Star Names

Most of the stars in sky today come from the names given in this list are derived from the early Arabic astronomers, most notably the PersianAbd al Rahman Abu al HusaincalledAl Sufi [The Mystic orThe Sage]. However, the named stars had a long tradition starting with the Egyptians, through the Greeks and then the Romans to the Arabian scholars. What is often forgotten is that the first true library was at Alexandria in what is now modern Egypt and the first university was in Tim Buk Tu in north central Africa. While Europe was deep in the dark ages, classical scholarship was active in northern Africa and the Middle East. SomehowSirius[the oldest of all star names] is a lot more pleasing to the ear thanHD48915 orSAO151881 orBD-16 1591 or evenAlpha Canis Major. Even late comers likeProcyon [Greek],Arcturus[Roman] andCor Caroli [Modern Latin] are easier to place than a catalog number. Many of these names can be found inRichard Hinckley Adam's [RHA] bookStar Names, Their Lore and Meaning (1899).

When this essay was first published, it contained a substantial number of poor or simply incorrect translations of Arabic names. I am grateful to Haim Guy for pointing out these errors. Their removal has improved this document. As always any remaining errors remain the fault of the author.

Many words simply mean common parts of the body. These include:

¹From which we get the star Marfak.

Other parts of the star names come from the Arabic equivalent of the Roman constellation. In most case the names if they are not exact derivations are similar, but a few bear little or no relationship. These cross index constellations include:

A few words are adjectives and articles:

Al             The [or] Of TheAkbar          GreaterAsghar         LesserJanubiyyah     SouthernKhawwar        Faint [or] DimMusalSalah     ChainedNasr           BlackNair           Shining [or] BrightShamaliyyah    NorthernSuud           Lucky [or] FortunateWazn           WeightYamin          Right

Many of the words have been horribly mutilated as they moved from the classical Arabic to modern usage.

• ¹ One of the fascinating things that happens when you edit an astronomy website is that knowledgeable people actually review your material. This is what has happened with the naming of Orion's great red star Betelgeuse. I an indebted to Brian Tung for this material which I quote as he wrote to me in detail:
• • You've undoubtedly gotten notes on this, but the etymology of Betelgeuse you give in your Star Names essay has generally been discredited. As Paul Kunitzsch writes in the January 1983 issue of Sky and Telescope, the original Arabic was [yad al-jawza], "the hand of al-Jawza [Orion]." How did the initial 'y' become a 'b'? A simple transliteration error: The two letters look very similar, differing only in a diacritical mark-- a 'y' has two dots under the letter, and a 'b' has only one. Thus, in the 13th century, a star table prepared by John of London (but living in Paris!) named it "Bedalgeuze."
  • This table was the source for many European scholars, who had to guess what this initial "bed" or "bad" might be in Arabic (no such word exists). Joseph Scaliger (1540-1609), the developer of the Julian dating, decided that it had to be a transliteration of Arabic [bat], "armpit." However, that word would not be written like that; it would be written [ibt] (as you mention in your essay). The Dutch philosopher Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) thought, on the other hand, that it was from Hebrew [bath], meaning "pupil [of the eye]" or "daughter." Both were plausible, given the best data that either scholar had at the time, but since they were based on a faulty transcription, they are both in error.
  • The correct explanation had been given no later than an 1665 edition of the Ulugh Beg star catalogue produced by the English Semitic scholar Thomas Hyde (1636-1703), but it has generally been ignored in favor of the more dramatic "armpit" etymology.
• Thanks Brian. Your information is appreciated. I guess I'll have to explain to visitors that the old armpit is simply a hand now.

TheHYADES contain the following stars which are all Greek names:

AmbrosiaEudoraKleeaKoronisPhaeoPhaesulaPolyxo

ThePLEIADES contain the following stars (with their meanings):

Atlas  A Titan (precursor of the Olympic Gods) who fathers the PLEIADES.Pleione  Mother of the PLEIADES who gave the group its nameMaia  First born and most beautiful daughter (May)Alcyone  HalcyonElectra  SorrowfulMerope  MortalTaygeta  Bountiful [Harvest]Celaeno  Lightning struckSterope  Lost sister

This document was authored by Les Coleman and is subject to Copyrights belonging to Les Coleman. This material may be referenced and reproduced as long as proper attribution is given as specified inProper Usage Guidelines for Frosty Drew and Related Materials.

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