"The term \"gaja\" in Sanskrit means \"elephant\". Yet, the constellation \"Gaja(h)\" is not known in India but only in Indonesia. There it is attested in the cultural calendar called Palelintangan where it is found in the intersection between Sunday and the second day of a five-day cycle."},{"name":"Gang","hr":580,"adopted":"2025-12-25","language":"Chinese","origin":"Gàng (“Shaft”) forms part of the ancient Chinese asterism of Huá Gài (Canopy of the Emperor). Allen (1899) mentions the term as a star name in Cam but WGSN places it in a correcter position."},{"name":"Garnet Star","hr":8316,"adopted":"2024-09-19","language":"English","origin":"Piazzi (1803) named the star Garnet Sidus due to a description by W. Herschel (1773) as \"deep garnet red\"; the English name is well-established in recent literature and textbooks."},{"name":"Genghe","hr":5447,"adopted":"2026-04-15","language":"Chinese","origin":"Gěnghé (Celestial Lance) is a Chinese constellation of 3 stars. WGSN named the second star in the line."},{"name":"Giausar","hr":4434,"adopted":"2017-02-01","language":"Persian","origin":"From the Persian word jauzahr, a technical term designating the nodes of the moon's or any planet's orbit. Erroneously applied as a star name to lambda Dra in recent times."},{"name":"Gienah","hr":4662,"adopted":"2016-11-06","language":"Arabic","origin":"A name transferred from gamma Crv in recent times, where the Arabic word janab means \"wing\" (in the Almagest, both epsilon Cyg and gamma Crv lie on the wings of their respective constellations)"},{"name":"Ginan","hr":4700,"adopted":"2017-11-17","language":"Aboriginal/ Wardaman","origin":"Ginan is the Wardaman name of epsilon Cru, from the Northern Territory, Australia. Ginan was found by Mulugurnden (the crayfish), who brought the red flying foxes from the underworld to the sky. The bats flew up the track of the Milky Way and traded the spiritual song with Guyaru, the Night Owl (Sirius). The bats fly through the constellation Scorpius on their way to the Southern Cross, trading songs as they go. The song informs the people about initiation, which is managed by the stars in Scorpius and related to Larawag (who ensures the appropriate personnel are present for the final stages of the ceremony). The colour of the star is reflected as the brownish-red colour of the dilly bag and its association with ceremonial fire."},{"name":"Gomeisa","hr":2845,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"From the pre-Islamic Arabian surname al-ghumaisa', \"the Little Bleary-eyed One ('with a filthy fluid in the corner of the eye'),\" for alpha CMi. Wrongly transferred to beta CMi in recent times. The original significance of the surname is unknown. Perhaps as an attempt to explain the significance of al-ghumaisa', as well as that of the surname al-<abur, \"the One Having Crossed Over [a river, etc.],\" for alpha CMa, an Arabic fable developed associating these and other equally enigmatic star names. According to one version of the fable, al-ghumaisa and ai-'abur were sisters, and their brother was suhail (alpha Car). Suhail, in turn, was the suitor of al-jauza' (the feminine pre-Islamic Arabian figure in place of Orion). In coitus, suhail broke the spine of al-jauza', thus killing her, after which suhail fled south. He was followed by his sister al-'abur who \"crossed over\" the Milky Way (where the two stars now lie in the southern sky). Meanwhile suhail's second sister, al-ghumaisa, was left alone north of the Milky Way, weeping, until her \"eyes became bleary.\" (The pre-Islamic Arabian name for alpha CMa was al-shi'ra, of unknown meaning. Apparently it was developed into a dualis form, al-shi'rayan, to accomodate both alpha CMa and alpha CMi, with the aforementioned \"surnames\" distinguishing the two.)"},{"name":"Gouguo","hr":7650,"adopted":"2026-08-13","language":"Chinese","origin":"Gou Guó (Territory of Dog), is a traditional Chinese asterism that corresponds to the non-Han peoples of northern and northeastern China."},{"name":"Grumium","hr":6688,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Latin","origin":"A Late Latin word (its correct spelling should be grunnum) meaning \"snout\" or \"muzzle (especially of a pig)\", used in the Medieval Latin Almagest in describing this star. The word was applied as a star name in recent times."},{"name":"Guansuo","hr":5778,"adopted":"2026-05-14","language":"Chinese","origin":"Guàn Suo (Coiled Thong), a Chinese constellation of 9 stars in CrB. It resembles a string threaded through a series of copper coins, attested since ancient times."},{"name":"Gudja","hr":5879,"adopted":"2018-08-10","language":"Aboriginal/ Wardaman","origin":"Gudja is the Wardaman name of kappa Ser, from the Northern Territory, Australia. Gudja is a Water Goanna, related to birth and rebirth. It is part of the bright trio of stars in Serpens Caput, which also include Munin the Rock Cod (gamma Ser) and the Mungamungga birthing place (beta Ser), likened to a little hospital. Gudja is involved with the birthing process, which includes sacred ritual practices. The Spiritual Women at the birthing and blessing site in Serpens Caput are connected to the sacred areas of Crux and enacted at Munin Rock and Yinggalarri."},{"name":"Gumala","hr":7291,"adopted":"2019-12-17","language":"Malay","origin":"Gumala is a Malay word, which means a magic bezoar stone found in snakes, dragons, etc."},{"name":"Guniibuu","hr":6402,"adopted":"2018-08-10","language":"Aboriginal/ Kamilaroi/ Euahlayi","origin":"Guniibuu is the Kamilaroi/Euahlayi name for the robin red-breast bird (Petroica boodang). A traditional story links Guniibuu with Gidjirrigaa (Budgerigar) the star kappa Sco."},{"name":"Guqi","hr":7377,"adopted":"2026-06-18","language":"Chinese","origin":"Gu Qí (Drum Flag) is a Chinese asterism consisting of nine stars that originated no later than about 100 BCE. It forms a super-constellation with Hé Gu (River-Drum) and Zuo Qí (Left Flag), as drums and flags were used to transmit signals."},{"name":"Hadar","hr":5267,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"From some pre-Islamic Arabian name hadari (an untranslated proper name), for one of a pair of stars, the other one being al-wazn. Sci-A authors ventured to identify these stars as alpha/beta Cen or alpha/beta Col, but exactly what two stars were originally intended, and the significance of their names, is unknown. \"Hadar\" was arbitrarily applied to beta Cen in recent times."},{"name":"Haedus","hr":1641,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Latin","origin":"The Almagest star catalogue gives for n Aur: π π beta vμ v omicron π μ (The rearmost of the two stars on the left wrist, which are called 'Haedi'). The Latin term \"Haedi\" is a translation of Greek v and plural of \"Haedus\" meaning \"young goat(s)\"."},{"name":"Hamal","hr":617,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the Arabic constellation name, al-hamal, \"the Lamb\", for Aries. al-hamal seems to belong to those zodiacal constellation names already known in Arabic times."},{"name":"Hassaleh","hr":1577,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"hasa means in Arabic - handsome or good or benefactor, hassa (with doubled s) is from the same Arabic root, has long vowel (second a) and its meaning is \"doer of good\" or \"benefactor\", the end of name \"-eh\" (or \"-ah\") could mean femininum. Name from the \"Atlas Coeli Skalnaté Pleso\" of Czech astronomer Antonín Bečvář (1901-1965)."},{"name":"Hatysa","hr":1899,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"unknown","origin":"Name of unknown etymology from the \"Atlas Coeli Skalnaté Pleso\" of Czech astronomer Antonín Bečvář (1901-1965)."},{"name":"Helvetios","hr":8729,"adopted":"2015-12-15","language":"Latin","origin":"Helvetios is the Latin for \"the Helvetian\" and refers to the Celtic tribe that lived in Switzerland during the Middle Ages."},{"name":"Heng","hr":5190,"adopted":"2025-03-16","language":"Chinese","origin":"Heng is an old Chinese name of a constellation within the super-constellation of Kulou, The Arsenal. The translation is not certain; probably a measuring device."},{"name":"Heryibwia","hr":6832,"adopted":"2026-08-13","language":"Egyptian","origin":"Wia, The Boat, is a large ancient Egyptian constellation in Sco & Sgr; “Heryib Wia”, The Middle of the Boat, is a star mentioned in the diagonal star clocks, c. 2300 BCE."},{"name":"Heze","hr":5107,"adopted":"2018-06-01","language":"Greco-Hebrew","origin":"Name of unknown etymology from the \"Atlas Coeli Skalnaté Pleso\" of Czech astronomer Antonín Bečvář (1901-1965). It could refer to God, possibly derived from Ezechiel (one of four prophets from Old Testament). Transcription to the Greek language adds \"H\" to EZE."},{"name":"Hoerikwaggo","hr":2261,"adopted":"2024-12-12","language":"San / Khoekhoe","origin":"the name of the constellation originally was Mons Mensae (Table Mountain) and not only \"table\"; this mountain had been called Sea-Mountain by Indigenous ethnics, in the Saan/ Khoe language spelled Huri oaxa, simplified in Africaans Hoerikwaggo."},{"name":"Homam","hr":8634,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of the pre-Islamic Arabian name sa'd al-humam, for zeta and xi Peg. A possible meaning for the name is \"the Lucky (Stars) of the Hero,\" but the exact historical connections are unknown."},{"name":"Honores","hr":8830,"adopted":"2025-05-14","language":"Latin","origin":"The Latin term \"Honores\" means honour. A constellation introduced by Bode (1801). He had given a paper in 1790 that this was a joined decision by many European astronomers as a memorial to an extraordinarily generous patron of scientific research and benevolent, peaceful ruler. WGSN considers this message worth to convay even without the dedication to a specific person; we named a star in the feather \"Honores\" as there is a German proverb \"Die Feder ist mächtiger als das Schwert\" (the feather is mightier than the sword)."},{"name":"Hru","hr":7474,"adopted":"2026-06-18","language":"Sanskrit","origin":"Hru or Ru means Arrow. The term derives from Sanskrit, but is used as a constellation on the Island of Bali for at least 1300 years."},{"name":"Huagai","hr":707,"adopted":"2025-12-25","language":"Chinese","origin":"Huá Gài (Canopy of the Emperor) is a Chinese asterism consisting of sixteen stars, divided into two parts: seven stars forming the Huá Gài (“Canopy”) proper and nine forming the Gàng (“Shaft”). The asterism originated within the Gan school during the Han dynasty, around the first century BCE."},{"name":"Hydor","hr":9098,"adopted":"2025-08-25","language":"Greek","origin":"The IAU-name \"Hydor\" resembles the original application of this name as a constellation in a vast area of faint stars in antiquity. It fits nicely the Indigenous Arabian constellation of \"Safina\", Ship. Note that the name \"Hydor\" was misapplied to a star in Aqr in the recent time. WGSN corrects this mistake. The Greek term \"Hydor\", Water, originally referred to a huge constellation, depicted around Cetus on ancient globes and described south of Aquarius in Aratus's poem of the 4th century BCE."},{"name":"Idigna","hr":463,"adopted":"2026-09-17","language":"Sumerian","origin":"The Sumerian term for the Tigris river. Tigris has been honoured with two constellations, independently invented in early modern Europe and ancient Mesopotamia. WGSN picked a star in the ancient constellation."},{"name":"Iklil","hr":5928,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"the name derives from the Arabic lunar mansion \"Iklil\" (Arabic), \"The ornamented headband\" (or: diadem) composed of the 3 stars beta1, delta and pi Sco; here misapplied to rho Sco."},{"name":"Imai","hr":4656,"adopted":"2018-08-10","language":"African/ Mursi","origin":"The Mursi name a line of four stars imai (delta Cru), thaadoi (beta Cru), waar (beta Cen) and sholbi (alpha Cen). Their successive disappearance (heliacal setting) are used to determine when the River Omo will flood (it does this several times) and hence to determine when to plant the annual crop of cowpeas beside it (after the last flood but before the ground dries out). Imai is the Mursi name for the grass that grows along the banks of the river (Rhynchelytrum repens). It is said that when the imai star disappears, the Omo rises high enough to flatten the imai grass."},{"name":"Intercrus","hr":3743,"adopted":"2015-12-15","language":"Latin","origin":"Intercrus means \"between the legs\" in Latin style, referring to the star's position in the constellation Ursa Major."},{"name":"Izar","hr":5506,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the Arabic word izwar, \"girdle\" or \"loin cloth\", being a later version of the original term al-mi)zar used in the Arabic Almagest in describing this star."},{"name":"Jabbah","hr":6027,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"the name was considered popular by WGSN as mentioned in Allen (1899): \"in the Century Cyclopaedia, perhaps from its being one of the mansil Iklil al Jabbah.\""},{"name":"Jian","hr":7150,"adopted":"2026-08-13","language":"Chinese","origin":"Jiàn (Erect) means “to set up” or “to erect,” as in raising a wooden pole or a flagstaff. It is an ancient Chinese constellation, attested since the 4th century BCE."},{"name":"Jiantai","hr":7139,"adopted":"2026-06-18","language":"Chinese","origin":"Jiàn Tái (Clepsydra Terrace) is a Chinese constellation of 4 stars, a symbol of astronomical timekeeping and musical pitch calibration."},{"name":"Jishui","hr":2930,"adopted":"2019-12-17","language":"Chinese","origin":"traditional Chinese single star asterism: translations of the term are \"Bilgewater\", \"a store of water to make wine\", or \"accumulated water (held in by dikes for future use)\". It refers to a faint star in Gemini or Perseus that is idenfied differently by modern authors. Sun and Kistemaker (1997) from Han sources and Sun Shuwei (Stellarium) from a medieval source both suggest o Gem while Xu et al. (2000) identify lambda Persei."},{"name":"Jiu","hr":8430,"adopted":"2026-08-13","language":"Chinese","origin":"Jiù (Mortar) and Nèichu (Inner Pestle) are a Chinese super-constellation attested since Han Dynasty."},{"name":"Jordanus","hr":5127,"adopted":"2026-09-17","language":"Latin","origin":"Jordanus was used as a constellation name by Plancius in his 1612 celestial map, which introduced some uniting elements for Europeans fighting each other in the early modern spirit of an \"under one sky\"-philosophy."},{"name":"Junnanmen","hr":335,"adopted":"2025-08-25","language":"Chinese","origin":"Jūn Nán Mén (\"Southern Millitary Gate\") is a Chinese constellation, simplified: Junnanmen. It is the name of a Chinese single-star asterism that WGSN preserves in its earliest version (before Tang Dynasty), identified with phi And.\"Junnanmen\" is assigned to the primary of the phi And (HR 335, HIP 5434, HD 6811) binary system, i.e.\nphi And A (HD 6811A)."},{"name":"Kaffaljidhma","hr":804,"adopted":"2017-02-01","language":"Arabic","origin":"Arabic, al-kaf al-jaðmā ('the cut-short hand') is given as a star name in Allen (1899) with reference to an Arabic name for the asterism of Cetus's Head."},{"name":"Kaffalmusalsala","hr":8976,"adopted":"2025-05-08","language":"Arabic","origin":"Arabic desciption of a Greek star name. The Arabic term means \"Hand of the Chained Woman\"; originating from the Almagest \"Hand of Andromeda\", originally designating a group of three stars."},{"name":"Kalasungsang","hr":5429,"adopted":"2026-04-15","language":"Sanskrit, Javanese","origin":"On Bali (Indonesia) \"Kala\" means \"demon\" and \"sungsang\" means \"upside down\". Originally, the term is from Sanskrit, dark/ death or time. The daemon reminds us not to waste time."},{"name":"Kamelos","hr":2363,"adopted":"2025-12-25","language":"Greek","origin":"\"Kamelos\" is Greek for camel, a pun with the name of the constellation \"Camelopardalis\" whose Latin term is a Greek loanword, literally meaning \"checkered camel\" = giraffe. On this base, Jacob Bartsch proposed 1624 \"Camelus Rebeccae\" as an alternative name for the constellation Camelopardalis, a reference to the story of Abraham's daughter-in-law, Rebecca."},{"name":"Kang","hr":5315,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Chinese","origin":"determinitive star of lunar mansion Kang (The Neck) whose naming constellation constists of 4 stars according to sources back to the 3rd millennium BCE"},{"name":"Kaus Australis","hr":6879,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Arbitrarily applied in recent times, together with the Latin distinctions of \"middle,\" \"southern,\" and \"northern\" (for lambda Sgr), from the pre-Islamic Arabian (and later Arabic) constellation name al-qaus, \"the Bow.\" For the pre-Islamic Arabians, al-qaus was marked by the curved line of stars xi2, o, pi, d, rho and u Sgr (corresponding to what in other cultures was Sagittarius among the zodiacal signs). The Arabics used the indigenous name for the Greeks' Archer, alternatively translated as al-rami."},{"name":"Kaus Borealis","hr":6913,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Arbitrarily applied in recent times, together with the Latin distinctions of \"middle,\" \"southern,\" and \"northern\" (for lambda Sgr), from the pre-Islamic Arabian (and later Arabic) constellation name al-qaus, \"the Bow.\" For the pre-Islamic Arabians, al-qaus was marked by the curved line of stars xi2, o, pi, d, rho and u Sgr (corresponding to what in other cultures was Sagittarius among the zodiacal signs). The Arabics used the indigenous name for the Greeks' Archer, alternatively translated as al-rami."},{"name":"Kaus Media","hr":6859,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Arbitrarily applied in recent times, together with the Latin distinctions of \"middle,\" \"southern,\" and \"northern\" (for lambda Sgr), from the pre-Islamic Arabian (and later Arabic) constellation name al-qaus, \"the Bow.\" For the pre-Islamic Arabians, al-qaus was marked by the curved line of stars xi2, o, pi, d, rho and u Sgr (corresponding to what in other cultures was Sagittarius among the zodiacal signs). The Arabics used the indigenous name for the Greeks' Archer, alternatively translated as al-rami."},{"name":"Kautoki","hr":7056,"adopted":"2026-06-18","language":"Kapingamarangi","origin":"The name means \"handle (kau) of the adze (toki)\" and describes an asterism from the Polynesian island of Kapingamarangi."},{"name":"Keid","hr":1325,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the pre-Islamic Arabian name al-qaid, \"the Egg Shells,\" for unspecified stars around the pre-Islamic Arabian ostrich's nest."},{"name":"Kenemu","hr":7340,"adopted":"2026-08-13","language":"Egyptian","origin":"(Stars of) Kenmu, 17th decan in ancient Egyptian astral science, heliacal rise in month Peret, represented by a small group of stars around rho1 Sgr."},{"name":"Khambalia","hr":5359,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Coptic","origin":"The Coptic (Egyptian) term Khambalia means \"Crooked-clawed\" (perhaps designating an agricultural device or symbol of secret knowledge); it was used in mantic texts for the star in the foot of Virgo."},{"name":"Khepdenreret","hr":6324,"adopted":"2026-05-14","language":"Egyptian","origin":"Khepdenreret, the Buttocks of the Hippopotamus (goddess) Reret, is a star name from ancient Egypt documented in the Ramesside Star Clocks from around 1200 BCE"},{"name":"Kitalpha","hr":8131,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the Arabic constellation name qit'at al-faras, \"the Section of the Horse,\" for Equuleus. Ptolemy had ππ μ, \"the First Half of the Horse,\" for the constellation, because it shows only half the figure (as with the constellations Taurus, Pegasus, and the Greek ship Argo)."},{"name":"Kochab","hr":5563,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied to beta UMi in Early Modern times and of uncertam derivation. It is probably from one of the names Alrucaba, Rucaba, etc., that were first applied to theta UMa, then to alpha UMi, in medieval times. However, the name may also be from the Arabic word kaukab, or the Hebrew word kokhabh, both meaning \"star.\""},{"name":"Kornephoros","hr":6148,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Greek","origin":"From the Greek word, \"club-bearer\", mentioned in one Early Modern study as a name for the constellation Hercules. Properly it is of mythological rather than astronomical significance, for Ptolemy's constellation here was \"the Kneeler\", described without a club. \"Kornephoros\" was applied as a star name in recent times."},{"name":"Kraz","hr":4786,"adopted":"2018-06-01","language":"unknown","origin":"Name of unknown etymology from the \"Atlas Coeli Skalnaté Pleso\" of Czech astronomer Antonín Bečvář (1901-1965)."},{"name":"Kui","hr":271,"adopted":"2025-04-06","language":"Chinese","origin":"Kui, The Legs, is an ancient Chinese constellation with 16 stars, belonging to the 28 Lunar Mansions in China, with a very long history. Its determinative star used to be zeta And for many centuries but it was changed to eta And in Qing Dynasty."},{"name":"Kulou","hr":5028,"adopted":"2025-02-17","language":"Chinese","origin":"\"Kulou\" means arsenal and storied building. It is a super-constellation in the area of modern Cen/Lup created in ancient China, dating back to the 2nd century BCE."},{"name":"Kurhah","hr":8417,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from one vocalization of its pre-Islamic Arabian name: al-qurha, \"the White Spot on the Forehead of a Horse.\" However, the original Arabic script for the name can be read and vocalized in other ways with various meanings."},{"name":"La Superba","hr":4846,"adopted":"2018-08-10","language":"Latin","origin":"In 1868 Secchi used \"superba\" as an adjective to describe the star Y CVn, not as a proper name of the star.\nHowever, in 1876 Birmingham seems to have borrowed from Secchi this term and used it as a proper name of the star.\nAs a consequence, in 1877 Secchi himself adopted the same name.\nAgnes Clerke attributed the term to Secchi, without distinguishing between the adjective and the name.\nIn principle, it should be attributed to both Secchi and Birmingham, in my opinion."},{"name":"Lang-Exster","hr":8502,"adopted":"2024-09-19","language":"Malay-Dutch","origin":"\"Lang\" is an Malayan/ Indonesian term meaning \"hornbill\", \"Exster\" is a Dutch word meaning \"magpie\" and both terms were used as name for the newly defined constellation in Early Modern Age by the Dutch sailors (de Houtman 1603) who artificially created the constellation as \"Indian Magpie\" referring to a species of bird with a strong cultural significance for the indigenous people they met (e.g. Dayak). The star is a spectroscopic binary which is why it makes sense to give it a double-name for the visible dot; the name may be split for the components later."},{"name":"Larawag","hr":6241,"adopted":"2017-11-17","language":"Aboriginal/ Wardaman","origin":"Larawag is the Wardaman name of epsilon Sco, from the Northern Territory, Australia. Larawag is part of a procession of beings along the curve of stars in Scorpius, acting as the signal watcher, noting when only legitimate participants are present and in view of the ceremony. He gives the “All clear” signal, allowing the secret part of the ceremony to continue. This procession is related to the bats that carry Ginan."},{"name":"Leepwal","hr":5231,"adopted":"2024-07-18","language":"Marshallese","origin":"Ļeepwal is the name for zeta Cen in Marshallese. Original spelling Ļeepwal. Pronounced leyepwal, the first \"l\" being pronounced with the back of the tongue raised (velarized) and the root of the tongue retracted (pharyngealized) so as to elongate the oral cavity, thereby giving the consonant a \"heavier\" or \"darker\" sound."},{"name":"Leidian","hr":8717,"adopted":"2026-08-13","language":"Chinese","origin":"Léi Diàn (Thunder and Lightning) is a Chinese constellation that is so called because it vanishes as soon as it appears; it has no correlation with meteorology."},{"name":"Lembu","hr":1547,"adopted":"2026-05-17","language":"Proto-Mon-Khmer","origin":"\"Lintang Lěmbu\" means Ox/Bull/Cow Constellation, representing an animal to pull carts & chariots. It is found in the calendar series Palelintangan used for at least 1300 years on the islands of Java and Bali, Indonesia."},{"name":"Lesath","hr":6508,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"The formation of this name begins with the Greek term \"(foggy) conglomeration,\" used by Ptolemy in the Tetrabiblos in describing several nebulous sky objects (in the present case, probably the open cluster M7). Ptolemy's term was translated by the Arabs as al-latkha, \"the Spot.\" This word in turn became transliterated and corrupted in Medieval Latin to alascha, which was used in astrological texts in connection with Scorpius' tail. In Early Modern times, the derivation of alascha was erroneously attributed to the Arabic word las'a, \"sting, or bite (of a poisonous animal),\" rather than to al-latkha. Subsequently the erroneous word, written as \"Lesath,\" was applied as a star name to u Sco (and in recent times, also to lambda Sco)."},{"name":"Libertas","hr":7595,"adopted":"2015-12-15","language":"Latin","origin":"Libertas is Latin for \"liberty\". Liberty refers to social and political freedoms, and a reminder that there are people derived of liberty in the world even today. The constellation Aquila represents an eagle - a popular symbol of liberty."},{"name":"Ligong","hr":8667,"adopted":"2026-08-13","language":"Chinese","origin":"Ligong denoted a secondary or temporary palace situated apart from the principal palace and used for the ruler’s temporary residence, repose, and private life."},{"name":"Lilii Borea","hr":824,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Latin","origin":"Lacaille used the now obsolete constellation Lilium (The Lily) and named this star \"the northern one of the Lily\", in Latin: Lilii Borea. see also \"Lilium\" in the ASE."},{"name":"Lintangkumba","hr":8679,"adopted":"2026-09-22","language":"Bahasa Indonesia","origin":"Lintang in Bahasa Indonesia means asterism; 'kumba' in Balinese is a vessel with sacred water; it derives from Sanskrit (kumbha), jar or pitcher. In both Indian and Indonesian cultures, it is a name for the constellation in Aquarius. In India, it also designates the rāśi (zodiac sign)."},{"name":"Lumbung","hr":4823,"adopted":"2026-02-22","language":"Malay","origin":"The term \"Lumbung\" is inherited from Malay, Proto-Malayo-Polynesian, designating a quickly set up rice barn or granary. The constellation of Lumbung is attested for ~1300 years in the cultural calendar and associated with Wednesday and the third day of an Oceanic market cycle."},{"name":"Maasym","hr":6526,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"From the Arabic word al-mi'sam, \"the wrist,\" used in the Arabic Almagest in describing o Her. Wrongly transferred to lambda Her in Early Modern times."},{"name":"Maenalus","hr":5511,"adopted":"2026-04-15","language":"Latin","origin":"Mons Maenalus is an early modern European constellation or asterism introduced by Hevelius (1690), setting a celestial memorial for a mountain in the central Peloponnese, Greece."},{"name":"Mago","hr":1636,"adopted":"2019-12-17","language":"Ethiopian","origin":"Mago is a National Park in Ethiopia noted for its giraffes. The star also happens to be in the constellation of Camelopardis (the giraffe)."},{"name":"Magur","hr":6862,"adopted":"2026-08-13","language":"Sumerian","origin":"MA2.GUR8, The Boat/Ship, is a constellation south of Sgr. It’s identification is given between Cap, Mic, CrA and southern Sgr. As certainty can only be achieved for Late Babylonian sources, WGSN picked a faint star close to the one which represents the Egyptian Boat-constellation."},{"name":"Mahasim","hr":2095,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"Arabic al-mi şam \"the wrist\", was used for lambda Her by Bayer by misreading the Almagest (and its 1515 Latin translation) where the wrist is designated o Her. Allen 1899, 245 mentions that the 16th century Latin Almagest translation used the (misspelled) variant “Mahasim” for theta and eta Aurigae."},{"name":"Maia","hr":1149,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Greek","origin":"These names were individually applied in Early Modern times from a family of characters in Greek mythology: Atlas, Pleione and their seven daughters, the Pleiades."},{"name":"Marfik","hr":6149,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied since medieval times from the Arabic word al-marfiq, \"the elbow,\" used in the Arabic Almagest in describing this star. While the medieval transliteration was marsic (with a confusion of f and the long-shaped s), Marfik is an improved spelling of recent times."},{"name":"Markab","hr":8781,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"From an abbreviation of the name for the Arabic Almagest period mankib al-faras, \"the Horse's Shoulder,\" for beta Peg. Wrongly transferred to alpha Peg in late medieval times."},{"name":"Markeb","hr":3734,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"Evidently from the Arabic word markab, \"a ship or any vehicle,\" presumably standing for the Greek constellation name Argo. However, Arabic sources do not mention markab for Argo, only al-safina (\"the Ship\"), hence the ultimate origin of the name remains a mystery. \"Markeb\" was applied as a star name to rho Pup in medieval times, to kappa Pup in Early Modern rimes, and finally to kappa Vel in recent times when Argo was divided into its four modern constellations"},{"name":"Marsic","hr":6008,"adopted":"2017-02-01","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in medieval times from the Arabic word al-marfiq, \"the elbow,\" used in the Arabic Almagest in describing this star."},{"name":"Matar","hr":8650,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of the pre-Islamic Arabian name sa'd matar for eta and o Peg. Its meaning is unknown. matar has been translated as \"rain,\" and as a common noun in Arabic, al-matar does mean \"the rain.\" However, lack of the definitive article al- for the star points to a use of the word in a sense different from the common noun."},{"name":"Matrichakra","hr":5889,"adopted":"2026-05-14","language":"Sanskrit","origin":"Mātrīcakra, The Circle, is an Indian name for CrB; the Sanskrit term occurs on historical globes and astrolabes."},{"name":"Mebsuta","hr":2473,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"From an abbreviation of the pre-Islamic Arabian asterism name dhira' al-asad almabsuta, \"the Lion's Outstretched Paw,\" for one of the two pairs alpha/beta Gem or alpha/beta CMi. These pairs were assigned to the larger pre-Islamic Arabian asterism al-asad, but there is no unanimity in the Arabic sources as to which pair was the \"outstretched\" or \"folded\" paw. \"Mebsuta\" was arbitrarily applied as a star name to epsilon Gem in recent times. In its indigenous location stretching from parts of Gemini all the way into Virgo, the pre-Islamic Arabian al-asad, \"the Lion,\" corresponded to what in other cultures was Leo among the zodiacal signs. Subsequently the Arabs used the indigenous name for the smaller Greek Lion (Leo)."},{"name":"Megrez","hr":4660,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of its name for the Arabic Almagest period maghriz al-dubb al-akbar, \"the Root (of the tail) of the Greater Bear.\""},{"name":"Meissa","hr":1879,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"From the pre-Islamic Arabian name al-maisan, for either gamma or xi Gem. The meaning of the name is uncertain. It may mean \"the Sparkling One,\" referring to a star, or \"the Proudly Marching One,\" referring to a person. Together, gamma and xi Gem composed the pre-Islamic Arabian 6th lunar mansion alhan'a. The nearby stars lambda, 1, and 2 Ori composed the adjacent 5th lunar mansion al-haq'a. Due to confusion between these two parent lunar mansions in a late Arabic source, \"Meissa\" was wrongly applied to lambda Ori (rather than to gamma or xi Gem) in recent times. \"Meissa\" (without n at the end) corresponds to pre-Islamic Arabian almaisa', a variant form of al-maisan."},{"name":"Mekbuda","hr":2650,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"From an abbreviation of the pre-Islamic Arabian asterism name dhira' al-asad al-maqbuqa, \"the Lion's Folded Paw\". Arbitrarily applied as a star name to zeta Gem in recent times."},{"name":"Meleph","hr":3429,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"Bayer (1603) quotes Arabic designations Melleff and Meeleph for this star (among others) which was adopted by other astronomers (e.g. Riccioli) and goes back to the Arabic term Al Ma'laf, The Stall (a variant of the Greek Manger)."},{"name":"Menkalinan","hr":2088,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from its Arabic name mankib dhi l-(inan, \"the Shoulder of the Reinholder\"."},{"name":"Menkar","hr":911,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"From the Arabic word al-minkhar, \"the nostrils,\" used in the Arabic Almagest in describing lambda Cet. Wrongly applied as a star name to alpha Cet (properly on the \"jaw\") in a Medieval Latin star table."},{"name":"Menkent","hr":5288,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times and possibly coined from the Arabic word mankib, \"shoulder\" (in some recent transliterations: menkib; Ptolemy described this star on the right \"shoulder\" of the Centaur), plus the Latinized \"Kentaurus\" for the Arabic constellation name qanturis. Hence this name could be of similar construction to the abbreviation for alpha Cen: \"Rigil Kent.\""},{"name":"Menkib","hr":1228,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of its pre-Islamic Arabian name mankib al-thurayya, \"the Shoulder of the Pleiades,\" for its location in the pre-Islamic Arabian asterism here."},{"name":"Merak","hr":4295,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of its name for the Arabic Almagest period maraqq al-dubb al-akbar, \"the Flank (or Groin) of the Greater Bear.\""},{"name":"Merga","hr":5533,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Latin","origin":"A Latin word meaning \"reaping hook,\" used in a Early Modern discussion of the constellation Bootes. According to this discussion, some classical sources mentioned a reaping hook held in Bootes' hand opposite the staff. Subsequently the word was applied as a star name to hBoo."},{"name":"Meridiana","hr":7254,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Latin","origin":"The Latin-Arabic name \"Alfecca meridiana\" is mentioned in Allen (1899, 173). There, it is attributed to \"Reduan\" (sic!) = Ali bin Radwan's commentary to his Tetrabiblos translation (10th century). Arabic nayyir al-fakka \"the bright (star) of the broken (dish)\" in analogy to the Arabic term for CrB. WGSN chose only the second (Latin) term: \"Meridiana\", the southern (one of the two Alfeccas)."},{"name":"Merope","hr":1156,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Greek","origin":"These names were individually applied in Early Modern times from a family of characters in Greek mythology: Atlas, Pleione and their seven daughters, the Pleiades."},{"name":"Mesarthim","hr":546,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"The formation of this name begins with the Arabic lunar mansion name al-sharatan, for beta and gamma Ari. From the numerous medieval lists of the Arabic lunar mansions (all in Latin transliteration), the Early Modern scholar Johannes Bayer grasped the form Sartai, and used it for the three brighter stars alpha, beta and gamma Ari. Bayer also erroneously explained Sartai as from the Hebrew word mesharethim, \"servants\", rather than from al-sharatan. Subsequently, Bayer's erroneous word, written as \"Mesarthim\", was applied as a star name."},{"name":"Miaplacidus","hr":3685,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Latin","origin":"Applied in recent times, and of unknown astronomical significance. The first element, Mia-, is unexplained. The second element is the Latin adjective placidus, meaning \"calm, gentle\" (here in the masculine form)."},{"name":"Mimosa","hr":4853,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Latin","origin":"Applied in recent times, and of unknown astronomical significance. It is from the Latin word mimus, \"an actor\", and is otherwise known as the genus name for certain tropical plants."},{"name":"Minchir","hr":3418,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"Minchir appeared in Bode's 1801 Uranographia rooting in the Arabic term minkhar ash-shujā \"the nostril brave one\" in Hydra."},{"name":"Minelauva","hr":4910,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"The 13th Arabic lunar station bears the name) Al- Awwā, The bend. It consists of 5 stars: beta, eta, gamma, delta and epsilon Vir. \"Auva\" or \"Minelauva\" are mediaeval transliterations of this name that now names one of its stars."},{"name":"Mintaka","hr":1852,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of the pre-Islamic Arabian (and Arabic) asterism name mintaqat al-jauza', \"the Belt (or Girdle) of al-jauza'\", for delta, epsilon, and zeta Ori."},{"name":"Mira","hr":681,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Latin","origin":"Its Latin name since Early Modern times meaning \"the Amazing One\", as taken from Historiola Mirae Stellae - the title of a work describing the amazing variability of this star (written by Hevelius in 1662)."},{"name":"Mirach","hr":337,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"Ultimately from the Arabic word al-mi)zar, \"the girdle\" or \"loin cloth\", used in the Arabic Almagest in describing this star. The correct transliteration of the word in the Medieval Latin Almagest was mizar, which was occasionally misspelled as mirac, mirat, etc. These corruptions, taken as proper names for beta And, were correctly attributed to al-mi)zar by Early Modern scholars. Subsequently one of the misspellings, \"Mirach\", gained more popularity over the correct \"Mizar\", to beome the preferred modern name."},{"name":"Miram","hr":834,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"perhaps a misspelling of the Arabic term mi sam, The Wrist, which was used for naming kappa Per \"Misam\" in the CSN."},{"name":"Mirfak","hr":1017,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of its pre-Islamic Arabian name mirfaq al-thurayya, \"the Elbow of the Pleiades,\" for its location in the pre-Islamic Arabian asterism here."},{"name":"Mirzam","hr":2294,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from its Arabic name al-mirzam, of unknown meaning. The Arabs also gave the name to beta CMi, and sometimes to gamma Ori. Each al-mirzam star preceded the rising of a brighter star (our Sirius, Procyon, and Betelgeuse, respectively), which probably connects to the unknown meaning."},{"name":"Misam","hr":941,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"the Arabic term mi sam, The Wrist, was originally a name of chi Per (Almagest: \"the right hand\" of the Hero) and considered the Wrist of Thurayya (the Pleiades) for the Arabs."},{"name":"Mizar","hr":5054,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"Ultimately from the Arabic word al-maraqq, \"the Groin,\" used in the Arabic Almagest in describing beta UMa. Correct transliterations of almaraqq in the Medieval Latin Almagest were mirac and mirach. However, Early Modern scholars confused these words with the Arabic word mi'zar, which had equally been transliterated and corrupted in Latin as mirac, mirach, etc. Subsequently the mistaken mi'zar, written as \"Mizar,\" was applied as a star name to beta UMa, and it became transferred to zeta UMa in late Early Modern times."},{"name":"Mothallah","hr":544,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the Arabic constellation name al-muthallath, \"the Triangle,\" for Triangulum."},{"name":"Muliphein","hr":2657,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"The formation of this name begins with the Arabic names hadari and al-wazn. In Arabic discussions of these names it came to be said that they were muhlifan, meaning \"two [things] causing dispute [in this case as to these stars' identification] and the swearing of an oath\". From this usage, al-muhlifan was wrongly taken as a name for hadari and al-wazn together. Transliterated and further mutilated as \"Muliphein\", the name was arbitrarily applied to the single star gamma CMa in recent times."},{"name":"Muning","hr":5933,"adopted":"2026-07-01","language":"Wardaman","origin":"Muning, \"the Small Rock Cod,\" is a name for two stars (gamma and beta Ser) in Serpens from the Australian Wardaman people whose Elders approved the name for gamma Ser."},{"name":"Muphrid","hr":5235,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"The formation of this name begins with the ancient Arabic name for alpha Boo: al-simak al-ramih, \"the Lance-bearing simak\" (the meaning of simak is uncertain). It seems that later Arabic poets expanded upon this name by making mention of some separate \"lance\" (al-rumh) that accompanied the star alpha Boo. Subsequent Arabs attempted to identify this fictitious lance with actual stars, sometimes saying it was eta Boo with nearby stars, sometimes saying it was \"eta Boo alone\" (where \"alone\", in arabic, is written mufradan). From these discussions came, with a slight copying mistake in the Arabic, the erroneous Arabic name mufrad al-ramih, roughly translating as \"the Isolated Single One of the Lance-Bearer\". With a wrong vocalization and with abbreviation, this erroneous name, as \"Muphrid\", was applied in recent times."},{"name":"Muscida","hr":3323,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Latin","origin":"Almagestum 1515: \"illa quae est supra extremitatem Musciae\" - Bayer (1603) \"in naso, barbaris muscida.\" - attributed to \"Barbarians\""},{"name":"Musica","hr":8030,"adopted":"2015-12-15","language":"Latin","origin":"Musica is Latin for \"music\"."},{"name":"Naga","hr":5020,"adopted":"2026-02-22","language":"Sanskrit","origin":"Sanskrit, nāgá, means “large snake” or \"serpent\". Languages like Iban, Indonesian, Italian, Javanese, Malay, Marano, Portuguese, Tagalog and Yakan borrow the term; Japanese \"naga\" means \"long\"; German \"Nagel\" (nail) and English \"naked\" are derived from homophonous Sanskrit \"nāga\" for gold/ iron/ metal."},{"name":"Nahn","hr":3627,"adopted":"2018-06-01","language":"Persian","origin":"\"Nahn\", the Persian term for \"Nose\", given to xi Cnc in the NASA Memorandum by Rhoads (1971)."},{"name":"Nandou","hr":7039,"adopted":"2026-08-13","language":"Chinese","origin":"Nándou (Southern Dipper) is a Chinese Lunar Mansion, attested for at least 2500 years: one of the oldest asterisms in China."},{"name":"Naos","hr":3165,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Greek","origin":"Applied in recent times from the word, Greek for the \"ship\", used in one Early Modern discussion as a name for the ancient constellation Argo (since divided into Puppis, Carina, and Vela)."},{"name":"Nashira","hr":8278,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the pre-Islamic Arabian name sa<d nashira, for gamma and delta Cap. Its meaning is unknown. As originally applied, gamma was \"Nashira Prima\" and delta was \"Nashira Posterior.\""},{"name":"Neichu","hr":8454,"adopted":"2026-08-13","language":"Chinese","origin":"Nèichu (Inner Pestle) is a three-star Chinese asterism that forms a super-constellation with Jiù (Mortar); they are attested for more than 2000 years."},{"name":"Nekkar","hr":5602,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"corrupted","origin":"Applied in recent times from a misreading of the Arabic constellation name al-baqqar, \"the Ox-driver\", for Boötes."},{"name":"Nembus","hr":464,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Latin?","origin":"Name appears in Bayer's (1603) Uranometria for Upsilon Per (later designated 51 And), which he states is of Arab origin, however the name appears to be Latin not Arabic. From the description it appears that the name appears to be connected with the adamntine harpe sword Perseus used to decapitate Medusa."},{"name":"Nganurganity","hr":2646,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Aboriginal/ Boorong","origin":"Nganurganity [ anu ̊ani ̊] is the \"Jacky lizard\" in the culture of the Boorong, a clan of the indigenous Maligundidj people of northwestern Victoria in Australia, who saw it as an ancestral figure who fights the moon, flanked by two wives, represented by stars on either side of him (delta CMa and epsilon CMa). The Moon is Mityan, the quoll. Mityan fell in love with one of the wives of Unurgunite and tried to lure her away. Unurgunite discovered Mityan’s trickery and attacked him, leading to a great fight in which Mityan was defeated. The Moon has been wandering the heavens ever since, the scars of the battle still visible on his face as maria. One of the wives (delta CMa) lies further away from Unurgunite and is closer to the Moon than the other wife (epsilon CMa). This is the wife Mityan tried to lure away. The name was listed as Unurgunite in Stanbridge(1857/61), for initial ng-, which does not occur in English, was typically ignored in transcription of that era. WGSN corrects the spelling."},{"name":"Niandao","hr":7157,"adopted":"2026-06-18","language":"Chinese","origin":"Niăn Dào (Imperial Passageway) is a private way for the emporer for harmonious journeys. WGSN represents it by its determinative star."},{"name":"Nihal","hr":1829,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the pre-Islamic Arabian asterism name al-nihal \"the Camels Beginning to Quench Their Thirst\" for alpha, beta, gamma and delta Lep."},{"name":"Ninnisig","hr":7314,"adopted":"2026-06-18","language":"Sumerian","origin":"Ninnisig and Erragal are two Sumerian gods associated with the pair of stars, Ninnisig is the goddess who is butcher of the highest temple (name honours a profession)."},{"name":"Nunki","hr":7121,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Sumerian","origin":"mulNUN.KI or mulNUNKI = the star or constellation of Eridu where Eridu is one of the first big cities known. Archealogical proofs date back to the 3rd millennium (Sumer). It is located at the southern coast of Mesopotamia. The identification of the star or asterism is highly uncertain: it is often identified with Canopus and adjacent areas or \"somewhere in Argo\". mulNUN.KI is listed in MUL.APIN and there, it seems to refer to the area of Aquarius with unknown identification (Canopus not excluded) but the identification with other Babylonian texts seems to propose only in the northern part of modern Argo, i.e. Vela. The Euphratean name \"Nunki\" was mentioned and associated with Sigma Sgr in Robert Brown, Jr. (1892, Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, Volume 14, p. 298; \"Nun-ki\", \"Prince-of-the-Earth\"), and its use diffused through the 20th century after being mentioned in Richard Hinckley Allen's (Star Names, their lore and meaning, p. 359). The modern Nunki is, thus, not identical with the Sumerian one; it is one of the many misapplications."},{"name":"Nusakan","hr":5747,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the collective pre-Islamic Arabian name al-nasaqan, \"the Two Lines [of stars]\" for two asterisms in today's Hercules, Serpens, Ophiuchus, and Lyra. al-nasaqan originally marked the boundaries of the pre-Islamic Arabian 'al-rauda, \"the Pasture\". These boundaries were \"the Northern Line\" al-nasaq al-sha'ami, and \"the Southern Line\" al-nasaq al-yamani."},{"name":"Nüchuang","hr":6418,"adopted":"2026-05-14","ascii":"Nuchuang","language":"Chinese","origin":"Nu Chuáng (Women’s Bed) is a small asterism consisting of only three stars that dates back to around 100 BCE and belongs to the Shi school."},{"name":"Okab","hr":7235,"adopted":"2018-06-01","language":"Arabic","origin":"Zeta and Epsilon Aquilae together bore the traditional name Deneb el Okab, from an Arabic term Dhanab al- uqāb \"the tail of the eagle\"."},{"name":"Pabilsang","hr":7120,"adopted":"2026-08-13","language":"Sumerian","origin":"Pabilsag is the oldest name of the constellation Sagittarius; a Sumerian god, depicted as a mixed creature (centaur-like with additional scorpion-tail and bird features) with bow and arrow; this constellation was taken over and “simplified” by the Greeks. WGSN picked a star in his eye."},{"name":"Pagru","hr":7570,"adopted":"2026-06-18","language":"Akkadian","origin":"Akkadian Pagru, \"body\" or \"corpse,\" is commonly translated \"The Dead Man\", attested as a constellation in MUL.APIN which dates between 1350 and 1150 BCE, and has been used through the entire 1st millennium BCE."},{"name":"Paikauhale","hr":6165,"adopted":"2018-08-10","language":"Hawaii'ian","origin":"Au-haele, Hokū-‘ula and Paikauhale are documented as three stars in a line, running from north to south. Two of the most reliable sources—Mary Puku‘i and Rubellite Johnson—both identify Hokū-‘ula as Antares (alpha Sco), which makes Au-haele Alniyat (sigma Sco) and Paikauhale tau Sco."},{"name":"Paradys","hr":5470,"adopted":"2025-05-18","language":"Dutch","origin":"In Dutch around 1600, two spelling versions of the Apus-bird existed. WGSN decided to take the first part of the earliest written witness, Paradys-vogel (Plancius 1598), to name the main star of the constellation."},{"name":"Paushna","hr":362,"adopted":"2026-09-17","language":"Sanskrit","origin":"Pausna is another name for Revati, a goddess that names the 27th Vedic nakshatra."},{"name":"Peacock","hr":7790,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"English","origin":"Invented for The Air Almanac of the HM Nautical Almanac Office"},{"name":"Phact","hr":1956,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the Arabic word fakhita, \"ring dove,\" used in connection with the constellation Cygnus in a Early Modern discussion of Arabic bird names."},{"name":"Phecda","hr":4554,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of its name for the Arabic Almagest period fakhidh al-dubb al-akbar, \"the Thigh of the Greater Bear.\""},{"name":"Pherkad","hr":5735,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the singular form of the pre-Islamic Arabian asterism name al-farqadan, \"the Two Calves,\" for beta and gamma UMi."},{"name":"Pherkad Minor","hr":5714,"adopted":"2026-03-22","language":"Arabic, Latin","origin":"One of Piazzi's star names following the schema of naming a faint visual neighbour in reference to the visually more striking star in a constellation."},{"name":"Phyllon Kissinou","hr":4789,"adopted":"2024-05-16","language":"Ancient Greek","origin":"Contemporary modern astronomers have used the nickname \"Kissin\"; therefore, the real name was made official. The term originates from the phrase \" v (phyllon kissinou, an ivy leaf)\" in Ptolemy's Almagest. The star might be \"multiple or double\" according to SIMBAD, so long double name for the visible dot in the sky might be split up to the components later."},{"name":"Piautos","hr":3268,"adopted":"2018-06-01","language":"Coptic","origin":"piautos (π) is a composition from Greek autos (\"self\") and Coptic pi- (\"that\") meaning \"the same one\". It occurred in a Coptic manuscript on lunar stations. Coptic is the ancient Egyptian language written in Greek letters, but lunar stations were uncommon for both the Greek and Egyptian culture. Hence, the origin of this term remains unknown."},{"name":"Pili","hr":9072,"adopted":"2026-09-17","language":"Chinese","origin":"Pī Lì (Thunderbolt) is a five-star Chinese constellation, which forms a super-constellation with Yunyu (clouds & rain) and Leidian (thunder and lightning)."},{"name":"Ping","hr":1654,"adopted":"2026-03-22","language":"Chinese","origin":"Píng, the Screen in front of a toilet, is a Chinese constellation"},{"name":"Pipirima","hr":6252,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Tahitian","origin":"There are many versions of a widespread Polynesian story of two children fleeing their uncaring parents to become two shining stars, the stars themselves being variously recorded as Castor and Pollux (alpha and beta Gem), Shaula and Lesath (lambda and upsilon Sco), zeta and theta Sco, and mu¹ and mu² Sco as well as [possibly] omega¹ and omega² Sco. In Tahiti, Pipiri was the twin brother of Rehua: Pipiri ma refers to the two together, ma \"with, and\" being used after names to mean \"et al.\". Calderon identifies the two children as mu¹ and mu² Sco, their mother being Shaula (lambda Sco) and their father Lesath (upsilon Sco)."},{"name":"Pipit","hr":2451,"adopted":"2024-08-25","language":"Dayak","origin":"Among the Kendayan (Dayak Kenayatn) people of West Kalimantan province, Borneo, Indonesia, the star nu Pup is identified as \"Pipit\"."},{"name":"Pleione","hr":1180,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Greek","origin":"These names were individually applied in Early Modern times from a family of characters in Greek mythology: Atlas, Pleione and their seven daughters, the Pleiades."},{"name":"Polaris","hr":424,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Latin","origin":"A Latin adjective meaning \"of the pole\" (related to the noun polus, \"the pole\"). Applied as a star name to alpha UMi in Early Modern times, it reflects the star's temporary proximity to the north celestial pole."},{"name":"Polaris Australis","hr":7228,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Latin","origin":"the term literally means \"South Pole\" and was first used for the star in the 18th century."},{"name":"Polis","hr":6812,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Coptic","origin":"the term in Coptic means \"a foal.\" It was originally used for stars in the bow of the Archer but was moved over time."},{"name":"Pollux","hr":2990,"adopted":"2015-12-15","language":"Greek","origin":"This is the classical Latin form of its ancient Greek name, a character in Greek mythology, the twin of Castor (alpha Gem). Reapplied in Early Modern times."},{"name":"Pongaponga","hr":7051,"adopted":"2026-06-18","language":"Cook Is. Maori","origin":"Pongaponga (“nostrils”) is a star name from the island of Pukapuka (South Pacific) for the visual double star epsilon1 (4) Lyr and epsilon2 (5) Lyr. WGSN applies the name to epsilon1 Lyr A."},{"name":"Porrima","hr":4825,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Latin","origin":"The name of a Roman goddess, one of several mythological names mentioned in connection with the constellation Virgo. Applied as a star name in recent times."},{"name":"Praecipua","hr":4247,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Latin","origin":"Piazzi (1814) in his star catalogue introduced this proper name for the star because Hevelius (1690) had added the adjective \"praecipua\" (Chief) as a description of this star."},{"name":"Prima Hyadum","hr":1346,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Latin","origin":"the Latin term occurs first in Flamsteed (1729) but is based on the Arabic idea to enumerate the stars in the cluster; in Arabic it was Awwal ad-Dabarān, The First of Dabarān (the group from which the star name \"Aldebaran\" derives)."},{"name":"Procyon","hr":2943,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Greek","origin":"From its ancient Greek name, \"the One Preceding the Dog\", referring to its rising shortly before the \"Dog Star\", Sirius. Reapplied in Early Modern times."},{"name":"Propus","hr":2216,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Greek","origin":"Applied in Early Modern times from the Greek word π π, \"forward foot\", used by Ptolemy in the Almagest in describing this star."},{"name":"Protome","hr":8098,"adopted":"2026-07-16","language":"Ancient Greek","origin":"Protome, the Bust, is the original name of this constellation from Roman time when Greek was still the language of science. The reasons for this invention are not preserved, but mythology later added."},{"name":"Pulcherrima","hr":5505,"adopted":"2026-04-15","language":"Latin","origin":"The Latin name translates to \"most beautiful\" or \"loveliest,\" referring to its striking, contrasting colors; it was introduced by F. Struve in 1837."},{"name":"Puwuh Atarung","hr":8969,"adopted":"2026-09-17","language":"Balinese","origin":"Puwuh Atarung means \"battling quails\", birds that are crucial poultry source of nutritious animal protein (meat and eggs). Their constellation has been used on Bali since 700 CE."},{"name":"Qedty","hr":7242,"adopted":"2026-08-13","language":"Egyptian","origin":"Qedty (kdty), The Two Nets, is an Egyptian constellation, used in decan star clocks."},{"name":"Qigong","hr":5681,"adopted":"2026-04-15","language":"Chinese","origin":"Qī Gong (Seven Excellencies) is a Chinese asterism composed of seven stars; WGSN named the determinative star after the constellation."},{"name":"Quadrans","hr":5618,"adopted":"2025-02-17","language":"Latin","origin":"Quadrans Muralis is an obsolete constellation invented in 1795 by the French astronomer Jérôme Lalande. WGSN decided to commemorate this constellation as it is the root of the name of the Quadrantide meteor shower that peaks in the first days of January."},{"name":"Ramus","hr":6787,"adopted":"2025-06-17","language":"Latin","origin":"Ramus, The Branch (of golden apples), is an addition to the early modern asterism Cerberus in Hercules. The name occurs in Bayer (1603) as a term but in depiction only later."},{"name":"Ran","hr":1084,"adopted":"2015-12-15","language":"Old Norse","origin":"Ran is the Norse goddess of the sea, who stirs up the waves and captures sailors with her net."},{"name":"Rana","hr":1136,"adopted":"2022-04-04","language":"Latin","origin":"Rana is Latin \"The Frog\". There are several stars named \"frog\" in the Arabic culture but at different places. WGSN placed the name at that constellation of the river."},{"name":"Rangifer","hr":592,"adopted":"2025-12-25","language":"Latin","origin":"Rangifer, the Reindeer, is an extinct constellation first introduced by Pierre-Charles Le Monnier in 1743 in the book La Théorie des Comètes. He aimed to resemble an Indigenous constellation of the Sami people in Northern Scandinavia, where he had travelled to on a geodetic expedition."},{"name":"Rasalas","hr":3905,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of its name for the Arabic Almagest period ra's alasad (al-shamali), \"(the Northern [Part] of) the Lion's Head.\" As originally applied, mu Leo was \"Rasalasad Borealis\" abbreviated in the first Western astronomical source as \"Rasalas. Bor.,\" for lack of space in the line), and epsilon Leo was \"Rasalasad Australis\" (after the Arabic)."},{"name":"Rasalgethi","hr":6406,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied with various spellings since medieval times, from its name for the Arabic Almagest period ra's al-jathi, \"the Kneeler's Head.\""},{"name":"Rasalhague","hr":6556,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied with various spellings since medieval times, from its name for the Arabic Almagest period ra's al-hawwa', \"the Head of the Serpent Collector.\""},{"name":"Rasalnaqa","hr":8965,"adopted":"2025-05-08","language":"Arabic","origin":"The group of stars that Ptolemy called \"The Hand of Andromeda\" is also called \"The Head of the She-Camel\" in an Indigenous Arabian tradition. as-Sufi (11th c. CE) combines these two traditions, and so does IAU by naming one of the star after \"the hand\" and the other one \"the camel's head\""},{"name":"Rastaban","hr":6536,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied with various spellings since medieval times, from the name for the Arabic Almagest period ra's al-tinnin, \"the Serpent's Head,\" for gamma Dra. Transferred to beta Dra in recent times (originally Ptolemy had gamma Dra on the \"head,\" and beta more specifically on the \"eye\")."},{"name":"Regulus","hr":3982,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Latin","origin":"The name is a Latin translation of the ancient Greek name for this star:, \"the (little) King\" or \"the Kingly One\", which is a translation of the Sumerian name of the star: LUGAL (The King). The Romans, following the Greeks, called the star stella regia, \"the Royal Star\". Later, the Medieval Latin Almagest, translating from the Arabic (where in one version the original Greek diminutive had been lost), had rex, \"the King\". The form \"Regulus\" (again, the [little] King\") first appears in 1522, obviously formed by some Early Modern scholar after the Greek diminutive name."},{"name":"Revati","hr":361,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Sanskrit","origin":"Revatī is a Hindu mother goddess, in Sanskrit written. It is also the name of the 27th nakshatra and specifically the star zeta Psc. The Sun passing this star designates the beginning of a new (solar) year."},{"name":"Rhombus","hr":1336,"adopted":"2024-09-19","language":"Latin","origin":"Lacaille named the constellation ''Réticule Rhomboïde'' which may refer to the earlier constellation \"Rhombus\" that Habrecht (1621) defined in the area."},{"name":"Rigel","hr":1713,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"From an abbrevation of its pre-Islamic Arabian (and Arabic) name rijl al-jauza', the Foot of al-jauza'.\" \"Rigel\" is one of the oldest Arabic star names applied in the West, from the end of the 10th century A.D."},{"name":"Rigil Kentaurus","hr":5459,"adopted":"2016-11-06","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from its name for the Arabic Almagest period rijl qanturis, \"the Centaur's Foot\". Today the name is occasionally seen abbreviated as \"Rigil Kent.\""},{"name":"Rotanev","hr":7882,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Latin","origin":"Nicolaus Venator, responsible for 1814 star catalogue)"},{"name":"Ruchbah","hr":403,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of its name for the Arabic Almagest period rukbat dhat al-kursiy, \"the Knee of the Lady of the Chair.\""},{"name":"Rukbat","hr":7348,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of its name for the Arabic Almagest period rukbat al-rami, \"the Archer's Knee\"."},{"name":"Sabik","hr":6378,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from its pre-Islamic Arabian name al-sabiq, of uncertain meaning or connection. The name might mean literally \"the Preceding One\" or \"the One Arriving First in a Race\". Other sources give the name in the dualis form (for the two stars zeta and eta Oph), and in the plural form (for more than two stars)."},{"name":"Saclateni","hr":1612,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Latin","origin":"Eta and Zeta Aurigae, the 8th and 9th stars of Auriga in the Almagest, were referred to as \"the kids\" - Eriphoi (Greek), Haedi (Latin), al-Jadayain (Arabic; al-Sufi). Hyginus (Poetica Astronomica, 2. 13) mentions the Greek astronomer Cleostratus of Tenedos (5th cen. BC) pointed out \"the kids\" among the stars. \"Saclateni\" appeared in the Alfonsine Tables (\"Tabule astronomice Alfonsi Regis\", 1492 print) and may be a corrupted Latinization of the Arabic Gadi-thani, \"second kid\" (Mesnard 1949, \"Les noms arabes d'étoiles\", Ciel et Terre, Vol. 65, p. 70)"},{"name":"Sadachbia","hr":8518,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the Arabic lunar mansion name sa(d al-akhbiya, for gamma, pi, zeta and eta Aqr. A possible meaning for the name is \"the Lucky (Stars) of the Tents\", but the exact historical connections are unknown."},{"name":"Sadalbari","hr":8684,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the pre-Islamic Arabian name sa'd al-bari', for lambda and mu Peg. A possible meaning for the name is \"the Lucky (Stars) of the Excelling One,\" but the exact historical connections are unknown."},{"name":"Sadalmelik","hr":8414,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the Arabic name sa(d al-malik, for alpha and omicron Aqr. A possible meaning for the name is \"the Lucky (Stars) of the King\", but the exact historical connections are unknown."},{"name":"Sadalsuud","hr":8232,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the Arabic lunar mansion name sa(d al-su(ud, for beta and xi Aqr, and 46 Cap. A possible meaning for the name is \"the Luckiest of the Lucky (Stars)\", but the exact historical connections are unknown."},{"name":"Sadr","hr":7796,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"\"Breast\" in Arabic"},{"name":"Safina","hr":8812,"adopted":"2024-12-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"an Indigenous Arabic constellation of the Ship was between Diphda and Fomalhaut (see al Qutayba); WGSN picked one of the possible stars in the area. considering the close vicinity of the Greek star name \"Hydor\" (The Water) north of it, it becomes a sunken treasure ship."},{"name":"Saiph","hr":2004,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"From an abbreviation of the Arabic asterism name saif al-jabbar, the Giant's Sword,\" for eta, c, theta, and iota Ori. Wrongly applied as a star name to kappa Ori in recent times."},{"name":"Salm","hr":8880,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"Bayer (1603) mentions three names: Markab, Sagma and its corruption Salma. Allen (1899, 329) considers the correct form \"Salm\", a Leathern Bucket."},{"name":"Sargas","hr":6553,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Sumerian","origin":"MUL.SHAR.GAZ, \"mul\" is the Sumerian designator for stars and constellations, \"Shargaz\" and \"Sharur\" are two weapons of Marduk (the city god of Babylon and highest god of the Babylonian pantheon after 1250 BCE). The line I ii 31-32 in MUL.APIN read: \"Two stars which stand in the sting of the Scorpion: Sharur and Shargaz\", so these star names have originally been given to the stars lambda and upsilon Sco. The Mesopotamian name \"Sargas\" was linked to the star Theta Sco by Robert Brown Jr. (1893; \"Euphratean Stellar Researches Part II.\") and its subsequent mention in R. H. Allen's (1899) \"Star-names and Their Meanings\" popularized its subsequent use."},{"name":"Sarin","hr":6410,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"unknown","origin":"Name of unknown etymology from the \"Atlas Coeli Skalnaté Pleso\" of Czech astronomer Antonín Bečvář (1901-1965). It is probably a part of the body. The word probably is not of Semit's origin,"},{"name":"Sarvvis","hr":1122,"adopted":"2025-12-25","language":"Sami","origin":"Sarvvis, the reindeer or moose (bull), is an Indigenous constellation, used by the Sami people of northern Scandinavia."},{"name":"Sceptrum","hr":1481,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Latin","origin":"from the obsolete constellation of Sceptrum Brandenburgicum"},{"name":"Scheat","hr":8775,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"From the Arabic word al-saq, \"the shin,\" used in the Arabic Almagest in describing delta Aqr. Wrongly transferred as a star name to beta Peg in late medieval times."},{"name":"Schedar","hr":168,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied with various spellings since medieval times, from the Arabic word al-sadr, \"the breast,\" used in the Arabic Almagest in describing this star."},{"name":"Secunda Hyadum","hr":1373,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Latin","origin":"The Latin term Hyadum II goes back to Flamsteed (1729) in analogy to Hyadum I or Prima Hyadum"},{"name":"Segin","hr":542,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"unknown","origin":"Name of unknown etymology from the \"Atlas Coeli Skalnaté Pleso\" of Czech astronomer Antonín Bečvář (1901-1965)."},{"name":"Seginus","hr":5435,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Latin","origin":"The formation of this name begins with the Greek constellation name (Boötes), which was transliterated and then corrupted in the manuscripts of the Arabic Almagest. One of these corruptions, in turn, was transliterated into Latin as theguius, which became further corrupted into cheguius, ceginus, etc. One form, Ceginus, was applied as a star name by late medieval times, and \"Seginus\" is its recent spelling."},{"name":"Shakata","hr":1407,"adopted":"2026-05-17","language":"Sanskrit","origin":"Rohinīśakata is the Cart of Rohini, a deity represented in the star Aldebaran, and one of the nakshatras. Her cart is traditionally seen in the Hyades star cluster; WGSN represents it by a star within their central area to honour the area's cultural importance."},{"name":"Shakh","hr":7488,"adopted":"2026-06-18","language":"Sumerian","origin":"ŠAH, Pig, is a Sumerian constellation attested in MUL.APIN (dating between 1350 and 1150 BCE). The two stars Alpha and Beta Sagittae look like the nose of the Mesopotamian constellation The Pig. WGSN applies the name to Beta."},{"name":"Sham","hr":7479,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the Arabic constellation name al-sahm, \"the Arrow,\" for Sagitta."},{"name":"Shangcheng","hr":932,"adopted":"2025-12-25","language":"Chinese","origin":"Shàng Chéng (The Great Imperial Minister) and Shào Chéng (The Second Imperial Minister) are the two stars located to the left and right of the northern gate of the Zi Gong (Purple Palace) / Ziwēi Yuán (Purple Enclosure)."},{"name":"Shangwei","hr":2209,"adopted":"2025-12-25","language":"Chinese","origin":"Shàng Wèi (The Great Imperial Guard) is the name of the fifth star on the right wall and the sixth star on the left wall of the Zi Gong (Purple Palace) / Ziwēi Yuán (Purple Forbidden Enclosure), counting northward from the southern gate. Its corresponding star has changed many times throughout history."},{"name":"Shaomin","hr":4133,"adopted":"2024-07-18","language":"Chinese","origin":"Taimin (or Damin) for o Leo and Shaomin (rho Leo) are the two southernmost stars of the Xuanyuan constellation. They were used to star names in ancient China."},{"name":"Shaowei","hr":1148,"adopted":"2025-12-25","language":"Chinese","origin":"Shào Wèi (The Second Imperial Guard) is the sixth star on the right wall of the Zi Gong (Purple Palace) or Ziwēi Yuán (Purple Forbidden Enclosure), counting northward from the southern gate. Although its identification has varied across historical sources, all recorded versions consistently place it within the modern constellation Camelopardalis."},{"name":"Shatabhisha","hr":8698,"adopted":"2025-09-22","language":"Sanskrit","origin":"Śatabhisa, literally \"hundred physicians\", is the name of the 24th nakshatra of Vedic astronomy. Its earliest attestation is in a Vedic religious text (Atharvaveda) from the first millennium BCE, and an astronomy text (Vedanga Jyotisha) that dates around 300 BCE. As the yogatara (main star) of this nakshatra, lambda Aquarii stands \"pars pro toto\" for the entire constellation."},{"name":"Shaula","hr":6527,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Sumerian","origin":"The Arabic lunar mansion \"Al Shaula\" (\"the sting\") refers to the pair Lambda and Upsilon Sco (Al Sufi), the two stars that have been called \"the sting of the Scorpion\" even in MUL.APIN (I ii 31-32) but with different proper names there. \"Shaula\" appeared more in early modern literature for the pair of stinger stars after Hyde's (1665) translation of Ulugh Beg, and specifically for Lambda Sco after Piazzi's (1814) Palermo Catalog."},{"name":"Sheliak","hr":7106,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the Arabic constellation name al-salbaq, \"the Harp,\" for Lyra. salbaq was a Greek loanword in Arabia, and was one of three names of musical instruments used by the Arabics for Lyra. Still other names were alsulalfat, and al-lura."},{"name":"Shengong","hr":6298,"adopted":"2025-10-16","language":"Chinese","origin":"Shengong (Divine Palace) is a subsidiary asterism attached to the lodge Wěi, Tail [of the Azure Dragon], located to the left of its determinative star and consisting of only one star (single star-asterism)."},{"name":"Sheratan","hr":553,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the Arabic lunar mansion name al-shara-tan, for beta and gamma Ari. The name means \"two\" of something, but the complete meaning is uncertain. Some Arabic authors suggested that it meant \"the Two Signs\", implying these stars as some kind of celestial indicator; others assumed it meant \"the Two Horns\", referring to the Arabic figure of al-hamals here."},{"name":"Shimu","hr":215,"adopted":"2025-03-16","language":"Chinese","origin":"\"Tian Shi Mu\", The Eye of the Celestial Pig, is the oldest preserved name for this star in China. Later, this region was named Kui, the Legs, and zeta And was (in historical times before Qing Dynasty) used as the determinative star of this constellation and lunar mansion."},{"name":"Simmakh","hr":80,"adopted":"2026-09-17","language":"Sumerian","origin":"Unlike most zodiac constellations, Pisces was not an ancient Mesopotamian constellation. Cuneiform literature calls this area SIM.MAH, The Swallow. WGSN picked a star that is inside its constellation area, despite transformations, at all times between 1400 and 100 BCE."},{"name":"Sirius","hr":2491,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Greek","origin":"From its ancient Greek name, \"the Scorching one\", or \"Brilliant One\", appropriate for this brightest of the fixed stars. Reapplied in Early Modern times."},{"name":"Situla","hr":8610,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Latin","origin":"A Latin word meaning \"pot\" or \"bucket\", used in Early Modern philological studies as the translation of the Arabic constellation name al-dalw, for Aquarius. Subsequently the word was applied as a star name to k Aqr. The Arabs located al-dalw (\"the Well Bucket\") in today's Square of Pegasus. In that location it corresponded to what in other cultures was Aquarius among the zodiacal signs. The Arabs subsequently used the indigenous name al-dalw for the Greek Water Pourer (Aquarius)."},{"name":"Skat","hr":8709,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied with various spellings since medieval times, from the Arabic word al-saq, \"the shin\", used in the Arabic Almagest in describing this star."},{"name":"Solitaire","hr":5526,"adopted":"2024-10-31","language":"French","origin":"extinct constellations invented by Le Monnier (1776), Latinized \"Turdus Solitarius\", was originally meant to remember the extinct bird \"Rodrigues Solitaire\", but always depicted as a Blue Rock Thrush."},{"name":"Spica","hr":5056,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Latin","origin":"Its ancient Roman name meaning \"the Ear of Grain\", after the star's Greek name of identical meaning (in turn having obvious origins among the Babylonians and Sumerians). Reapplied in Early Modern times."},{"name":"Stellio","hr":8585,"adopted":"2024-08-29","language":"Latin","origin":"Hevelius, who invented the constellation Lacerta sive Stellio (modern Lacerta), gave it the alternative name Stellio in his star catalogue and atlas."},{"name":"Stephanos","hr":5855,"adopted":"2026-05-14","language":"Ancient Greek","origin":", The Wreath, is the ancient Greek name of CrB. It can represent either the laurel wreath of an emperor or victorious athlete, or a bridal wreath."},{"name":"Sualocin","hr":7906,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Latin","origin":"reversed Latin Nicolaus Venator, responsible for 1814 star catalogue)"},{"name":"Subra","hr":3852,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"From the pre-Islamic Arabian lunar mansion name al-zubra, \"the Mane, or Shoulder,\" for delta and theta Leo, associated with the pre-Islamic Arabian asterism al-asad (see epsilon Gem; al-zubra was an alternative name for al-kharatan given under theta Leo). \"Subra\" was wrongly applied as a star name too Leo in recent times."},{"name":"Suhail","hr":3634,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times and representing an abbreviation of any of several composite pre-Islamic Arabian names (for example suhail al-wazn, suhail al-muhlif) that Arabic authors variously attributed to brighter stars in the region of suhail. A Vel was among these brighter stars. Some of the composite names may have been authentic pre-Islamic Arabian names for far-southern stars, with their true identities unknown to the more northern Arabs, while others of them were surely the creations of pre-Islamic Arabian poets."},{"name":"Sukhurmashu","hr":7747,"adopted":"2026-07-16","language":"Akkadian","origin":"Sukhurmashu is the Akkadian original name for this goat-fish; it was considered a benevolent and philanthropic daemon that helps humans to stay healthy and vivid."},{"name":"Sulafat","hr":7178,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from the Arabic constellation name al-sulabfat, \"the Tortoise,\" for Lyra, corresponding to the Greek image of a tortoise shell for the Lyre's soundboard."},{"name":"Syrma","hr":5338,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Greek","origin":"From the Greek word μ, \"train of a dress\", used by Ptolemy in the Almagest in describing this star. The word was applied as a star name in recent times."},{"name":"Tabit","hr":1543,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"Arabic al-thābit 'the endurer (the fixed/constant one)'"},{"name":"Taiyangshou","hr":4518,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Chinese","origin":"traditional Chinese single star asterism: Taiyangshou means \"The Guardian of the Great Yang\" and is the general in charge of the yang valve, symbolising Chief Minister. Xu, Pankenier and Jiang (2000) and Sun Shuwei (Stellarium) evaluating the medieval Song map, both identify chi UMa but Sun and Kistemaker (1997) studying the Han dynasty identify psi UMa."},{"name":"Taiyi","hr":4916,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Chinese","origin":"single star asterism: August Unity, Supreme One"},{"name":"Talitha","hr":3569,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from an abbreviation of the pre-Islamic Arabian name alqafza al-thalitha, \"the Third Leap,\" for iota and kappa UMa. This pair, with the pairs lambda/mu and v/xi UMa, composed the pre-Islamic Arabian asterism qafazat al-ziba', \"the Leaps of the Gazelles,\" imagined as the tracks left by those animals. In some later tradition, qafazat al-ziba' and adjacent asterisms were associated in a fable, where several gazelles leaped away from the Lion into a pond, leaving their tracks behind."},{"name":"Tania Australis","hr":4069,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from their pre-Islamic Arabian name al-qafza al-thaniya, \"the Second Leap\", and the Latin distinctions of \"northern\" and \"southern,\" respectively."},{"name":"Tania Borealis","hr":4033,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from their pre-Islamic Arabian name al-qafza al-thaniya, \"the Second Leap\", and the Latin distinctions of \"northern\" and \"southern,\" respectively."},{"name":"Tarandus","hr":285,"adopted":"2025-12-25","language":"Latin","origin":"Tarandus is an alternative name for the Early Modern European constellation \"Rangifer\", the Reindeer, from Greek (reindeer), Latinised by Carl Linnaeus 1758 \"Cervus Tarandus\" for a species, Jamieson 1822 used \"Rangifer tarandus\" for the reindeer in the sky."},{"name":"Tarazed","hr":7525,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Persian","origin":"Applied in recent times (with a misreading) from abbreviating the Persian asterism name shanin-i tarazu, \"the Scale Beam\", for alpha, beta and gamma Aql. The Persian name, in turn, was a medieval translation of these stars' Arabic name al-mizan, \"the Balance\"."},{"name":"Tarf","hr":3249,"adopted":"2018-06-01","language":"Arabic","origin":"Arabic:, Al-Tarf (The eyes of the lion) is one of the traditional \"Lunar Stations\". It is composed of the 2 stars: epsilon Leo and omicron Leo. However, the name has been in common use for beta Cnc as it was published in the Yale Bright Star Catalogue."},{"name":"Taygeta","hr":1145,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Greek","origin":"These names were individually applied in Early Modern times from a family of characters in Greek mythology: Atlas, Pleione and their seven daughters, the Pleiades."},{"name":"Tegmine","hr":3208,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Latin","origin":"A Latin word in the ablative case meaning \"covering\" or \"shell\" (nominative case would be \"tegmen\"), used in a Early Modern discussion of the constellation Cancer. The word was subsequently applied as a star name to zeta Cnc."},{"name":"Tejat","hr":2286,"adopted":"2017-02-01","language":"Arabic","origin":"From the Arabic word tihyat, said to be the singular form of al-tahayi, an pre-Islamic Arabian name of unknown meaning and disputed identification. In some sources, the plural al-tahayi is assigned to eta, mu, and v Gem. As originally applied in recent times, eta was \"Tejat Prior,\" and mu was Tejat Posterior.\""},{"name":"Telum","hr":7635,"adopted":"2026-06-18","language":"Latin","origin":"Telum, the Dart, has been used as an alternative name for Sagitta in European literature of the past millennium (e.g. Dürer 1515, Uranometria 1603, Kepler 1627). WGSN applies the name to the brightest star of the asterism."},{"name":"Tengshe","hr":8726,"adopted":"2024-09-19","language":"Chinese","origin":"Tengshe or (Téng Shé, Flying Serpent) is a constellation created by ancient Chinese astrologers, dating back to the 2nd century BCE."},{"name":"Tepennekhet","hr":8123,"adopted":"2026-07-16","language":"Egyptian","origin":"Head of the Giant, the Giant (Nekhet) being an important Egyptian constellation, is a star name from the Ramesside Star Clocks (1400 and 1200 BCE)."},{"name":"Tepiamenit","hr":5185,"adopted":"2026-04-15","language":"Egyptian","origin":"Menit, The Mooring Post, is an Egyptian constellation, preserved in Ramesside Star Clocks of the 2nd millennium BCE. Tepiamenit is the \"Predecessor of the Pole\" inside Menit."},{"name":"Terebellum","hr":7597,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Latin","origin":"Ptolemy's Almagest lists four stars in a quadrilateral with omega Sgr the first in the list (the others being A, b, c Sgr). Bayer (1603) concludes this list with the note after \"c\": Has quatuor multi Terebellum seu π vocant. A \"terebellum\" is an auger, so it designates the asterism at the tip of the tail and originally not a specific star."},{"name":"Theemin","hr":1464,"adopted":"2017-02-01","language":"Arabic","origin":"The formation of this name begins with one of the words used by Ptolemy to describe this star in the Almagest: μπ, \"the bend [of the river]\". This was misread by the Arabs, who transliterated the word as bhmn. This, in turn, was transliterated as beemun in the Medieval Latin Almagest, which was corrupted to beemin, beemim, etc. Then in Early Modern times, the derivation of the form beemim was erroneously attributed to the Hebrew word te'omim, \"twins.\" Subsequently this erroneous word, written as Theemim, then \"Theemin,\" was applied as a star name to any of the various dim stars running from u1 to h Eri."},{"name":"Thuban","hr":5291,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"The formation of this name begins with the name for the Arabic Almagest period for gamma Dra: ra's al-tinnin, \"the Serpent's Head.\" In medieval times this was transliterated into Latin as raztaben, rahtaben, razcaben, and several other corruptions (eventually leading to the name for beta Dra). By Early Modern times the form Rastaben had appeared, and this name was erroneously attributed, in its last part, to the Arabic word thu'ban, \"serpent\", rather than to al-tinnin (subsequently thu<ban was wrongly regarded as a name for the Arabic Almagest period for the constellation Draco). Finally in recent times, the erroneous word, written as \"Thuban,\" was applied as a star name to alpha Dra."},{"name":"Tiaki","hr":8636,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Polynesian/Tuamotu","origin":"Makemson (1941: 261 #659) lists Tiaki as the Tuamotuan name for beta Gru, sourcing this to unpublished field data supplied by Kenneth P. Emory (ibid.: 197). However, Emory's star information does not appear in his later publications and has not been located to date in archives of his unpublished material. Stimson's Tuamotuan dictionary (1964: 526) gives the meaning of Tīaki as \"guardian\", \"keeper\" or \"watchman\", but does not list it as a star. He does, however, list Tīakitau as the name of an unidentified star on Anaa, which Makemson (1941: 261 #660) lists separately."},{"name":"Tianbang","hr":6588,"adopted":"2026-06-20","language":"Chinese","origin":"Tiān Bàng (Celestial Flail) is a defensive weapon, attested as constellation since 100 BCE. WGSN represents it by its determinative star."},{"name":"Tianbian","hr":6973,"adopted":"2026-06-18","language":"Chinese","origin":"Tiān Biàn (Market Officer) is a traditional Chinese asterism close to the Celestial Market super-constellation. It literally means “Celestial Cap\" and describes a ceremonial headgear. The name is attested since around 100 BCE. WGSN represents it by its determinative star."},{"name":"Tianfu","hr":7669,"adopted":"2024-05-16","language":"Chinese","origin":"Tianfu was an ancient Chinese constellation consisting of four stars. Their counting order has changed over time but we decided to take the name for the 1st star of the early (before Tang dynasty) version."},{"name":"Tiangang","hr":8576,"adopted":"2026-09-17","language":"Chinese","origin":"Tiān Gāng (Celestial Rope) is a traditional Chinese constellation that represents large ropes used to pitch tents — and symbolically represents the Celestial Military Tent of the emperor on campaign."},{"name":"Tianguan","hr":1910,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Chinese","origin":"Chinese single star asterism, a celestial pass along the ecliptic which opens and closes"},{"name":"Tianji","hr":6212,"adopted":"2026-05-14","language":"Chinese","origin":"Celestial Discipline, is an ancient Chinese asterism of nine stars first recorded in the Western Han Shishi xingjing (Master Shi’s Star Canon)."},{"name":"Tianjinnan","hr":8115,"adopted":"2026-07-16","language":"Chinese","origin":"“Southern star of Tianjin”, the Celestial Ferry, is in the Chinese constellation that allows is celebrated to allow the celestial couple of The Girl and The Cowherd to meet once a year."},{"name":"Tiansi","hr":264,"adopted":"2025-11-13","language":"Chinese","origin":"Tiān Sì (Heavenly Quadriga) is an old Chinese asterism, attested for at least 2000 years. It comprises four of the five stars forming the constellation Wangliang and represents the four horses pulling the chariot. It may thus be regarded as a constituent sub-constellation/asterism of Wangliang. In the literature in English, the name \"Ce\" (old spelling: Tsih) can be found; WGSN corrects this misapplication of an old star name."},{"name":"Tianyi","hr":4863,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Chinese","origin":"Chinese single star asterism: heavenly unity"},{"name":"Tianyue","hr":6700,"adopted":"2026-08-13","language":"Chinese","origin":"Tiān Yuè (Celestial Keyhole) is a Chinese constellation believed to govern the functions of opening and closing."},{"name":"Titawin","hr":458,"adopted":"2015-12-15","language":"Amazigh","origin":"Titawin (also known as Medina of Tetouan) is a settlement in northern Morocco and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Historically it was an important point of contact between two civilizations (Spanish and Arab) and two continents (Europe and Africa) after the 8th century."},{"name":"Toliman","hr":5460,"adopted":"2018-08-10","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from some pre-Islamic Arabian name al-zulman, \"the Ostriches.\" Stars in today's Centaurus were variously identified with one or more ostriches by the pre-Islamic Arabians, but what star or stars were originally designated is unknown."},{"name":"Tonatiuh","hr":4609,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Aztec","origin":"Tonatiuh was the Aztec god of the Sun."},{"name":"Tonglingxing","hr":2527,"adopted":"2026-02-22","language":"Chinese","origin":"Tóng Líng (Phoenix Tree Mound) is a traditional Chinese star name at the right wall of the Purple Palace constellation, rarely used, but ~2000 years old. WGSN uses \"Tonglingxing\" to avoid confusion with an asteroid name."},{"name":"Torcular","hr":510,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Latin","origin":"The traditional name Torcularis septentrionalis (northern wine press) was taken from the 1515 Almagest (Latin translation) and abbreviated."},{"name":"Triminus","hr":642,"adopted":"2025-08-25","language":"Latin","origin":"The star iota Tri (iota or 6 Trianguli) is the brightest one in the early modern variant of a lesser triangle next to the recognisable classical asterism within the constellation Triangulum. The name is composed of the IAU-abbreviation \"Tri\" and Hevelius's name \"Minus\" for the lesser triangle. The name applies to the visible dot in the sky, so that \"iot Tri A\" is \"Triminus A\". The other component is not visible to the naked eye."},{"name":"Tugongli","hr":8665,"adopted":"2026-08-13","language":"Chinese","origin":"Tu Gong Lì (Clerks of the Earth Official) is an ancient Chinese two-star asterism."},{"name":"Tureis","hr":3185,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"From the Arabic word al-turais, \"the Little Shield,\" used in the Arabic Almagest in describing several stars (rho Pup not among them) in the constellation Argo. Wrongly applied as a star name to rho Pup in recent times."},{"name":"Tusizuo","hr":6895,"adopted":"2025-06-17","language":"Chinese","origin":"Tú Sì (\"Butcher's Shop\") is a Chinese asterism consisting of two stars, established by the Wuxian school during the Han dynasty. As \"Tusi\" could be confused with other celestial bodies named Tusi after two Persian astronomers (asteroid (10269) Tusi and asteroid (7058) Al-Tusi), WGSN chose to add a determinative here. The chosen star 95 Her is \"the left one in Tusi\", in Chinese \"Tusizuo\", so WGSN adopts this name."},{"name":"Udang","hr":8075,"adopted":"2026-02-22","language":"Balinese","origin":"Udang, \"the Shrimp\", is an Oceanic name from Bali (Indonesia). It is anchored in the cultural calendar called \"Palelintangan\" which is attested for ~1300 years. Particularly whiteleg and tiger shrimp are leading fishery commodity in Bali with significant economic potential."},{"name":"Udkadua","hr":8961,"adopted":"2025-05-08","language":"Sumerian","origin":"The Sumerian term UD.KA.DU8.A is a compound, literally meaning \"the storm demon with the gaping mouth\". This Babylonian constellation is at least 3000 years old; the star named after it is its heel. It was highly important, as it was used for time-measurement for at least a millennium (if not longer)."},{"name":"Ukdah","hr":3845,"adopted":"2018-06-01","language":"Arabic","origin":"Kazwini knew the stars tau1, tau2 Hya as uqdah (or ukdah), Arabic \"knot\". Rhoads (1971) considers this asterism consisting of four stars: tau1, tau2, 33 and iota Hya."},{"name":"Unukalhai","hr":5854,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from its name for the Arabic Almagest period 'unuq al-hayya, \"the Serpent's Neck.\""},{"name":"Uridim","hr":5469,"adopted":"2024-09-12","language":"Sumerian","origin":"The constellation of Lupus is one of the few ancient \"Greek\" constellation outside the zodiac that was directly taken over from a Babylonian constellation. The Sumerian term for this creature was UR.IDIM, later alternatively written \"Uridimmu\" in the Akkadian language (the literal Akkadian translation of UR.IDIM would be \"kalbu šegû\", according to lexical lists)."},{"name":"Urquchillay","hr":7057,"adopted":"2026-06-18","language":"Quechua","origin":"Urquchillay, the Llama of Many Colors, is the name of the Inka god of livestock and wildlife; it was the protector of animal. Its constellation covers large areas of Lyra; WGSN adopts the name for a star close the the god's heart."},{"name":"Vega","hr":7001,"adopted":"2016-06-30","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in medieval times from an abbreviation of its pre-Islamic Arabian name alnasr al-waqi', \"the Swooping Eagle (or Vulture),\" alternatively used as an asterism name for alpha, epsilon, and zeta Lyr. \"Vega\" is one of the oldest Arabic star names applied in the West, from the end of the 10th century A.D."},{"name":"Veritate","hr":8930,"adopted":"2015-12-15","language":"Latin","origin":"From the latin \"Veritas\", truth. The ablative form means \"where there is truth\"."},{"name":"Vindemiatrix","hr":4932,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Latin","origin":"The formation of this name begins with the classical Greek name for this star: Protrygeter (\"the Grape Gatherer\") as it is given in the Almagest: omicron v μ. The Romans translated this name as vindemiator and other similiar masculine forms. Similarly, after a somewhat erroneous translation of the Greek name by the Arabs, the Medieval Latin translation in the Almagest was precedens vindemiatorem, \"the One preceding the Grape Gatherer\", modified in some editions of the Alphonsine Tables into precedens vindemitorem. The exact origin of the current, feminine \"Vindemiatrix\" from any of these forms is uncertain, but it first appeared in Early Modern times."},{"name":"Waiping","hr":224,"adopted":"2026-09-17","language":"Chinese","origin":"Wài Píng (Outer Fence) is a traditional Chinese asterism belonging to the Kui mansion, whose name-giving constellation was called a pig (Shimu) in ancient times. The fence makes the pigsty unseen."},{"name":"Wasat","hr":2777,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"From the Arabic word wasat, \"middle,\" used by a Arabic commentator who was speculating on the meaning of the pre-Islamic Arabian constellation name al-jauza'. Reference was made to al-jauza's being in the \"middle\" (wasat) of the sky (perhaps meaning the celestial equator). The reference was intended to apply to the pre-Islamic Arabian figure located in today's Orion, however it was under the constellation which is today Gemini that the reference appeared (note the confusion between Orion and Gemini mentioned under alpha Ori). Therefore, after transliteration into Latin, it was in Gemini (to delta) that the word \"Wasat\" was arbitrarily applied as a star name in recent times."},{"name":"Wazn","hr":2040,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from some pre-Islamic Arabian name al-wazn, of unknown significance."},{"name":"Wezen","hr":2693,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"From the Arabic name al-wazn, for one of a pair of stars, the other one being hadari. Arabic authors ventured to identify these stars as alpha/beta Cen or alpha/beta Col, but exactly what two stars were originally intended, and the significance of their names, is unknown. As a common noun in Arabic, al-wazn means \"the weight\". \"Wezen\" was arbitrarily applied to delta CMa in recent times."},{"name":"Wurren","hr":338,"adopted":"2017-11-17","language":"Aboriginal/ Wardaman","origin":"Wurren is the Wardaman name of zeta Phe, from the Northern Territory, Australia. Wurren means “child” and refers to the “Little Fish”, a child of Dungdung – the life-creating Frog Lady. Wurren gives water to Gawalyan, the echidna (Achernar), which they direct Earthly initiates to carry in small bowls. The water came from a great waterfall used to cool the people during the ceremony. Just as the water at the base of the waterfall keeps people cool and rises to the sky as mist, the water in the initiates’ bowls keeps them cool and symbolically transforms into clouds that bring the wet rains of the monsoon season. These ceremonies occur in late December when the weather is hot and these stars are high in the evening sky, signalling the start of the monsoon."},{"name":"Xami","hr":5463,"adopted":"2024-12-12","language":"\\Xam-dialect of Khoe","origin":"The South African asterism \"Eyes of the Lion\" refers to alpha and beta Centauri. Assuming these bright stars are the eyes, the face of this creature \"Xami\" covers alf Cir, and the constellation Circinus does not have any mythology or alternative name. Therefore, WGSN decided for an Indigenous name for this main star of a constellation."},{"name":"Xamidimura","hr":6247,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Khoekhoe","origin":"Originally spelled as three word \"xami di mura\" means \"eyes of the beast\" in the Khoekhoe language (South Africa). The term designates two stars which is why it was suggested (Hahn 1881) to refer to mu Sco as this star appears as a visual pair of two dots of light. Yet, today's identification popularized by the SAAO differs."},{"name":"Xihe","hr":7043,"adopted":"2019-12-17","language":"Chinese","origin":"Xihe is the goddess of the sun in the Chinese mythology and also represents the earliest astronomers and developers of calendars in ancient China."},{"name":"Xuange","hr":5351,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Chinese","origin":"single star asterism: a halberd, the celestial lance or north lance."},{"name":"Yaqana","hr":6115,"adopted":"2026-06-18","language":"Quechua","origin":"Yaqana is a mother llama and forms a super-constellation with Uñallamacha, the baby llama. They rise in the sky when baby llamas are born on Earth."},{"name":"Yed Posterior","hr":6075,"adopted":"2016-10-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"Originally from the Arabic word al-yad, \"the hand,\" used in the Arabic Almagest in describing these stars. yed was applied as a star name to delta Oph in medieval times. Then in recent times, this application was extended to include both delta and epsilon, with the addition of the Latin distinctions for \"foremost\" and \"hindmost,\" respectively."},{"name":"Yed Prior","hr":6056,"adopted":"2016-11-06","language":"Arabic","origin":"Originally from the Arabic word al-yad, \"the hand,\" used in the Arabic Almagest in describing these stars. yed was applied as a star name to delta Oph in medieval times. Then in recent times, this application was extended to include both delta and epsilon, with the addition of the Latin distinctions for \"foremost\" and \"hindmost,\" respectively."},{"name":"Yildun","hr":6789,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"From the Turkish word yildiz, \"star.\" In Early Modern times this common noun was erroneously said to be a Turkish name for the Pole Star (alpha UMi). Misspelled as \"Yildun,\" the word was arbitrarily applied as a star name to delta UMi in recent times."},{"name":"Yunyu","hr":8852,"adopted":"2026-09-17","language":"Chinese","origin":"Yún Yu (Cloud and Rain) is a four-star Chinese asterism which forms a super-constellation with Pili and Leidian; it is associated with plentiful, auspicious rainfall and the flourishing of plants. They have been documented for at least 2000 years."},{"name":"Yunü","hr":3980,"adopted":"2024-07-18","ascii":"Yunu","language":"Chinese","origin":"Yunü is the star in the middle of the southernmost stars of the Xuanyuan constellation. The correct transliteration is \"Yunü\"."},{"name":"Yuyu","hr":3475,"adopted":"2026-02-22","language":"Javanese","origin":"Yuyu is a word from Javanese, inherited from Old Javanese \"hayuyu\", spoken on the island of Java, Indonesia. It means \"freshwater crab\". The animal can be found in rice fields in Indonesia and the constellation is attested for at least 1300 years."},{"name":"Zaniah","hr":4689,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"From an abbreviation of the pre-Islamic Arabian name zawiyat al-'awwa', \"the Angle of al-'awwa',\" for gamma Vir. Wrongly transferred to eta Vir in recent times."},{"name":"Zaurak","hr":1231,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Arabic","origin":"From the Arabic word zauraq, \"boat,\" used in an unaginat1ve, nonclassical description of several stars near Eridanus (evidently the stars of today's Phoenix). Arbitrarily applied as a star name toy Eri in recent times."},{"name":"Zavijava","hr":4540,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"From a contraction of the pre-Islamic Arabian name zawiyat al-'awwa', \"the Angle of al-'awwa',\" for gamma Vir. Wrongly transferred to beta Vir in recent times. The stars beta, eta, gamma, and epsilon Vir marked the pre-Islamic Arabian lunar mansion al-'awwa' (with gamma in its \"angle\"), but the meaning of al-'awwa' is unknown."},{"name":"Zhang","hr":3903,"adopted":"2017-06-30","language":"Chinese","origin":"determinitive star of lunar mansion Zhang (The Stomach [of the Red Fire Bird] or a Bow or Bird Catcher, an Extended Net, Spread or \"to open\") whose naming constellation constists of 6 stars according to sources back to the 3rd millennium BCE"},{"name":"Zhou","hr":5867,"adopted":"2024-12-05","language":"Chinese","origin":"This is a traditional Chinese star name of one of the stars in the historical Chinese constellation of Tianshi (Celestial Marketplace)."},{"name":"Zibal","hr":984,"adopted":"2016-09-12","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in recent times from a misreading of the pre-Islamic Arabian name al-ri'al, \"the Young of the Ostriches,\" for the numerous dim stars running between alpha Eri and alpha PsA (or, according to another tradition, those within the triangle formed by alpha Phe/alpha PsA/beta Cet)."},{"name":"Zibbatu","hr":7203,"adopted":"2026-09-17","language":"Akkadian","origin":"Zibbatu is Akkadian for The Tails, referring to the \"Tails of the Swallow\", an asterism in the Mesopotamian constellation of The Swallow (SIM.MAH), which has been used in the Astronomical Diaries of Babylon for many centuries BCE to describe planet positions in Pisces."},{"name":"Zosma","hr":4357,"adopted":"2016-07-20","language":"Greek","origin":"From the Greek word μ, \"girdle\" or \"loin cloth\". In Early Modern times this word was erroneously said to have been used to describe delta Leo in a medieval Greek text. Correctly, the text has, \"hip\" or \"lower back\" (after Ptolemy). The name \"Zosma\" (transliterated from the erroneous Greek word) was applied in recent times."},{"name":"Zubenelgenubi","hr":5531,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in Early Modern times from its name for the Arabic Almagest period al-zubana al-janubi, the Southern Claw (of the Scorpion).\" The stars of Libra were interpreted by the Baby!onians as \"the Claws of Scorpius\" (thus forming a much larger Scorpion), and alternatively (perhaps in a more recent stage) they were made an independent constellation, \"the Balance.\" Both these conceptions lived on until the Greeks and, partly, the pre-Islamic Arabians. Previous to Greek influences, the pre-Islamic Arabians used the name al-zubanayan, \"the Two Claws (of the Scorpion},\" for the lunar mansion marked by alpha and beta Lib. (Ind-A al-zubanayan is obviously related etymologically to Babylonian zibanutu, but the latter, also marked by alpha and beta Lib, meant \"the Balance\"). Our modern name is occasionally seen abbreviated as Zuben'ubi\"."},{"name":"Zubenelhakrabi","hr":5787,"adopted":"2017-09-05","language":"Arabic","origin":"Allen (1899) claims that this term was used for eta Lib while “properly belonging to gamma Scorpii”. He gives the name “Zubān al Akrab, the Scropion’s Claw,” with the spelling variants Zuban al Kravi, Zuben Acrabi, Zuben Hakrabi where the last one goes back to Bayer’s Uranometria (1603). Yet, Bayer’s gamma Scorpii is now sigma Lib (Brachium) and Bayer’s gamma Lib was named “in media lance Boreali prima et superior”."},{"name":"Zubeneschamali","hr":5685,"adopted":"2016-08-21","language":"Arabic","origin":"Applied in Early Modern times from its name for the Arabic Almagest period al-zubana alshamali, \"the Northern Claw (of the Scorpion)\"."},{"name":"Zuoqi","hr":7536,"adopted":"2026-06-18","language":"Chinese","origin":"Zuo Qí (Left Flag) is a Chinese asterism consisting of nine stars and attested for more than 2000 years. It belongs to the super-constellation of flags and drums as signal transmitter. WGSN represents it by its determinative star."},{"name":"Áldu","hr":1220,"adopted":"2025-12-25","ascii":"Aldu","language":"Sami","origin":"Áldu, the Reindeer Cow, in Sami language. The Sami constellation of the reindeer is usually called with the male term \"Sarvvis\", but mythology reports it keeping its antlers during winter, which only females do."}]}