Bayer designation facts for kids

The Bayer designation is a special way to name stars. It uses letters from the Greek alphabet to give each star in a constellation a unique name. This system was created by a German astronomer named Johann Bayer in the early 1600s. It helps astronomers easily identify stars.

Usually, the brightest star in a constellation gets the first letter of the Greek alphabet, which is alpha (α). Then, the next brightest star gets beta (β), and so on. The letters go down the Greek alphabet as the stars get dimmer.

For example:

• α Canis Majoris is the brightest star in the Canis Major constellation.
• θ Orionis is a star in the Orion constellation.
• ζ Reticuli is a star in the Reticulum constellation.

This system is still used today alongside other ways of naming stars.

Images for kids

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  This picture shows part of Orion from Bayer's star chart. You can see the belt stars and the Orion Nebula region, with both Greek and Latin letters used for labels.

See also

In Spanish: Denominación de Bayer para niños