Stars like Rigel have english names like "foot" , what about the rest of the star family?
2007-03-12 20:41:32 · 2 answers · asked by lamino 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
what you might ask for are names for constellations in the sky where a star is a specific feature IN that constellation.
example: The 'Big Dipper' has a 'handle'
basically stars names are international and came from ancient times from different cultures.
today the international astronomic association has a hand on the naming of astronomic features.
Renaming them to english.. well.. it may sound uncomfortable, but the US is not alone on earth, sooo..
i would vote for having the names as they are.... international
2007-03-13 01:56:52 · answer #1 · answered by blondnirvana 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of the star names we currently use come from ancient Arabic. They all (I think) have meaning, just as Rigel means foot. I'm told Betelgeuse means "armpit of the might one". Deneb means "tail". I don't know most of the translations, but there's a book that has them all: "Star Names, Their Lore and Meaning".
http://www.amazon.com/Star-Names-Their-Meaning-Astronomy/dp/0486210790
That book has more info than you ever wanted to know!
2007-03-16 04:48:53 · answer #2 · answered by kris 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋