Is there a star called Wormwood in our solar system?

Answer 1

The sun is the only star in our solar system (though you could make a case that Jupiter is companion star that didn't get quite big enough to light up).

I've never heard of a star named Wormwood. I think this might actually be a reference to the rock group "Wormwood Star: (see link)

- or, it could be a biblical reference:
Wormwood, The Star
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)

In Revelation 8:11, the name is figurative, given to a great star which, at the sounding of the third angel's trumpet, fell from heaven upon the third part of the rivers and on the fountains of the waters, turning them to a bitterness of which many died. Wormwood is used of bitter calamities (of Lamentations 3:15), and may here indicate some judgement, inflicted under a noted leader, affecting chiefly the internal sources of a country's prosperity. Older expositors, applying the earlier trumpets to the downfall of the Roman empire, saw in the star a symbol of the barbarian invasions of Attila or Genseric.

(see the 2nd link for more).

Answer 2

Wormwood Star

Answer 3

"Wormwood" is an ancient name for a poisonous plant that grows in the Near East. The name was transliterated into English at the time of the first English translations of the Bible, in the early 16th Century.

The reference to "A star named Wormwood" in the eighth chapter of the Apocalypse as Revealed to St. John the Divine (commonly called the Revelation or the Book of Revelations) is a mythic reference to the hope of the people of 1st Century Judea that the Roman occupiers would be poisoned by their own pollution of the rivers.

"A star fell on the rivers and poisoned one third of the people, and the name of the star was Wormwood." --Rev 8:11

The whole thing is completely mythical, being an ancient Greek play written in political cartoon language, that poetically described the fall of the Roman garrison in Judea that occurred in 79 AD.

As others have pointed out, if there were a star named that, it would not be in the solar system, as there is by definition only one star in the solar system, named "Sol." All other objects in the solar system are planetary or cometary in nature.

If you want to, you can go outside on a dark night and pick a star and name it "Wormwood." An it harm none, do what thou wilt!

Incidentally, it is not correct to say that the moon is the only satellite without a name. The moon's name is Luna.

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Is there a star called Wormwood in our solar system?

Answer 5

Wormwood Comet

Answer 6

You know, Wormwood doesn't have to be a STAR. Theoretically, it could be a meteor or a comet, that would make sense don't you think. Because Wormwood would have to be small enough to impact Earth without destroying it like a star would. And while there may not be a star (meteorite, comet whatever) named Wormwood, it doesn't mean that it is not there. The Biblical authors were very poetical, thus "wormwood" could very well be a reference to the bitterness and suffering brought on by the celestial element.

Answer 7

No. Don't know if there is even a star named Wormwood, whether in or out of the solar system.

Answer 8

The sun, "Sol", is the only star in our solar system (our star and 8 planets along with smaller local objects). There are planets that orbit in binary systems where there are more than one star though. I have never heard of any star nicknamed wormwood, but it is possibly since people give all sorts of nicknames to stars to give them a little more personality than their official catalog number/name.

Also I think it is important to point out that Jupiter would not be a companion star because it formed with the gaseous planets as far as we can tell and not with the sun. Also it needs to be about 10x as massive to even be considered a Brown Dwarf (which is what you are talking about- a failed star).

Answer 9

I just wanted to correct a few ignorant answers about the revelation star called wormwood.

And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;

The star falling from heaven is a comet falling from space. The sky is the first heaven.
So wormwood would be a commet.

Disease comes from space and this falling star, shooting star or comet called wormwood will poison the waters.
The star will fall like a burning lamp, like a comet.

Answer 10

It's from Revelations. It could be an asteroid headed our way. To ancient people, the suns of other solar systems and meteorites were both called stars, hence the term "falling star." So, by their terminology, our solar system has not one star but a whole lot more.