Corona Borealis
Encyclopedia
Corona Borealis is a small constellation
in the northern sky. Its name is Latin
for "northern crown", a name inspired by its shape; its main star
s form a semicircular arc. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy
and remains one of the 88 modern constellations.
stars. Its brightest star, α CrB (Alphecca, also known as Gemma) is of magnitude 2.2 (slightly variable
) and is considered a member of the diffuse Ursa Major Moving Group
. The constellation contains several interesting variable stars: two of the best known are R Coronae Borealis
and T Coronae Borealis
.
containing over 400 members, the
brightest of which are a very high magnitude: of 16th magnitude
.
, Corona Borealis was sometimes considered to represent a crown that was given by Dionysus
to Ariadne
, the daughter of Minos
of Crete (the story is told by Ovid
, Fasti III 459-516). In Welsh mythology
, it was called Caer Arianrhod, "the Castle of the Silver Circle", and was the heavenly abode of the Lady Arianrhod
(Squire, 2000:154-155). In Arabic mythology, the constellation was known as "the bowl of the poor people" from the Arabic name قصعة المساكين, since the stars form an unsymmetrical pattern with an indent in one side, similar to the bowl of the poor. The Arabs also called the constellation Alphecca (a name later given to lpha Corona Borealis), which means separated or broken up since the stars of Corona Borealis resembles a loose string of jewels.
, the constellation is called womera ("the boomerang") due to the shape of the stars.
The Cheyenne
nation of Native Americans
called the main stars of this constellation the "Camp Circle" as they arranged their camps in a semicircle. Native Americans also used stars to make designs in the ground at the Medicine Wheel in Bighorn National Forest, Wyoming, USA
In Chinese astronomy
, the stars of Corona Borealis are located within the Heavenly Market enclosure
(天市垣, Tiān Shì Yuán)
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
in the northern sky. Its name is Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for "northern crown", a name inspired by its shape; its main star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
s form a semicircular arc. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
and remains one of the 88 modern constellations.
Stars
Corona Borealis has no first magnitudeMagnitude (astronomy)
Magnitude is the logarithmic measure of the brightness of an object, in astronomy, measured in a specific wavelength or passband, usually in optical or near-infrared wavelengths.-Background:...
stars. Its brightest star, α CrB (Alphecca, also known as Gemma) is of magnitude 2.2 (slightly variable
Variable star
A star is classified as variable if its apparent magnitude as seen from Earth changes over time, whether the changes are due to variations in the star's actual luminosity, or to variations in the amount of the star's light that is blocked from reaching Earth...
) and is considered a member of the diffuse Ursa Major Moving Group
Ursa Major Moving Group
The Ursa Major Moving Group, also known as Collinder 285 or Ursa Major association, is a nearby stellar moving group, a set of stars with common velocities in space and thought to have a common origin. Its core is located roughly 80 light years away...
. The constellation contains several interesting variable stars: two of the best known are R Coronae Borealis
R Coronae Borealis
R Coronae Borealis is a yellow supergiant star, and is the prototype of the RCB class of variable stars, which fade by several magnitudes at irregular intervals...
and T Coronae Borealis
T Coronae Borealis
T Coronae Borealis , informally nicknamed the Blaze Star, is a recurring nova in the constellation Corona Borealis. It normally has a magnitude of about 10, which is near the limit of typical binoculars. It has been seen to outburst twice, reaching magnitude 2.0 on May 12, 1866 and magnitude 3.0...
.
Named Stars
| Bayer Bayer designation A Bayer designation is a stellar designation in which a specific star is identified by a Greek letter, followed by the genitive form of its parent constellation's Latin name... |
Name | Origin | Meaning The Northern Crown |
|---|---|---|---|
| α | Alphekka/Gemma | Arabic | "The broken" crown of stars |
| β | Nusakan | Arabic | The two series |
| T | Blaze Star | English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria... |
The star that blazes |
Deep sky objects
Corona Borealis contains no bright deep sky objects. Abell 2065 is a highly concentrated galaxy clusterGalaxy cluster
A galaxy cluster is a compact cluster of galaxies. Basic difference between a galaxy group and a galaxy cluster is that there are many more galaxies in a cluster than in a group. Also, galaxies in a cluster are more compact and have higher velocity dispersion. One of the key features of cluster is...
containing over 400 members, the
brightest of which are a very high magnitude: of 16th magnitude
Apparent magnitude
The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere...
.
Mythology
In Greek mythologyGreek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, Corona Borealis was sometimes considered to represent a crown that was given by Dionysus
Dionysus
Dionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
to Ariadne
Ariadne
Ariadne , in Greek mythology, was the daughter of King Minos of Crete, and his queen Pasiphaë, daughter of Helios, the Sun-titan. She aided Theseus in overcoming the Minotaur and was the bride of the god Dionysus.-Minos and Theseus:...
, the daughter of Minos
Minos
In Greek mythology, Minos was a king of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa. Every year he made King Aegeus pick seven men and seven women to go to Daedalus' creation, the labyrinth, to be eaten by The Minotaur. After his death, Minos became a judge of the dead in Hades. The Minoan civilization of Crete...
of Crete (the story is told by Ovid
Ovid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
, Fasti III 459-516). In Welsh mythology
Welsh mythology
Welsh mythology, the remnants of the mythology of the pre-Christian Britons, has come down to us in much altered form in medieval Welsh manuscripts such as the Red Book of Hergest, the White Book of Rhydderch, the Book of Aneirin and the Book of Taliesin....
, it was called Caer Arianrhod, "the Castle of the Silver Circle", and was the heavenly abode of the Lady Arianrhod
Arianrhod
Arianrhod is a figure in Welsh mythology who plays her most important role in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi. She is the daughter of Dôn and the sister of Gwydion and Gilfaethwy; the Welsh Triads give her father as Beli Mawr...
(Squire, 2000:154-155). In Arabic mythology, the constellation was known as "the bowl of the poor people" from the Arabic name قصعة المساكين, since the stars form an unsymmetrical pattern with an indent in one side, similar to the bowl of the poor. The Arabs also called the constellation Alphecca (a name later given to lpha Corona Borealis), which means separated or broken up since the stars of Corona Borealis resembles a loose string of jewels.
Equivalents
In Australian Aboriginal astronomyAustralian Aboriginal astronomy
Australian Aboriginal astronomy is a name given to indigenous Australian culture relating to astronomical subjects — such as the Sun and Moon, the stars, planets, and the Milky Way, and their motions on the sky...
, the constellation is called womera ("the boomerang") due to the shape of the stars.
The Cheyenne
Cheyenne
Cheyenne are a Native American people of the Great Plains, who are of the Algonquian language family. The Cheyenne Nation is composed of two united tribes, the Só'taeo'o and the Tsétsêhéstâhese .The Cheyenne are thought to have branched off other tribes of Algonquian stock inhabiting lands...
nation of Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
called the main stars of this constellation the "Camp Circle" as they arranged their camps in a semicircle. Native Americans also used stars to make designs in the ground at the Medicine Wheel in Bighorn National Forest, Wyoming, USA
In Chinese astronomy
Chinese astronomy
Astronomy in China has a very long history, with historians considering that "they [the Chinese] were the most persistent and accurate observers of celestial phenomena anywhere in the world before the Arabs."...
, the stars of Corona Borealis are located within the Heavenly Market enclosure
Heavenly Market enclosure
Tian Shi Yuan, the Heavenly Market Enclosure , is one of the San Yuan or Three enclosures. Stars and constellations of this group are visible during late summer and early autumn in the Northern Hemisphere . The summer triangle lies directly to the northwest.-Asterisms:The asterisms are :...
(天市垣, Tiān Shì Yuán)