Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-07
STAR NOMENCLATURE
INDIVIDUAL NAMES MOSTLY
COME FROM THE ARABIC.
Modern Designations of a Severely
Practical Nature-Would
Spoil Poetry.
From the London Spectstor-

down to us are those of the constella lions,
which-there is good reason to believe
were traced on the sky something like 5000
years ago by forgotten race dwelling in
the valley of the Euphrates. In their pres
ent shape they have passed through the
artistic hands OF the Greeks, while the in
dividual star names have mostly come TO
us from the Arabs. Both sources are to be
seen in Sponsors lines:
Now when Aidebaran was mounted high
Above the starry Cassiopeia's Chair
Andromeda and Cassiopeia, Pas asus and
Orion. the Twins, and the Ship Argo all
bear the print Of that brilliant Hellenic i'm
agination which had done so much to H.
illuminate and beautify the world.
1t is needless to speak in detail of 4 myth
oloSy that-even in the days of the mod
ern side'-must be supposed to be familiar
to every Sch0OibOy. Yet there is reason to
believe that the Greeks did but apply their
own names to figures that had been placed
in the sky long before, and referred to a
state of civilization which was already bur-
led under the drums and trampings of
many conqueStS when Homer sang and
Plato reasoned. Astronomical considera-
lions give us reasonable guess a the time
and place of the birth of the consultations,
but 1t is probable that we shall never know
more of their origin. They may have been
part of some early religion written on the
face of the heavens for all men to read;
lHtS may nave formed the prOudeSt Pan
theon of dead heroes ever conceived by
man; they may have been simply con-
venient memoria technica by which the
first astronomers defined the places of the
stars,
Earliest Names.
Probably the earliest star names that
have yet been brought to light are to be de-
c'phered on the Assyrian tablets. There we
find the Pole star, whose true-ffxed and
itI-'t ho
covery made in the stellar universe, called
the Judge of Heaven and the High One
OF the Enclosure of Light Charles Vain
was already the Long Chariot" and Cas-
slopeia. the Lady in the Chair was the
Lady of Corn showing how prone men
have always been to see their own little
figures reflected the sky. Auriga was
already the Chariot" and the driver held
the Goat Capelia, in his arms The
PleiadeS and the rainy Hyades" were the
Great Twins of the "Foundations." Reg
illus was then the king of the starry
plain. and the Horse and the Serpent. the
Scorpion. and the Bull were already to be
found In the places where we look for them
today. Bootes was the Herdsman and
Aries the Ram. How are we to explain this
coincidence between the Greek and the Eu-
phratean astronomers? Is it a mere pla-
glarism, or an instance of the extraordinary
currency of tradition, or proof that the
consultations really look like the strange
forms which We try to see in them? One
can understand that Castor and Pollux
should always be called the Twins and the
American name of the Dipper is only lit
tie more realistic than the Plow Of our
own Nain-though it is not easy to see how
Homer perceived the Bear in the SAINT
Stars-and no great stretch of imagination
Is needed to see the outspread wings of the
Swan and the curve of the Sickle But be-
yond that we can hardly GO and the real
origin of the constellation figures is likely
to remain to all time 'wropt in mist'ry"
When We turn to the names of individual
stars we seem to be on surer ground The
brightest of all. Sirius. or the Dog star.
probably owes the latter name to its asso-
citation with Orion, the Hunter Sirius of
course, is the sparkling star or "scorcher,"
the Arabic Al Shira. 1t is curious to note
how many of the popular names of indi-
Viaual stars are legacy from the Arabs,
VINO did so much to keep science alive
through the European dark ages Aide
baran is the Follower" becahse he seems
to drive the Pleiades before him. The
Pleiades themselves contain mystery
Why are they always called seven? There
are only six now visible TO an ordinary
eye, and those who can see seven can see
at least eleven. When did the fallen sis
ter vanish from the sky? The name tells
us nothIng-any more than does the p0pu-
lar association of these lovely stars with
the little she-gOats" that honest Sancho
Panza saw on his aerial excursion.
the Arabic name of Angel. the Demon
which is simply our old friend the ghoul
of the Arabian Nights" 1t is almost nee
essary to assume that such a name refers
10 Algols remarkable variations in light
which we now know to be caused by a
huge dark planet-probably about the size
OF our sun-reVOlving around it. Yet there
Is absolutely no record of any perception
of a change in the luminosity of AlgoI be.
fore 1873. Here the name has evidently
preserved an observation which has been
entirely lost.
Only Monarch Honored
Modern attempts to record things In the
sky have been less fortunate. DR.. Porter
tells us that the Leipsic Academy in 1897
decreed that the belt and sword of Orion
the most splendid of all the const citations
should in future be known by the name of
Napolean; but the tranquil stars smile on,
undisturbed by that meteoric career Her
schel's loyal proposal to call his new planet
the Georgium Sidus was little more fortu-
nate. The only monarch of modern times
who is actually commemOrated in the sky
is-of all choices,-Charles H. after whom a
fine double star in BoOtes was chrstened
Cor Carroll" After all, the merry mon
arch deserved such an honor, for he had
the good sense 10 found Greenwich obser-
yatory.
AS a rule, the modern nomenclature of
the stars IS of a severely practical nature
1t is convenient for the astronomer, but
the average man declines to think Of Sirius
as "a CAMS Majoris,' or 1890 RIA. 6
hours, 40.I minutes-December, 10 degrees
IS minutes TennysOn's well-known line
would not be improved If 1t spoke of
Lamps which outburned Argus Carl
nae.') "Groombridge, 1890" and &C T.
Vt. 243 may be very interesting stars
but they must not think to compete in the
general estimation with Aldebaran and
Fomalhaut. Campus or Vega or Procyon.
Yet the mind rises above the catalogs and
of star that interests we may say with
the poets:
learned
Could give IL a clumsy name
Let him ii who
The beauty would be the same