Corona Borealis
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Template:Infobox Constellation Corona Borealis (Latin for northern crown) is a small northern constellation whose main stars form a semicircular arc. It is one of the 88 modern constellations, and was also one of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy, who referred to the constellation as Corona. The Borealis (northern) was added later on, to contrast with Corona Australis, the southern crown.
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Notable features
It has no first magnitude stars. Its brightest star, Alphecca (also known as Gemma) is of magnitude 2.2 (slightly variable) and is considered a member of the diffuse Ursa Major open cluster. The constellation contains several interesting variable stars. Two of the best known are R Coronae Borealis and T Coronae Borealis.
Notable deep sky objects
Corona Borealis contains no bright deep sky objects. Abell 2065 is a a highly concentrated galaxy cluster containing over 400 members, the brightest of which are of 16th magnitude.
Mythology
Corona Borealis was sometimes considered to represent a crown that was given by Dionysus to Ariadne, the daughter of Minos of Crete. At other points it was considered to belong, in a sense, to Boötes, whomever that might represent.
Stars
- Stars with proper names:
- Alphecca [Alphacca, Alphekka] or Gemma or Gnosia [Gnosia Stella Coronae] or Asteroth [Ashtaroth] (5/α CrB) 2.22
- < النائر الفكّة an-na´ir al-fakkah The bright one of the broken (ring of stars)
- < gemma The jewel
- < gnōsia stella corōnæ Star of Ariadne's ("of Knossos's") crown
- < עשתרזת cašterôt, Astarte (idols) [plural of Ashtoreth Astarte/Ishtar, the Semitic fertility goddess]
- Alphecca [Alphacca, Alphekka] or Gemma or Gnosia [Gnosia Stella Coronae] or Asteroth [Ashtaroth] (5/α CrB) 2.22
- Nusakan (3/β CrB) 3.66
- < ? an-nasaqan The (two) series
- Nusakan (3/β CrB) 3.66
- Stars with Bayer designations:
- 8/γ CrB 3.81; 10/δ CrB 4.59; 13/ε CrB 4.14; 7/ζ1 CrB 6.00; 7/ζ2 CrB 5.07; 4/θ CrB 4.14; 2/η CrB – double 4.99, 6.08; 14/ι CrB 4.98; 11/κ CrB 4.79; 12/λ CrB 5.43; 6/μ CrB 5.14; 20/ν1 CrB 5.20; 21/ν2 CrB 5.40; 19/ξ CrB 4.86; 1/ο CrB 5.51; 9/π CrB 5.57; 15/ρ CrB 5.39 – has a planet; 17/σ CrB – double 5.23, 6.66; 16/τ CrB 4.73; 18/υ CrB 5.80
- Other notable stars:
- R CrB 5.85 - 14.8 – R CrB variable prototype
Template:Astro-stub Template:ConstellationsListedByPtolemy Template:ConstellationList
External links
- The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Corona Borealis (http://www.allthesky.com/constellations/coronaborealis/)ca:Corona Borealis
de:Nördliche Krone (Sternbild) fr:Couronne boréale (constellation) ko:북쪽왕관자리 it:Corona Borealis nl:Corona Borealis ja:かんむり座 fi:Pohjan kruunu