The following article was first published in 1998 in the Astronomical Society of New South Wales (ASNSWI) journal “Universe”. The topic is to do with the inelegant naming of southern stars and whimsical lack of any system or conventions in its use. Although this is probably a fair esoteric and very one-sided view, but it does represent the general confusion and poor means of communication star names for observers in the grand vistas visible in the nightly southern skies. Much of the written text here is deliberately ‘tongue in cheek’ and some humour. This is mainly done to provoke some open thoughts and discussion. Whether such names can really be changed or somehow adopted is very doubtful, but this is not totally impossible.
On a highly personal note, I have been for some time particularly annoyed about the use of the given or proper name for the bright southern star γ Cru /Gamma Crucis. Some bold American astronomer named it Gacrux, which from what I can determine, happened sometime during the early 20th Century. This bright orange star to the naked-eye is the 23rd brightest star in the sky, which has the most atrocious and highly inelegant unsophisticated name — at least compared to many other stars in the sky. I still cannot find out, but I eventually will, if the I.A.U. has really ratified this quite terrible name! At least, ‘Sky Atlas 2000.0’ Vol. 1, pg.313 (Edition 1), has put brackets around the name. I pray that this is only provisional. The name anyway brings terrible thoughts to the mind. Perhaps Gacrux is some kind of new drug or unmentionably placed suppository.
At least Alpha Crucis does have some originality in the name Acrux. The name is clever, simply based on the combination of Alpha or ‘a’ and Crux, whose origin seems to be the renowned 19th Century American astronomer and popularist, Elijah H. Burritt. He published many books mostly for the general American population, with several beautifully illustrated and useful star atlases between the years 1833 and 1856. One edition sold over 250,000 copies - probably being akin to something like the popular “Sky Atlas 2000.0”. Much of the nomenclature given by him regarding southern stars, and this is still remains entrenched in the general astronomical vernacular. He presumably coined the star name Acrux, though from the latitude of +41o North, he could never really see the star himself!
Another is the orange star of Alpha Triangulum Austrinus or Atria, which combines the word alpha and the first three letters of the southern constellation of Triangulum Austrinius. This was not the name derived by Elijah Burritt, and I could not find reference to it in any other literature. Again, I presume it was named by the Americans. At least in “Sky Atlas 2000.0”, Vol. 1, pg. 404, gives the star its provisional name. A better name would perhaps be Atriaus, as to not be confused with stars of the other northern constellation, Triangulum. Alpha Triangulum Austrinius perhaps deserves an improved (I.A.U. ratified) proper name, if only because it is also the 33rd brightest star in the sky.
Interestingly, this method of some name combined with the constellation for star names is not new. The first instance was the alternative name for the open cluster of The Pleiades, as listed in Bayer’s first 16th Century star atlas. John Chilmead, an English writer on celestial and terrestrial globes, terms the Pleiades instead as the Latin name of Tauria Quasi Taurinae. This name, we believe, became bastardised to the shortened form ‘Atauri’a sometime during medieval times. This nomenclature did not stay, as the Biblical references referred to the older name of the Pleiades. The name ‘Atauria’ cannot be posited, as it is confused to the bright orange-red star of Alpha Tauri or Aldebaran.
Some have even stretched this cold draconian imperialism even further. In one of my first copy of an astronomical computer programs was ‘Sky Map’ Version 2.2, the proper name for Beta Crucis was given as Becrux! Nowhere else can I find the reference to this name. However, the proper name for this star is commonly referred as Mimosa. I also believe that this name has not been even ratified by the I.A.U. Yet, it’s the 20th brightest star in the sky! In Sky Atlas 2000.0, the charts and Volume 1 of the atlas, the proper name of Mimosa, nor any other name, is actually given!
Southern observers should find some better name to select for Gamma Crucis, with the name Gacrux sent back, in total disgust, to the Americans whom damn well named it! While we’re at it, what should the proper names be for the stars Delta and Epsilon Crucis? Both these stars also deserve proper names, as they are both conspicuously bright at 2.8v and 3.6v magnitude, and are highly obvious. Why not? If it were in, say, Ursa Major they surely would be! If we don’t look out, they will probably give them predictable Americanised names, like Decrux and Epicrux! Yuckee!
Another star that deserves a better name is β Car / Beta Carinae near the shared border of the southern constellations of Carina and Chamaeleon. Beta Carinae is the 32nd brightest star in the sky having the proper name of Miaplacidus, as first given by Burritt in his 1856 book “Geography”. Origin of the name Miaplacidus is not known, but again, this given name is just another corruption being almost definitely invented by Burritt. William Higgins, the presumed authority regarding star names, derives it from the Arabic name of Miah, as Miyah. It was actually Edmond Halley, in 1679, that originally placed this 1.86 magnitude star in the now defunct constellation of Robur Carlolinium or Charles’ Oak. The ‘Oak’ was kept until the explorer La Caillé complained that its addition totally ruined the whole grand constellation of Argo. Due to his very forthright comments, Robur disappeared (in spite) from the charts between the years 1730 and 1735. Also the star has changed designation three times, from Alpha Roburis, then Beta Argûs to the today’s Beta Carinae. This blue-white star perhaps should be called either the more modern Beargûs, Berobur, Becar or even Becarina, presuming we follow the American precedents.
Similarly, and probably worse, it would change the name of α Car / Canopus. It’s name would then become either Arobur (sounds like a good name for a new fragrant perfume!), Acar or Acarina. How about the really modern name, I Coramba - perhaps too reminiscent of the character Bart Simpson!
What about α Pav / Alpha Pavonis ? It also a bright star with the odd name of Peacock, though Pavo has the English name also means Peacock. Unlike most of the other constellations, the star names are normally is a description of a anatomical or physical part of the imagined figure that the constellation represents. In this particular instance, it does not. References to Alpha Pavonis’s inherited proper name is definitely American. Being the 46th bright star in the sky, in its particularly solitary and lonely place in the sky, the star really deserves some much better name, than this seemingly ‘trumped-up’ version. Perhaps, in this instance, it should be really called Apavo or, which I simply adore, Pavlova!
Pavo is a peculiar constellation, because no other star in the entire constellation has been given a proper name, but that’s not that unusual. A total of twenty other southern constellations have no names for any of the bright stars they contain! These include the constellations;
Antlia, Apus, Ara, Caelum, Chameleon,
Circinus, Corona Australis, Fornax,
Horologium, Hydrus, Mensa, Microscopium,
Musca, Octans, Pictor, Pyxis, Reticulum,
Telescopium, Tucana and Volans.
In the Top 100 of stellar magnitudes, similar problems exist. Most of southern ones are yet to be given proper names. They include;
• 41st brightest :
δ Vel / Delta Velorum
• 61st brightest :
β Gru / Beta Grus
• 72nd brightest :
γ Cen / Gamma
Centauri
• 84th brightest :
ε Cen / Epsilon
Centauri
N.B. Epsilon Centauri also points towards ω Cen / Omega Centauri - also bizarrely still nameless even though it is directly pointing towards the brightest globular in the sky! This is the common way southern observers find the amazing globe of stars ω Centauri.
Under the naming system, perhaps only δ Vel / Delta Velorum in this group really deserves some decent proper name, if only because of its overall brightness. Two of these stars listed above lie in the False Cross containing Delta and Kappa Velorum, along with Epsilon Carinae / Avior and Iota Carinae / Turais Two first two of these stars mentioned have never had any given names. Considering the False Cross is a major asterism in the southern sky this is amazing silly. The two that are named are;
ε Car was relatively recently named as Avior, whose own name was first adopted by the English-based Her Majesty’s Nautical Almanac Office (H.M.N.A.O.) in the 1930’s, mainly to assist navigation by aviators the Royal Air Force (RAF). So again, this is another example of a mishmash of names based this time on its practical use. This origin is also similar to the star α Pav [See above], was also named by the H.M.N.A.O.
ι Car is named Aspidiske, or the usually preferred Turais. The name means “little shield”, and refers to the decoration placed near the keel of the ship. Aspidiske is Greek word for this, where Turais is the Arabic name, and the less frequently used name of Scutulum is again the same but in Latin!
Clearly all this is quite nuts. Why name Iota three times, all essentially have the exactly the same meaning, and then have two other stars so nearby without any name at all! Worst Iota is the third brightest of these stars at 2.3v magnitude, yet nearby Delta Velorum is roughly 0.4 magnitudes brighter, being placed opposes Iota in the False Cross.
Perhaps the False Cross, with the emphasis on the false, not because it mimics the brighter Southern Cross, but because it does not follow the general ‘rules of engagement’ seen in most bright constellations. Frankly, it would not happen nor would be tolerated by many amateur astronomers in the northern hemisphere!
Also the 55th brightest star in the sky has been lately named Suhail (or Alsuhail) λ Vel / Lambda Velorum, and this certainly is not traditional. It comes from the Arabic meaning either brilliant, beautiful or glorious. However, it is brighter than Iota Carinae, and fainter by a smidgen than still unnamed Delta Carinae. As I say in just one word. Nuts!
To adopt the Americanised nomenclature in the highlighted “Top 100 Stars” then becomes specifically;
• Develor
• Lavelor
• Begrus
• Gacent
• Epcent
• Epicar would replace Avior
Others would include;
• Omega Centauri would be Omecent
• Kappa Velorum becomes Kavel or Kavelor
• Iota Carinae becomes Icar or Iotacar.
If this type of nomenclature is extended to all southern constellation, carte blanche, we end up with star names like ;
• Amusca
• Behyis
• Bemusca (Men’s fragrance)
• Acham (Arabic Chewing Gum brand)
• Amen (Alpha Mensa)
• Amicro (A new petrol company?)
Others would be, and you can probably now guess them;
• Alteleos (Telescope eyepiece type)
• Etacar (Eta Carinae)
• Xicar (A new oven cleaner)
• Taucent(Another fragrance)
• Depictor (New graphic computer software)
• Gaoctan
• Garet (or Garnet)
• Acoraus (A new dinosaur species)
• Behoro (or the shorter Behor)
• Devolan (Japanese soft drink)
• Zemusca
I believe, after teaching astronomy classes for over decades, that the naming of stars in the sky is quite important. They set out to find regions of the unfamiliar constellations for the astronomically uninitiated. Naming stars should quite naturally have some degree of romance and history, instead of the cold hard science that astronomy sometimes normally capitulates too. People while learning the stars, will often ask, “What star is that?” Any proper name at least gives them the appropriate head start. It also does make the subject of astronomy interesting!
To give some really good examples. When I describe the stars in the constellation of Crux, I point out Acrux, then Mimosa, Gacrux, Delta Crucis then Epsilon Crucis. The terrible syntax gap here is plainly obvious. I even once taught some enthusiastic eleven year-old children some years ago;
“What are the names of the stars in the Southern Cross?”, one perplexed child asked.
Now, you try to describe to them Delta and Epsilon Crucis by their designated Greek letters and genitives! Is this important for school children? Yes! They see it everyday on the Australian and New Zealand National Flags!
The most entertaining proposal that I can think of, is the naming of the four brightest stars of Crux (Alpha to Delta), as Baron Alexander von Humboldt first pointed out, based on the four cardinal virtues of Justice, Prudence, Fortitude and Temperance. In terms of Acrux, Becrux and Gacrux and Delta Crucis, our northern hemisphere counterparts could greatly learn from these uses of the Humboldt star names. When directed to our American astronomical counterparts, these ‘new’ names could be well affirmed, justified or formally rejected!
An apt conclusion to this text is a quotation from the very last line at the end of Dante’s ‘Inferno’, which is particularly suited to the gist of this tome;
1.) In the real world, the I.A.U. controls names or terminology of astronomy, this also does not mean that star names cannot be added or changed. The I.A.U. is seemingly (and fortunately) highly democratic and non-profit body. If many responses to some particularly favoured name is suggested and they become commonly used, they could be submitted for ratification and changed.
2.) Any suggestions or comments on common star names should be sent in a letter to me, for publishing in this web space. Meanwhile, an inquisitive letter has just been (again) sent to the particular I.A.U. Commission about information on the proper names used for the bright southern stars. I’ll report the response to these Southern Astronomical Pages if I ever get the reply.
