|
Constellation | Pronunciation | Mythology | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
SOL The Sun
| - | 0 | -27 | G2 V | Yellow Main Sequence | Hey, it's Ours ! | |
Wolf 359 | - | 7.7 | 13.5 | M6 V | Red Main Sequence | 3rd Closest Star |
Andromeda | an DROM eh duh | The Princess | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Sirrah
aka - Alpheratz
means: Horse's Navel Alpha Andromedae
| 0h 8' 23" +29� 5' 26" | 72 | 2.1 | A0 V | Blue White Main Sequence | one corner of - The Great Square - once considered part of the constellation Pegasus | |
Mirach
means: Girdle Beta Andy
| 1h 9' 44" +35� 37' 14" | 88 | 2.1 | M0 III | Red Giant | ||
Almach
aka - Almak, Alamak Gamma Andy
| 2h 3' 54" +42� 19' 47" | 120 | 2.2 5
| A0 K2 III | 2 Blue White Main Sequence orbit 1 Orange Giant | ||
Adhil
Xi Andromedae
| 1h 22' 20.3 +45� 31' 44 | 195 | 4.87 | K0 III-IV | Orange Sub Giant |
Aquarius | uh QUARE ee us | The Water Bearer | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Sadalmelik
"lucky one of the king" Alpha Aquarii
| 22h 5' 47 -0� 19' 11 | 760 | 3 | G2 Ib | Yellow Supergiant | Lies almost exactly on the Celestial Equator | |
Sadalsud
"luckiest of the lucky" Beta Aquarii
| 21h 31' 33 -5� 34' 16 | 610 | 2.9 | G0 Ib | Yellow Supergiant | ||
Sadachbia
"lucky one of tents" Gamma Aquarii
| 22h 21' 39 -1� 23' 14 | 158 | 3.8 | A0 V | Blue White Main Sequence | Part of "The Tent" including Zeta, Eta and Pi Aquarii | |
Skat
aka - Scheat - "shin" Delta Aquarii
| 22h 54' 39 -15� 49' 15 | 159 | 3.3 | A3 V | Blue White Main Sequence |
Aquila | uh QUILL uh | The Eagle | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Altair
pronounced: "ALL-tare" Alpha Aquillae
| 19h 50' 47 +08� 52' 6 | 16.8 | .8 | A7 IV-V | Blue White Sub-Giant | part of the - Summer Triangle - Among the Closest stars | |
* | Alshain Beta Aquillae
| 19h 55' 19 +6� 24' 24 | 45 | 3.7 ( 4 + 11 )
| G8 IV | Yellow Sub-Giant 1 Faint Companion | |
Tarazed
say: "TAR ah zed" Gamma Aquillae
| 19h 46' 15 +10� 36' 48 | 460 | 2.7 | K3 II | Orange Bright Giant |
Aries | AIR ease | The Ram | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Hamal
say: "ha MALL" means: "lamb" Alpha Arietis
| 2h 7' 10 +23� 27' 45 | 66 | 2.01 | K2 III | Orange Giant | Forms flat scalene triangle with Beta and Gamma | |
Sheratan
means: "two signs" Beta Arietis
| 1h 54' 38 +20� 48' 29 | 60 | 2.64 | A5 V | Blue White Main Sequence | ||
Gamma 1 Arietis
Mesarthim
Gamma 2 Arietis
| 1h 53' 32 +19� 17' 40 | 205 | 3.88 4.58 | B9 V A1 | Blue - Blue White Main Sequence | Orbital Binary |
Auriga | or EE gah | The Charioteer | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
* | Capella
say: "ka-PELL-ah" means: "little she-goat" Alpha Aurigae
| 5h 16' 41.3 +45� 59' 53 | 42 | .08 10
| G5III +G0III | Yellow Giant 1 Faint Companion | 6th Brightest Star half way between Celestial Equator and North Celestial Pole |
� | Menkalinan
"rein-holder's shoulder" Beta Aurigae
| 5h 59' 31.7 +44� 56' 51 | 82 | 1.90 | A2 IV | Blue White Bright Giant 1 Faint Companion | Eclipsing Binary Variable Brightness |
Bootes | bo OH teez | The Herdsman | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Arcturus
say: "ark-TOUR-us"
aka - Algon
Alpha Bootis
| 14h 15' 40 +19� 10' 57 | 36.7 | -.05 | K1 III | Yellow Orange Giant | 4th Brightest - bright enough to see its orange color | |
Nekkar
means: "ox-driver" Beta Bootis
| 15h 1' 57 +40� 23' 26 | 220 | 3.5 | G8 III | Yellow Giant | Marks top of The Kite | |
Seginus
Gamma Bootis
| 14h 32' 5 +38� 18' 29 | 85 | 3 | A7 III | Blue White Giant | ||
Izar
aka - Pulcherrima Epsilon Bootis
| 14h 44' 59 +27� 4' 30 | 210 | 2.6 3 and 5
| K0 II-III A0 V
| Orange Giant Binary Blue Main Sequence | Triple Star appears Gold and Green | |
Mu 1 Bootis Alkalurops
"herdsman's staff"
Mu 2A Bootis
Mu 2B Bootis | 15h 24' 30 +37� 20' 40 | 121 | 4.3 | F0 V | White Main Sequence 2 Faint Companions | ||
15h 24' 31 +37� 20' 51 | 122 | 7.1 7.7 | G1 V G2 V | Yellow Binary Main Sequence | |||
Xi 1 Bootis Xi 2 Bootis | 14h 52' 23 +19� 6' 3 | 21.8 | 4.5 7 | G8 V K4 V | Yellow and Orange Main Sequence | Orbital Binary |
Cancer | CAN sir | The Crab | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Acubens
Arabic: "claws" Alpha Cancri
| 8h 58' 29 +11� 51' 28 | 173 | 4.3 | A5 V | Blue White Main Sequence | ||
Al Tarf
Arabic: "the end" Beta Cancri
| 8h 16' 31 +9� 11' 8 | 290 | 3.5 | K4 III | Orange Giant | ||
Asellus
Borealis "northern ass" Gamma Cancri
| 8h 43' 17 +21� 28' 6 | 158 | 4.7 | A1 V | Blue White Main Sequence | ||
Asellus
Australis "southern ass" Delta Cancri
| 8h 44' 41 +18� 9' 15 | 136 | 3.9 | K0 III | Orange Giant |
Canes Venatici | KAY knees vee NAT eh see | The Hunting Dogs | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Alpha Cavey
Cor Caroli means: "Charles' heart"
aka - Asterion means: "starry one"
| 12h 56' 1 +38 19 | 82 | 5.6 2.9 | F0V A0 | White and Blue White Main Sequence Orbital Binary | ||
Chara
means: "beloved" Beta Canum
Venaticorum | 12h 33' 45 +41� 21' 27 | 27 | 4.3 | G0 V | Yellow Main Sequence | One of the Closest Stars |
Canis Major | KAY nis MAY jor | The Greater Dog | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
� | Sirius
say: "SEE-ree-us"
aka - Isis - The Dog Star Alpha
Canis Majoris | 6h 45' 9 -16� 42' 58 | 8.6 | -1.5 | A1 V | Blue-White Sub-Giant 1 Companion White Dwarf | Brightest Star 5th Closest shone bright Red only 2000 yrs. ago |
Sirius B
"The Pup"
aka - The Dogon Star
| - | . | . | . | Close orbiting White Dwarf | 50 year orbit of Sirius Dogon tribe of Africa has ancient knowledge of | |
Mirzam
Nose of the Dog Beta Canis Majoris
| 6h 22' 42 -17� 57' 22 | 499 | 2 | B1 II-III | Blue Giant | slightly variable | |
Muliphen
Ear of the Dog Gamma Canis Majoris
| 7h 3' 45 -15� 38' 0 | 403 | 4.1 | B8 II | Blue Giant | ||
Wezen
means: "the weight" Delta Canis Majoris
| 7h 8' 23 -26� 23' 35 | 1800 | 1.8 | F8 Ia | White Supergiant | ||
Adhara
means: "the virgins" Epsilon Canis Majoris
| 6h 58' 37 -28� 58' 20 | 430 | 1.5 | B2 II | Blue Giant | ||
Aludra
means: "virginity" Tail of the Dog Eta Canis Majoris
| 7h 24' 6 -29� 18' 11 | 3200 | 2.4 | B5 Ia | Blue Supergiant |
Canis Minor | KAY nis MY nor | The Lesser Dog | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
� | Procyon
say: "pro-SIGH-on" Alpha Canis Minoris
| 7h 39' 18.1 +5� 13' 30 | 11.3 | .4 | F5 IV | Yellow-White Sub-Giant 1 Companion White Dwarf | 8th Brightest star in the sky 14th Nearest known |
Gomeisa
say: "go-MAY-sa" Beta Canis Minoris
| 7h 27' 9 +8� 17' 21 | 170 | 2.89 | B8 V | Blue Main Sequence |
Capricorn | cap ri CORN us | The Sea Goat | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
� |
Alpha 1 Capricorni Geidi Prima
Algeidi Arabic for: "the kid"
Geidi Secunda Alpha 2 Capricorni
| 20h 17' 38.8 -12� 30' 30 | 690 | 4.3 | G3 Ib | Yellow Supergiant 9th mag companion | Optical double almost exact line of sight from our perspective each doubles themselves |
� | 20h 18' 3.2 -12� 32' 42 | 109 | 3.6 | G8 III | Yellow Giant 11th mag companion | ||
Beta 1 Capricorni Dabih
Arabic "lucky star of the slaughterer" Beta 2 Capricorni
| 20h 21' 0 -14� 46' 53 | 340 | 3 | G5 II | Yellow Bright Giant | ||
20h 20' 46.5 -14� 47' 6 | 310 | 6.2 9.0 | B9.5 III/IV F8 | Double Star Blue Giant and White Dwarf | |||
Nashira
Arabic: "fortunate one" Gamma Capri
| 21h 40' 5 -16� 39' 45 | 139 | 3.7 | A7 III | Blue White Giant | marks tail of the goat with Delta Cap | |
Deneb Algedi
Arabic: "tail of the goat" Delta Capri
| 21h 47' 2 -16� 7' 38 | 39 | 2.9 | A5 | Blue White Main Sequence | Neptune discovered near this star Sept 23, 1846 |
Carina | car EE nah | The Keel | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Canopus
can OH puss Alpha Carinae
| 6h 23' 57.2 -52� 41' 44 | 310 | -.62 | F0 Ib | Yellow-White Supergiant | 2nd Brightest star in our sky (after Sirius) among closest Supergiants | |
Miaplacidus
MEE ah PLA sid us Beta Carinae
| 9h 13' 12.1 -69 43' 2 | 111 | 1.67 | A2 IV | Blue-White Sub Giant | ||
Avior
AY vee or Epsilon Carinae
| 8h 22' 30.8 -59� 30' 34 | 630 | 1.86 | K3 III B2 V | Orange Giant Blue Main Seq |
Cassiopeia | KASS ee oh PEE uh | The Queen | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Schedar
Arabic: "beast" Alpha Cassiopeiae
| 0h 40' 30.4 +56� 32' 15 | 230 | 2.24 | K0 III | Orange Giant | ||
Caph
Arabic: "hand" Beta Cassiopeiae
| 0h 9' 10.6 +59� 8' 59 | 54 | 2.28 | F2 III-IV | White Sub Giant | ||
Cih
Chinese: "whip" Gamma Cassiopeiae
| 0h 56' 42.4 +60� 43' 0 | 610 | 2.15 1.6 to 3
| B0 IV | Blue Sub Giant | Unpredictable Variable Star with faint nebulosities | |
Ruchbah
Arabic: "knee" Delta Cassiopeiae
| 1h 25' 48.9 +60� 14' 7 | 99 | 2.66 | A5 III-IV | Blue White Main Sequence | ||
Segin Epsilon Cassiopeiae
| 1h 54' 23.6 +63� 40' 13 | 440 | 3.35 | B3 III | Blue Giant | ||
ACHIRD
Eta 1 Cassiopeiae Eta 2 Cassiopeiae
| 0h 49' 6 +57� 48' 56 | 19.4 | 3.58 3.4 7.36
| G0 V | Yellow Main Sequence | One of the Nearest Systems with one faint Orange Dwarf Companion | |
0h 49' 6 +57� 48' 57 | K7 V (M0 V)
| Orange Main Sequence | |||||
Mu Cassiopeiae | 1h 8' 16.3 +54� 55' 14 | 24.6 | 5.17 | G5 V | Yellow Main Sequence | One of the Nearest Stars |
Centaurus | sen TAR us | The Centaur | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Alpha
Centauri aka - Rigel Kentaurus
Toliman, Bungula | 14h 39' 36.2 -60� 50' 7 | 4.4 | - .3 A = 0
B = 1.35 | G2 V K1 V | Binary of Yellow and Orange Main Sequence | Closest System 3rd Brightest 80.1 year orbit | |
� | Proxima
aka - Proxima Centauri Alpha Centauri C
| 4.3 | 11 | M5 | Red Dwarf | Orbits the Alpha Centauri Binary at .1 ly distance | |
� | Agena
aka - Hadar Beta Centauri
| 14h 3' 49.4 -60� 22' 22 | 525 | .6 1 and 4
| B1 III | Blue Giant Double Star | 11th Brightest |
Cepheus | SEE fee us | The King | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Alderamin
al DER ah min "forearm, shoulder" Alpha Cephei
| 21h 18' 34.7 +62� 35' 8 | 49 | 2.45 | A7 IV-V | Blue White Giant | ||
Alfirk
"flock of sheep" Beta Cephei
| 21h 28' 39.5 +70� 33' 39 | 600 | 3.23 8
| B2 IV A3
| Blue Sub Giant and Blue White Main Sequence | Double Star brighter Giant is slightly variable | |
Er Rai
"the shepherd" Gamma Cephei
| 23h 39' 20.8 +77� 37' 57 | 45 | 3.21 | K1 IV | Orange Yellow Sub Giant | ||
Delta A
Delta Cephei Delta B
| 22h 29' 10.2 +58� 24' 55 | 980 | 3.50 | F5 Ib - G1 Ib | Yellow - White Supergiant Regular Variable ( 5 days, 9 hours ) | Prototype for Cephid Variables how we can measure vast distances in space | |
22h 29' 9.2 +58� 24' 15 | 950 | 6.31 | A0 V | Blue White Main Sequence | |||
Mu Cephei
The Garnet Star
| 21h 43' 30.3 +58� 46' 48 | 3300s | 4.23 3.6 - 5.1
| M2 Ia | Variable Red Supergiant | North star of Mars and one of the reddest visible to the naked eye |
Cetus | SEE tuss | The Whale | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Menkar
Arabic: "nostrils, nose" Alpha Ceti
| 3h 2' 16.7 +4� 5' 23 | 220 | 2.54 | M2 III | Red Giant | Ceti Alpha 5 was featured in - Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan | |
Diphda aka - Deneb Kaitos
"the sea-monster's tail" Beta Ceti
| 0h 43' 35.3 -17� 59' 12 | 96 | 2.04 | K0 III | Orange Giant | ||
Kaffaljidhma
"sea-monster's head" Gamma Ceti
| 2h 43' 18 +3� 14' 9 | 82 | 3.47 3.7 + 6.4
| A3 V F7
| Blue White and White Main Sequence | ||
Kappa 1 Ceti | 3h 19' 21.6 +3� 22' 13 | 30 | 4.84 | G5 V | Yellow Main Sequence | ||
Mira Omicron Ceti
| 2h 19' 20.7 -2� 58' 39 | 420 | 3.45 ( 2 - 10 )
| M6 III | Red Giant | Variable Star 331.65 Day Cycle Star Trek - the spores | |
Tau Ceti
| 1h 44' 4 -15� 56' 15 | 11.9 | 3.49 | G8 V | Yellow Dwarf | 18th Nearest - and most similar to ours of all nearby stars |
Columba | koh LUM bah | The Dove | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Phakt
Arabic: "dove"
Alpha Columbae
| 5h 39' 38.9 -34� 4' 27 | 270 | 2.65 | B7 IV | Blue Sub Giant | ||
Wazn
Arabic: "weight" Beta Columbae
| 5h 50' 57.5 -35� 46' 6 | 86 | 3.1 | K1.5 III | Orange Giant |
Coma Berenices | KO ma bare eh NEE seez | Berenice's Hair | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Diadem
Alpha
Comae Berenices | 13h 9' 59.2 +17� 31' 46 | 47 | 4.3 5 + 5
| F5 V F5 V | 2 White Main Sequence | Binary System in a 25.8 year mutual orbit | |
Beta Comae Berenices | 13h 11' 52.3 +27� 52' 41 | 30 | 4.23 | G0 V | Yellow Main Sequence | Just slightly brighter than our own sun |
Corona Borealis | kor OH nah bore ee AL iss | The Northern Crown | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Gemma aka - Alphecca
Arabic: "The Gem" Alpha Coronae Borealis
| 15h 34' 41.2 +26� 42' 53 | 75 | 2.22v | G5 V A0 V | Yellow and Blue White Main Sequence | Eclipsing Binary 17.3 year orbit - appears green - | |
Nusakan
Arabic: "two lines" Beta Coronae Borealis
| 15h 27' 49.7 +29� 6' 20 | 114 | 3.66 | F0 | White Main Sequence |
Corvus | KOR vus | The Crow | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Al Chiba
means: "the tent" Alpha Corvi
| 12h 8' 24.7 -24� 43' 44 | 48 | 4.02 | F0 IV-V | White Sub Giant | ||
Beta Corvi | 12h 34' 23.2 -23� 23' 48 | 140 | 2.65 | G5 II | Yellow White Bright Giant | ||
Gienah
means: "wing" Gamma Corvi
| 12h 15' 48.3 -17� 32' 31 | 165 | 2.58 | B8 III | Blue Giant | ||
Algorab
means: "raven's wing" Delta Corvi
| 12h 29' 51.8 -16� 30' 56 | 88 | 4.6 2.94 + 8.4
| B9.5 V K2 | Blue and Orange Main Sequence | Double Star Contrasting Colors | |
Minkar Epsilon Corvi
| 12h 10' 7.4 -22� 37' 11 | 300 | 3 | K2 III | Orange Giant |
Crater | KRAY ter | The Cup | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Alkes
"wine cup"
Alpha Crateris
| 10h 59' 46.4 -18� 17' 56 | 174 | 4.08 | K0 III | Orange Giant |
Crux | KRUX | The Southern Cross | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Alpha 1 Crucis Acrux
Alpha 2 Crucis
| 12h 26' 35.9 -63� 5' 56 | 320 | 1.2 | B0.5 IV | Blue Sub Giant | Wide Double 5" apart | |
12h 26' 36.5 -63� 5' 58 | 1.64 | B1 V | Blue Main Sequence | ||||
Mimosa
means: "actor" Beta Crucis
| 12h 47' 43.3 -59� 41' 19 | 350 | 1.25 | B0.5 III | Blue Giant | Mimosa is also a genus of tropical plants | |
Gamma A Crucis
Gacrux Gamma B Crucis
| 12h 31' 9.9 -57� 6 47 | 88 | 1.59 | M4 III | Red Giant | Optical Binary | |
12h 31' 16.7 -57� 4' 51 | 780 | 6.39 | A3 V | Blue White Main Sequence |
Cygnus | SIG nus | The Swan | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Deneb
deh NEB means: "tail" Alpha Cygni
| 20h 41' 25.8 +45� 16' 49 | 3200 | 1.25 | A2 Ia | Blue White Supergiant | - Summer Triangle - we move toward Deneb at 250 km per second | |
|
Beta 1A Cygni Beta 1B Cygni
Albireo al BEER ee oh
"Bill of the Swan" Beta 2 Cygni
| 19h 30' 43.2 +27� 57' 35 | 380 | 3.1 3.36 + 5.48
| K3 II B0.5V(i-) | Gold Giant and Blue Main Sequence orbit each other while another Blue Main Sequence orbits the pair - appears green - | Orbital Trinary Very Interesting Triple Star System |
19h 30' 45.2 +27� 57' 55 | 5.12 | B8 V | Wide Orbital of 1A and 1B | ||||
Sadir
aka - Sadr means: "breast" Gamma Cygni
| 20h 22' 13.6 +40� 15' 24 | 1500 | 2.23 | F8 Ib | White Supergiant | ||
Gienah
means: "wing" Epsilon Cygni
| 20h 46' 12.6 +33� 58' 13 | 72 | 2.48 | K0 III | Orange Giant | ||
61 A Cygni
Oompa & Loompa 61 B Cygni
| 21h 6' 53.7 +38� 44' 57 | 11.4 | 5.20 | K5 V | Wide pair of Orange Dwarfs | One of Closest Star Systems | |
21h 6' 55.2 +38� 44' 30 | 6.05 | K7 V |
Delphinus | del FY nus | The Dolphin | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Sualocin
Nicolaus reversed Alpha Delphini
| 20h 39' 38.2 +15� 54' 43 | 240 | 3.77 | B9 V | Blue Main Sequence |
Latinized and reversed, in 1814, these stars were clandestinely named after Niccolo Cacciatore assistant director for the Palermo Observatory | |
Rotanev
Ventaor reversed Beta Delphini
| 20h 37' 32.9 +14� 35' 43 | 97 | 3.64 | F5 IV | White Giant |
Draco | DRAY ko | The Dragon | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Thuban Alpha Draconis
| 14h 4' 23.2 +64� 22' 33 | 310 | 3.67 | A0 III | Blue White Giant | was our Polestar 4000 years ago | |
Rastaban
"Head of the Dragon" Beta Draconis
| 17h 30' 25.8 +52� 18' 5 | 360 | 2.79 | G2 II | Yellow Bright Giant | ||
Eltanin Gamma Draconis
| 17h 56' 36.3 +51� 29' 20 | 148 | 2.24 | K5 III | Orange Giant | ||
Nodus II "Second Knot"
aka - Altais Delta Draconis
| 19h 12' 33.1 +67� 39' 42 | 100 | 3.07 | G9 III | Yellow Giant | ||
Nodus I
"First Knot" Zeta Draconis
| 17h 8' 47.1 +65� 42' 53 | 349 | 3.17 | B6 III | Blue Giant | ||
Giansar Lambda Draconis
| 11h 31' 24.2 +69� 19' 52 | 330 | 3.82 | M0 III | Red Giant | ||
Sigma
Draconis | 19h 32' 21.5 +69� 39' 40 | 18.8 | 3.55 | K0 V | Orange Main Sequence | ||
Chi
Draconis | 18h 21' 3.2 +72� 43' 58 | 26 | 4.67 | F7 V | White Main Sequence |
Equuleus | eh KWOO lee us | The Little Horse | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Kitalpha Alpha Equulei
| 21h 15' 49.3 +5� 14' 52 | 186 | 3.92 | G0 III A5 V | Yellow Giant + Blue White Main Seq |
Eridanus | eh RID en us | The River | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Achernar
means: "river's end" Alpha Eridani
| 1h 37' 42.9 -57� 14' 12 | 144 | .5 | B3 V | Blue Main Sequence | only visible south of 30� N | |
Cursa
"giant's footstool" Beta Eridani
| 5h 7' 50.9 -5� 5' 11 | 89 | 2.8 | A3 III | Blue White Giant | ||
Zurak
means "boat" Gamma Eridani
| 3h 58' 1.7 -13� 30' 3 | 220 | 3 | M1 III | Red Giant | ||
Rana Delta Eridani
| 3h 43' 14.8 -9� 45' 48 | 29.5 | 3.5 | K0 IV | Orange Sub Giant | ||
Epsilon
Eridani | 3h 32' 55.8 -9� 27' 30 | 10.5 | 3.72 | K2 V | Orange Main Sequence | 9th Closest | |
Zibal
means "ostriches" Zeta Eridani
| 3h 15' 49.9 -8� 49' 11 | 120 | 4.8 | A5 | Blue White | ||
Azha
means "ostrich nest" Eta Eridani
| 2h 56' 25.6 -8� 53' 53 | 133 | 3.89 | K1 III-IV | Orange Giant | ||
Theta 1 Eridani Acamar
means "River's End" Theta 2 Eridani
| 2h 58' 15.6 -40� 18' 17 | 161 | 3.28 4.36 | A4 III A1 V | Blue White Giant + Main Seq | Wide Orbital Binary System | |
2h 58' 16.2 -40� 18' 16 | |||||||
Omicron 2
Eridani | 4h 15' 16.3 -7� 39' 10 | 16.4 | 4.43 | K1V | Orange Main Sequence | One of the Closest Stars | |
e Eridani
| 3h 19' 55.7 -43� 4' 11 | 20 | 4.26 | G8 V | Yellow Main Sequence | One of the Closest Stars | |
p Eridani
| 1h 39' 47.2 -56� 11' 44 | 27 | 5.76 | K0 V | Orange Main Sequence | One of the Closest Stars |
Gemini | GEM in eye | The Twins | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
|
Castor Alpha 1 Geminorum
Alpha 2 Geminorum Alpha 3 Geminorum | 7h 34' 35.9 +31� 53' 18 | 52 | 1.6 1.93
2.97 9.83v | A2 V A1 V M1 V | 2 pairs of Blue White Sub Giants and 1 pair of Red Dwarfs | Triple Binary Syatem Six stars total - in a complex orbital pattern |
7h 34' 37.6 +31� 52' 11 | |||||||
Pollux Beta Geminorum
| 7h 45' 18.9 +28� 1' 34 | 33.7 | 1.16 | K0 III | Orange Giant | ||
Alhena Gamma Geminorum
| 6h 37' 42.7 +16� 23' 57 | 105 | 1.93 | A0 IV | Blue White Sub Giant | ||
� | Wasat Delta Geminorum
| 7h 20' 7.3 +21� 58' 56 | 59 | 3.5 8
| F0 IV ?
| White Sub Giant 1 Faint Companion | Pluto discovered near this star, 1930 |
Grus | GROOSE | The Crane | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Al Nair
means: "bright one" Alpha Gruis
| 22h 8' 13.9 -46� 57' 40 | 101 | 1.73 | B7 IV | Blue Sub GIant | Formerly the Tail of the Southern Fish |
Hercules | HER cue leez | The Strongman | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Alpha 1 Herculis
Ras Algathi means: "kneeler's head"
Alpha 2a Herculis Alpha 2b Herculis
| 17h 14' 38.8 +14� 23' 25 | 380 | 3 | M5 II | Red Sub Giant | - Sequential Trinary - Red is erratic variable Yellow star appears Green by contrast | |
17h 14' 39.1 +14� 23' 24 | 5 | G5 III F2 V | Yellow Giant White Main Seq | ||||
Ruticulis
aka - Kornephoros Beta Herculis
| 16h 30' 13.1 +21� 29' 22 | 162 | 2.78 | G8 III | Yellow Giant | ||
Mu Herculis
| 17h 46' 27.5 +27� 43' 15 | 27.4 | 3.42 | G5 IV | Yellow Sub Giant |
Hydra | HI dra | The Sea Serpent | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Alphard
"the solitary one"
Alpha Hydrae
| 9h 27' 35.2 -8� 39' 31 | 177 | 2 | K3 II-III | Orange Giant |
Hydrus | HI druss | Lesser Water Snake | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Beta Hydra
| 0h 25' 45.3 -77� 15' 16 | 24.4 | 2.82 | G2 IV | Yellow Sub Giant |
Indus | IN duss | The Indian | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Epsilon Indi
| 22h 3' 21.3 -56� 47' 10 | 11.8 | 4.69 | K5 V | Orange Main Sequence | One of the Nearest stars to our Sun |
Leo | LEE oh | The Lion | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
� | Alpha A Leonis Regulus
REG you luss aka - Cor Leonis Alpha B Leonis
| 10h 8' 22.3 +11� 58' 2 | 77 | 1.36 | B7 V | Blue Main Sequence | Among Brightest stars in the sky - Right on Ecliptic - comp contrasts Aqua and adds to twinkle |
10h 8' 12.9 +11� 59' 49 | 68 | 8.03 | G | Yellow Dwarf Faint Companion | |||
Denebola Beta Leonis
| 11h 49' 3.5 +14� 34' 19 | 36 | 2.14 | A3 V | Blue White Main Sequence | ||
Gamma 1 Leonis
Algieba "the forehead" Gamma 2 Leonis
| 10h 19' 58.3 +19� 50' 30 | 126 | 2.49 | K0 III | Orange Giant | ||
10h 19' 58.6 +19� 50' 25 | 3.64 | G7 III | Yellow Giant | ||||
Zosma
"the girdle" Delta Leonis
| 11h 14' 6.4 +20� 31' 25 | 58 | 2.56 | A4 V | Blue White Main Sequence |
Lepus | LEE pus | The Hare | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Arneb
means: "hare"
Alpha Leporis
| 5h 32' 43.7 -17� 49' 20 | 1280 | 2.58 | F0 Ib | White Supergiant | ||
Nihal
"drinking camels" Beta Leporis
| 5h 28' 14.7 -20� 45' 34 | 159 | 2.81 | G5 II | Yellow Giant | ||
Crimson Star
R Leporis
| 4h 59' 36.4 -14� 28' 21 | 820 | ~ 8 5.5 - 10.5
| C7 | Rare Carbon Star - 432 day Variable - |
Libra | LEE bra | The Scales | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
|
Alpha 1 Librae
Zubenelgenubi
"southern claw"
Alpha 2 Librae
| 14h 50' 41.1 -15� 59' 50 | 77 | 5.15 | F3 V | White Main Sequence | Possible Wide Orbital Binary - right on Ecliptic - |
14h 50' 52.6 -16� 2' 31 | 2.75 | A3 IV | Blue White Sub Giant | ||||
Zubenelschamali
"northern claw" Beta Librae
| 15h 17' 0.3 -9� 22' 59 | 160 | 2.61 | B8 V | Blue Main Sequence | ||
Zubenelakrab
"scorpion's claw" Gamma Librae
| 15h 35' 31.5 -14� 47' 22 | 152 | 3.91 | K0 III | Orange Bright Giant | ||
Ga Librae Gb Librae | 14h 57' 28 -21� 24' 56 | 19.3 | 5.74 | K4V | Orange Main Sequence | ||
8.18 | K9V | Orange Main Sequence |
Lyra | LEER - ah | The Harp | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Vega
VAY - ga "eagle" or "vulture" Alpha Lyrae
| 18h 36' 56.2 +38� 47' 1 | 25.3 | .03 | A0 V | Blue White Main Sequence | - Summer Triangle - one of closest stars | |
Sheliak
means "harp" aka - Beta Struve Beta Lyrae
| 18h 50' 4.7 +33� 21' 46 | 880 | 3.52 | B7 V A8 (i+) | Blue and Blue White Main Sequence | Close Orbital Binary in a 12 day orbit gas stream exchange | |
Sulaphat
means "tortoise" Gamma Lyrae
| 18h 58' 56.5 +32� 41' 22 | 630 | 3.25 | B9 III (i+)
| Blue Giant |
Monoceros | mon O se rose | The Unicorn | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
� | Beta
Monocerotis Beta Mon A
Beta Mon B Beta Mon C Beta Mon D | 6h 28' 48.9 -7� 1' 59 | 690 | 3.8
4.63
4.90 5.38 12 | B3V | Blue Main Sequence | Trinary System with at least one Faint Companion - backyard favorite - |
6h 28' 49.4 -7� 2' 4 | |||||||
6h 28' 49.4 -7� 2' 4 | |||||||
- |
Octans | OCK tans | The Octant | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Sigma Octantis | 21h 8' 44.8 -88� 57' 24 | 270 | 5.45 | F0III | White Giant | Southern Polestar about 1� from the Southern Celestial Pole | |
Tau Octantis | 23h 28' 3.9 -87� 28' 57 | 520 | 5.50 | K2III | Orange Giant | Tau and Chi form a near Equilateral Triangle with the Southern Celestial Pole with Sigma in the center | |
Chi Octantis | 18h 54' 44.3 -87� 36' 21 | 250 | 5.29 | K3III | Orange Giant |
Ophiuchus | oh fee YOU kuss | The Serpent Bearer | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Ras Alhague
means: "Head of the Serpent Collector" Alpha Ophiuchi
| 17h 34' 56 +12� 33' 36 | 47 | 2.08 | A5III | Blue White Giant | ||
Cebelrai
"The Shepherd's Dog" Beta Ophiuchi
| 17h 43' 28.3 +4� 34' 2 | 82 | 2.76 | K2 III | Orange Giant | ||
Gamma Ophiuchi | 17h 47' 53.5 +2� 42' 26 | 95 | 3.75 | A0V | Blue White Main Sequence | ||
Yed Prior
"The Leading Hand"
Delta Ophiuchi
| 16h 14' 20.6 -3� 41' 40 | 170 | 2.73 | M1III | Red Giant | Hands of the Serpent Bearer - Unrelated Pair - on the border of the constellation | |
Yed Posterior
"The Following Hand"
Epsilon Ophiuchi
| 16h 18' 19.2 -4� 41' 33 | 107 | 3.23 | G8III | Yellow Giant | ||
Sabik
Eta Ophiuchi
| 17h 10' 22.6 -15� 43' 29 | 84 | 2.43 | A2V | Blue White Main Sequence | ||
Marfik
Lambda Ophiuchi
Lambda A
Lambda B
| 16h 30' 54.7 +1� 59' 2 | 166 | 4.18 | A0V | Blue White Main Sequence | ||
5.22 | A4V | Blue White Main Sequence | |||||
36 A
36 Ophiuchi
36 B
| 17h 15' 20.9 -26� 36' 10 | 19.5 | 5.22 | K2V | Orange Main Sequence Binary | Among Closest | |
17h 15' 20.7 -26� 36' 5 | 5.21 | K0V | |||||
70 A
70 Ophiuchi
70 B
| 18h 5' 27.2 +2� 29' 58 | 16.6 | 4.33 6.17 | K0V K4V | Orange Main Sequence | Among Closest | |
RS Ophiuchi | ~ 17h 40' ~ -3� | ? | 11 | ? | ? | Rare class of Recurrent Novas | |
Barney
Barnard's Star
| ~ 17h 50' ~ +4� | 6.1 | 9.54 | M4V | Red Main Sequence | 2nd Closest Star Largest Proper Motion 2 planets suspected - likely Gas Giants - |
Orion | oh RYE in | The Hunter | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
*..*. | Betelgeuse
BET el jooze
- not "Beetle Juice" "House of the Twins" Alpha Orionis
| 5h 55' 10.3 +7� 24' 55 | 430 | 0.45 | M2Ib | Red Supergiant | Eastern Shoulder Among Brightest Larger in diameter than the orbit of Venus 5 Very Faint Companions |
. .. | Rigel
Arabic der.: "Foot" Beta Orionis
| 5h 14' 32.3 -8� 12' 6 | 770 | 0.18 | B8Ia | Blue Supergiant | Among Brightest 3 Very Faint Companions |
Bellatrix
Amazon Warrior's name Gamma Orionis
| 5h 25' 7.8 +6� 20' 59 | 240 | 1.64 | B2III | Blue Giant | Western Shoulder | |
Delta 1 Orionis Mintaka
Arabic "belt" Delta 2 Orionis
| 5h 32' 0.3 -0� 17' 57 | 920 | 2.25 | 09.5II+ | Blue Bright Giant | Double Star Unrelated Spectroscopic Binary Western Star in Orion's Belt | |
5h 32' 0.4 -0� 17' 4 | 920s | 6.77 | B2V | Blue Main Sequence | |||
Alnilam
"String of Pearls" Epsilon Orionis
| 5h 36' 12.7 -1� 12' 7 | 1300 | 1.69 | B0Iae | Blue Supergiant | Middle Star in Orion's Belt | |
Alnitak
Arabic "Belt" Zeta Orionis
| 5h 40' 45.5 -1� 56' 34 | 820 | 1.82 | O9.5Ib | Blue Supergiant | Eastern Star in Orion's Belt | |
3.95 | B0III | Blue Giant | |||||
|
Theta 1A
Theta 1B Theta 1C Theta 1D Theta 1 Orionis
The Trapezium
Theta 2 Orionis
Theta 2A
Theta 2B | 5h 35' 16.4 -5� 23' 23 | 1500s | 4.96 | O6 | Blue Main Sequence | The Trapezium is a multiple star grouping surrounded by the Orion Nebula - M42 and M43 - and outlines the Sword of Orion |
5h 36' 16 -5� 23' 7 | 7.49v | B0V A5 | Blue & Blue White Main Sequence | ||||
5h 35' 17.2 -5� 23' 13 | 6.35 | B0.5V | Blue Main Sequence | ||||
5h 35' 15.8 -5� 23' 14 | 7.20 | O7 | Blue Main Sequence | ||||
5h 35' 22.8 -5� 24' 58 | 1900s | 4.98 | O9.5V | Blue Main Sequence | |||
5h 35' 26.3 -5� 24' 58 | 6.02 | B1V | Blue Main Sequence | ||||
Saiph
Kappa Orionis
| 5h 47' 45.3 -9� 40' 11 | 720 | 2.07 | B0.5Ia | Blue Supergiant | ||
Lambda 1
Meissa
Lambda Orionis
Lambda 2
| 5h 35' 8.2 +9� 56' 3 | 1060 | 3.50 | O8 | Blue Main Sequence | ||
5h 35' 8.4 +9� 56' 6 | 5.45 | B0.5V | Blue Main Sequence | ||||
Chi 1 Orionis | 5h 54' 22.9 +20� 16' 34 | 28 | 4.39 | G0V | Yellow Main Sequence |
Pavo | PAH vo | The Peacock | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Peacock
Alpha Pavonis
| 20h 25' 38.8 -56� 44' 7 | 183 | 1.94 | B2IV | Blue Sub Giant | ||
Delta Pavonis | 20h 8' 43.2 -66� 10' 56 | 19.9 | 3.55 | G5V-IV | Yellow Sub Giant |
Pegasus | PEG a suss | The Winged Horse | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Markab
"horse's shoulder" Alpha Pegasi
| 23h 4' 45.6 15� 12' 19 | 140 | 2.49 ( 2 - 3 )
| B9V | Blue Main Sequence | Irregular Variable SW Corner of The Great Square | |
Scheat
means: "shin" Beta Pegasi
| 23h 3' 46.4 28� 4' 58 | 199 | 2.44 | M2II-III | Red Bright Giant | NW Corner of The Great Square | |
Algenib
Arabic: "the side" Gamma Pegasi
| 0h 13' 14.1 15� 11' 1 | 330 | 2.83 | B2IV | Blue Sub Giant | SE Corner of The Great Square | |
* � | Enif
Arabic: "nose" Epsilon Pegasi
| 21h 44' 11.1 9� 52' 30 | 670 | 2.38 8 and 11
| K2Ib | Orange Supergiant | 2 Faint Companions |
Homam
Arabic: "hero" Zeta Pegasi
| 22h 41' 27.6 10� 49' 53 | 210 | 3.41 | B8.5V | Blue Main Sequence | Middle of the Neck of the Horse | |
* * | Matar Eta Pegasi
| 22h 43' 0.1 30� 13' 17 | 215 | 2.93 8 + 11
| G2II-III F0V | Yellow Bright Giant 2 White Main Sequence | Middle of the Neck of the Horse 2 Faint Companions |
Biham
Arabic: "young beasts" Theta Pegasi
| 22h 10' 11.9 6� 11' 52 | 97 | 3.52 | A2V | Blue White Main Sequence | marks top of the Head of the Horse | |
Sadalbari
"excelling one" Mu Pegasi
| 22h 50' 0.1 24� 36' 6 | 117 | 3.51 | G8III | Yellow Giant | marks one of the Legs of the Horse | |
51 Peg
51 Pegasi
| 22h 57' 27.9 20� 46' 8 | 50 | 5.45 | G5V | Yellow Main Sequence | Very similar to our own sun first Extrasolar Planets Discovered |
Perseus | PER see us | The Champion | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Algenib
means: "the side" also Mirfak Alpha Persei
| 3h 24' 19.3 +49� 51' 41 | 590 | 1.79 | F5Ib | White Supergiant | part of the Alpha Persei Group attractive star cluster | |
Algol
means: "demon head"
aka "Demon Star" or "The Ghoul" Beta Persei
| 3h 8' 10.1 +40� 57' 21 | 93 | 2.09 | B8V G5IV | Blue Main Seq. Yellow Sub Giant | prototype for Eclipsing Binary class of variable stars every 2 days, 21 hours dims to 3.3 for 10 hrs | |
Menkib
Arabic: "shoulder" Xi Persei
| 3h 58' 57.8 +35� 47' 28 | 1770 | 3.98 | O7.5Iab | Blue Supergiant | ||
Atik
Arabic: "collarbone" Omicron Persei
| 3h 44' 19.1 +32� 17' 18 | 1500 | 3.84 | B1III | Blue Giant |
Phoenix | FEE nix | The Bird of Resurrection | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Ankaa
aka: Nair Al Zaurak
"bright one of the boat" Alpha Phoenicis
| 0h 26' 17 -42� 18' 22 | 77 | 2.4 | K0III | Orange Giant | Once associated with Eridanus "The River" |
Pictor | PIC tor | The Painter | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
The Captain
Kapteyn's Star
| - | 12.7 | 9 | M | Red Dwarf | 2nd Largest Proper Motion 414 years per 1� |
Pisces | PIE sees | The Fishes | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Alpha 1 Piscium
Alrisha
aka: Alrescha, Al Rischa
"the knot" - "the cord" Alpha 2 Piscium
| 2h 2' 2.7 +2� 45' 49 | 139 | 4.16 5.28 | A0 A3 | Blue White Dwarf Binary | ties the 2 fish together - pair is currently closing together |
Pisces Austrinus | PIE sees awes TREE nuss | The Southern Fish | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Fomalhaut
"fish's mouth" Alpha Pisces Austrini
| 22h 57' 39.0 -29� 37' 20 | 25 | 1.17 | A3V | Blue White Main Sequence | - among brightest -
only 1st mag star in this part of the sky |
Puppis | PUP iss | The Stern, or Poop Deck | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Naos
Greek: "ship" Zeta Puppis
| - | 1400 | 2.21 | O5I | Blue Supergiant |
one of the hottest and most luminous stars in the Milky Way galaxy - 60,000 times the sun - | |
Tureis
Arabic: "little shield" Rho Puppis
| 8h 7' 32.6 -24� 18' 15 | 63 | 2.83 | F6II | White Bright Giant |
Reticulum | reh TICK you lum | The Net | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Zeta 1 Reticuli
Zeta Reticuli
Zeta 2 Reticuli
| 3h 17' 46.1 -62� 34' 32 | 40 39 | 5.53 5.24 | G2V G2V | Yellow Main Sequence Wide Binary | Home of the Grays | |
3h 18' 12.8 -62� 30' 23 |
Sagittarius | SA jit TARE ee uss | The Archer | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Rukbat
Arabic: "knee" Alpha Sagittarii
| 19h 23' 53 -40� 36' 58 | 170 | 3.96 | B8V | Blue Main Sequence | featured in the Dragonriders of Pern series of sci-fi books | |
Beta 1 Sagittarii
Arkab Arabic: "Achilles tendon" Beta 2 Sagittarii
| 19h 22' 38.2 -44� 27' 32 | 380 | 3.96 4.27 | B9V F2III | Blue Main Seq White Giant | ||
19h 23' 13.1 -44� 47' 59 | 139 | ||||||
Alnasl
Arabic: "the point" Gamma Sagittarii
| 18h 5' 48.4 -30� 25' 27 | 96 | 2.98 | K0III | Orange Giant | ||
Kaus Media aka Kaus Meridionalis
Arb. "bow" + Lat. "middle" Delta Sagittarii
| 18h 20' 59.6 -29� 49' 41 | 310 | 2.72 | K3III | Orange Giant | ||
Kaus Australis
"southern star of the bow" Epsilon Sagittarii
| 18h 24' 10.3 -34� 23' 5 | 145 | 1.79 | B9.5III | Blue Giant | ||
Zeta 1 Sagittarii Zeta 2 Sagittarii | 19h 2' 36.6 -29� 52' 49 | 89 | 3.27 3.48 | A2III A4IV | Blue White Giant Blue White Sub Giant | ||
Kaus Borealis
"northern star of the bow" Lambda Sagittarii
| 18h 27' 58.1 -25� 25' 18 | 77 | 2.82 | K1III | Orange Giant | ||
Nunki
Babylonian proper name Sigma Sagittarii
| 18h 55' 15.8 -26� 17' 48 | 220 | 2.05 | B2.5V | Blue Main Sequence | thought by Babylonians to
be heavenly counterpart to their city, Eridu sacred to the god Ea |
Scorpius | SCORE pee us | The Scorpion | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Alpha 1 Scorpii Antares
an TAR eez Greek: "rival of Mars" Alpha 2 Scorpii
| 16h 29' 24.4 -26� 25' 55 | 600 | 1.06 | M1.5Iab-Ib | Red Supergiant Blue Main Seq. Orbital Binary | faint Blue Alpha 2 appears green in contrast to bright Red Alpha 1 | |
5.4 | B3V | ||||||
Beta 1 Scorpii
Acrab Arabic: "scorpion"
aka - Graffias means: "claws"
Beta 2 Scorpii
| 16h 5' 26.1 -19� 48' 19 | 530 | 2.59 | B1V B2V | Blue Main Seq. Orbital Binary | ||
16h 5' 26.4 -19� 48' 7 | 4.92 | ||||||
Dschubba
Arabic: "forehead"
Delta Scorpii
| 16h 0' 19.9 -22� 37' 18 | 400 | 2.29 | B2IV | Blue Sub Giant | marks the head of the Scorpion | |
Epsilon Scorpii | 16h 50' 9.7 -34� 17' 36 | 65 | 2.28 | K2III | Orange Giant | ||
Eta Scorpii | 17h 12' 9.1 -43� 14' 21 | 72 | 3.32 | F3IV | White Sub Giant | ||
Girtab
Sumerian: "scorpion" Theta Scorpii
aka - Sargas also Sumerian in origin
| 17h 37' 19 -42� 59' 52 | 270 | 1.86 | F1II | White Bright Giant | ||
Shaula
Arabic: "the stinger" Lambda Scorpii
| 17h 33' 36.4 -37� 6' 13 | 700 | 1.62 | B1.5IV | Blue Sub Giant |
"The Spot" named for blurry area formed by Shaula and Lesath (Upsilon and Lambda) together mark the tail of the Scorpion | |
Lesath
Latin x Arabic: "spot"
Upsilon Scorpii
| 17h 30' 45.7 -37� 17' 45 | 520 | 2.70 | B2IV | Blue Sub Giant | ||
Al Niyat
Arabic: "arteries"
Sigma Scorpii
| 16h 21' 11.2 -25� 35' 34 | 730 | 2.90 | B2III O9.5V | Blue Giant & Blue Main Seq | The name Al Niyat originally applied to both Sigma and Tau - on either side of Antares, "the heart" | |
Tau Scorpii | 16h 35' 52.9 -28� 12' 58 | 430 | 2.82 | B0V | Blue Main Sequence |
Serpens | SIR penz | The Snake | |||||
Unukalhai
"serpent's neck"
Alpha Serpentis
| 15h 44' 16 +6� 25' 32 | 73 | 2.63 | K2 III | Orange Giant | ||
Theta 1 Serpentis
Alya means: "tail" Theta 2 Serpentis
| 18h 56' 13.1 +4� 12' 13 | 132 | 4.62 | A5 V | Blue White Main Sequence Binary | ||
18h 56' 14.5 +4� 12' 7 | 4.98 | A5 V |
Taurus | TOR us | The Bull | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
* | Aldebaran
al DEB er on "the follower" Alpha Tauri
| 4h 35' 55.2 +16� 30' 33 | 65 | 0.87 13
| K5 III | Orange Red Giant 1 Faint Companion | Adjacent to but not part of The Hyades |
El Nath
"the butting one" Beta Tauri
| 5h 26' 17.5 +28� 36' 27 | 131 | 1.65 | B7 III | Blue Giant | Often Considered part of Auriga Tip of Northern Horn | |
Ain
"bull's eye"
Epsilon Tauri
| 4h 28' 36.9 +19� 10' 49 | 155 | 3.53 | K0 III | Orange Giant | Opposite Aldebaran in the V of Hyades | |
The Pleiades | PLEE uh deez | The 7 Sisters | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Alcyone
Eta Tauri
| 3h 47' 29 +24� 6' 18 | 370 | 2.85 | B7III | Blue Giant | Brightest star of the Pleiades | |
Celaeno 16 Tauri
| 3h 44' 48.1 +24� 17' 22 | 370 | 5.45 | B7IV | Blue Sub Giant | M 45 Stellar Nursery about 415 ly away an excellent example of how some stars are likely formed and one of the most beautiful naked eye objects in the sky. Appearing as a Tiny Dipper, most people can make out five or six, but it actually contains hundreds of baby stars 9 of which are named - the Seven Sisters and their parents - from Greek Mythology The entire cluster is enveloped in a faint blue nebulosity, the remains of the cloud from which they formed. | |
Electra 17 Tauri
| 3h 44' 52.5 +24� 6' 48 | 330 | 3.72 | B6III | Blue Giant | ||
18 Tauri | 3h 45' 9.7 +24� 50' 21 | 370 | 5.66 | B8V | Blue Main Sequence | ||
Taygeta 19 Tauri
| 3h 45' 12.4 +24� 28' 2 | 370 | 4.30 | B6V | Blue Main Sequence | ||
Maia 20 Tauri
| 3h 45' 49.5 +24� 22' 4 | 360 | 3.87 | B8III | Blue Giant | ||
Asterope 21 Tauri
| 3h 45' 54.3 +24� 33' 17 | 390 | 5.76 | B8V | Blue Main Sequence | ||
22 Tauri | 3h 46' 2.8 +24� 31' 41 | 350 | 6.43 | A0V | Blue Main Sequence | ||
Merope 23 Tauri
| 3h 46' 19.5 +23� 56' 54 | 360 | 4.18 | B6IV | Blue Sub Giant | ||
Atlas The Father 27 Tauri
| 3h 49' 9.7 +24� 3' 12 | 380 | 3.62 | B8III | Blue Giant | ||
Pleione The Mother BU (28) Tauri
| 3h 49' 11.1 +24' 8' 12 | 390 | 5.05 | B8V | Blue Main Sequence |
Triangulum | try ANG you lum | The Triangle | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Mothallah
aka: Caput Trianguli
Alpha Trianguli
| 1h 53' 4.8 +29� 34' 44 | 65 | 3.42 | F6IV | White Sub Giant |
Triangulum Australe | tri ANG u lum os TRAL us | The Southern Triangle | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Atria
"Alpha" + "Trianguli"
Alpha Trianguli Australus | 16h 48' 39.9 -69� 1' 40 | 420 | 1.91 | K2II-III | Orange Bright Giant |
Tucana | two CAN ah | The Parrot | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Zeta Tucanae | 0h 20' 4.2 -64� 52' 30 | 28 | 4.23 | F9V | White Main Sequence |
Ursa Major | ER sa MAY jor | Big Bear - Big Dipper | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
� | Alpha A Ursae Majoris Alpha B Ursae Majoris
Dubhe Arabic: "bear" DOO bee Alpha C Ursae Majoris
| 11h 3' 43.6 +61� 45' 3 | 124 | 2.02 4.95
| K0II-III A8V | Orange Giant Blue White Main Seq. | The Big Dipper To find the North Star, imagine a line between the two stars marking the front of the cup - Dubhe and Merak (aka Alpha and Beta) - continue that line up about 5 times its length points right to Polaris This Constellation is known as The Government in Chinese Mythology. These 7 stars are all of similar makeup and relatively close to each other - and to us - likely a common origin. To find the Ecliptic (the orbital plane of the Solar System), the curve of the handle of the Big Dipper "arcs" to Arcturus (Alpha Bootis) - continue the same arc to Spica (Alpha Virginis) - right on the Ecliptic - with Blue Regulus (Alpha Leonis) to the west and Red Antares (Alpha Scorpii) to the east. |
11h 3' 22 +61� 39' 16 | 160 | 7.14 | F | White Dwarf | |||
Merak
Arabic: "flank" Beta Ursae Majoris
| 11h 1' 50.4 +56� 22' 56 | 79 | 2.34 | A1V | Blue White Main Sequence | ||
Phecda
Arabic: "thigh" Gamma Ursae Majoris
| 11h 53' 49.8 +53� 41' 41 | 84 | 2.41 | A0V | Blue White Main Sequence | ||
Megrez
Arabic: "root of the tail" Delta Ursae Majoris
| 12h 15' 25.5 +57� 1' 57 | 81 | 3.32 | A3V | Blue White Main Sequence | ||
Alioth
Arabic: "bull" Epsilon Ursae Majoris
| 12h 54' 1.7 +55� 57' 35 | 62 | 1.76 | A0 | Blue White Main Sequence | ||
Mizar
Arabic: "groin" Zeta Ursae Majoris
| 13h 23' 55.5 +54� 55' 31 | 78 | 2.25 | A2 V | Blue White Main Sequence - Optical Double - Arabs, Native Americans used as test of eyesight - aka: Horse and Rider - | ||
Alcor
aka: Suha
Arabic: "overlooked" 80 Ursae Majoris
| 13h 25' 13.5 +54� 59' 17 | 81 | 3.99 | A5 V | |||
Alkaid or Benetnasch
both from the Arabic: "chief of the mourners" Eta Ursae Majoris
| 13h 47' 32.3 +49� 18' 48 | 101 | 1.85 | B3 V | Blue Main Seq | ||
Theta Ursae Majoris | 9h 32' 51.3 +51� 40' 38 | 44 | 3.17 | F6IV | White Sub Giant | ||
26 Ursae Majoris | 9h 34' 49.4 +52� 3' 5 | 270 | 4.47 | A2V | Blue White Main Sequence | ||
Talitha
Arabic: "third leap" Iota Ursae Majoris
| 8h 59' 12.4 +48� 2' 30 | 48 | 3.12 | A7 IV | Blue White Sub Giant | Third Leap of the Gazelle | |
Kappa Ursae Majoris | 9h 3' 37.5 +47� 9' 24 | 423 | 3.57 | A1V(i+) | Blue White Main Sequence | ||
Tania
Borealis "northern second leap" Lambda Ursae Majoris
| 10h 17' 5.7 +42� 54' 52 | 134 | 3.45 | A2IV | Blue White Sub Giant | Second Leap of the Gazelle | |
Tania
Australis "southern second leap" Mu Ursae Majoris
| 10h 22' 19.7 +41� 29' 58 | 250 | 3.06 | M0III | Red Giant | ||
Alula Borealis
"northern second leap" Nu Ursae Majoris
| 11h 18' 28.7 +33� 5' 39 | 420 | 3.49 | K3III | Orange Giant | First Leap of the Gazelle | |
Xi 1 Ursae Majoris
Alula Australis "southern second leap"
Xi 2 Ursae Majoris
| 11h 18' 10.9 +31� 31' 45 | 25.8 | 4.41 4.87 | G0V G0V | Yellow Main Sequence Binary | ||
Muscida
Latin: "muzzle" Omicron Ursae Majoris
| 8h 30' 15.8 +60� 43' 5 | 184 | 3.35 | G4II-III | Yellow Bright Giant | ||
L21185
Ursae Majoris | 11h 3' 20.2 +35� 58' 13 | 8.3 | 7.49 | M2V | Red Main Sequence |
Ursa Minor | ER sa MY nor | Big Bear - Little Dipper | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
� . . '. .�` | Polaris
aka: The Lodestar
Stella Maris, Cynosure and The Star of the Sea The North Star Alpha Ursae Minoris
| 2h 31' 50.5 +89� 15' 51 | 430 | 1.97 9
| F7 Ib-II F3 V | White Supergiant White Main Seq. | Closest to Pole in 2105 Cephid Variable (4 days) - 49th Brightest star - "The Engagement Ring" ring of 7-8 mag stars just south of Polaris |
Kochab
Arabic derv.: "wood" Beta Ursae Minoris
| 14h 50' 42.2 +74� 9' 20 | 126 | 2.07 | K4 III | Orange Giant | front top of the cup of The Little Dipper | |
Pherkad
Arabic: "two calves" Gamma Ursae Minoris
| 15h 20' 43.6 +71� 50' 2 | 480 | 3.0 | A3 II-III | Blue White Bright Giant | front bottom of the cup of The Little Dipper Unrelated Companion | |
11 Ursae Minoris | 15h 17' 5.8 +71� 49' 26 | 390 | 5.02 | K4III | Orange Giant | ||
Yildun
Turkish - "star" Delta Ursae Minoris
| 17h 32' 12.5 +86� 35' 11 | 183 | 4.35 | A1 V | Blue White Main Sequence | adjacent to Polaris in the handle of The Little Dipper | |
Epsilon Ursae Minoris | 16h 45' 57.8 +82� 2' 14 | 345 | 4.21 | G5 III | Yellow Giant | in the handle of The Little Dipper adjacent to the cup | |
Zeta Ursae Minoris | 15h 44' 3.3 +77� 47' 40 | 375 | 4.29 | A3 V | Blue White Main Sequence | where the handle meets the cup of The Little Dipper | |
Theta Ursae Minoris | 15h 31' 24.7 +77� 20' 57 | 830 | 5.0 | K5III | Orange Giant | ||
Eta Ursae Minoris | 16h 17' 30.2 +75� 45' 19 | 97 | 4.95 | F5V | White Main Sequence | - unrelated pair - bottom of the cup underneath the handle of The Little Dipper | |
19 Ursae Minoris | 16h 10' 49.3 +75� 52' 39 | 670 | 5.48 | B8V | Blue Main Sequence |
Vela | VAY lah | The Sail | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
| Regor "Roger" backwards
Gamma 1 Velorum Gamma 2 Velorum
| 11h 1' 50.4 +56� 22' 56 | 1400s | 1.8 | A1V | Blue White Main Sequence | - quintuple system - one is a Wolf Rayet star (very hot and very bright) |
Virgo | VIR go | The Maiden | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
Spica
Latin: "ear of wheat" Alpha Virginis
| 13h 25' 11.5 -11� 9' 41 | 260 | 0.98v | B1III-IV B2V | Binary of Blue Giant and Blue Main Seq | almost exactly on the Ecliptic | |
Zavijava
Arabic: "angle" Beta Virginis
| 11h 50' 41.6 +1� 45' 53 | 36 | 3.59 | F9 V | White Main Sequence | ||
Porrima
named after the Roman
Goddess of Prophecy Gamma 1 Virginis
Gamma 2 Virginis | 12h 41' 39.5 -1� 26' 58 | 39 | 2.8 3.55 + 3.6
| F0V F0V | White Main Sequence Binary | Close Orbital Binary 172 year cycle | |
Vindemiatrix
Latin: "grape gatherer" Epsilon Virginis
| 13h 2' 10.5 +10� 57' 33 | 102 | 2.85 | G8 III | Yellow Giant | ||
Zaniah
Arabic: "angle" Eta Virginis
| 12h 19' 54.3 -0� 40' 0 | 250 | 3.89 | A2IV | Blue White Sub Giant | ||
Syrma
Greek: "train of a dress" Iota Virginis
| 14h 16' 0.8 -6� 0' 2 | 70 | 4.07 | F7V | White Main Sequence | ||
61 Virginis | 13h 18' 24.2 -18� 18' 41 | 27.8 | 4.74 | G6V | Yellow Main Sequence |
Vulpecula | vul PECK you la | The Fox | |||||
Star Name | Coords. | Dist.(ly) | Mag. | Spect. | Type of Star | Features, etc. | |
| The Coathanger
4 Vulpeculae
5 Vulpeculae 7 Vulpeculae - plus many others -
| 19h 25' 28.5 +19� 47' 55 | 240 | 5.14 | K0III | Orange Giant | A straight line of stars - plus 3 that form a hook - on the border with Sagitta (The Arrow), this Fox is destined to be a stole. |
19h 26' 13.1 +20� 5' 52 | 220 | 5.60 | A0V | Blue White Main Seq. | |||
19h 29' 20.8 +20� 16' 47 | 760 | 6.34 | B5V | Blue Main Seq. |