List of proper names of stars facts for kids
Stars are huge balls of gas in space that shine brightly. For thousands of years, people have looked up at the night sky and given names to the brightest stars they see. These names often come from ancient stories, myths, or simply describe what the star looks like or where it is in the sky.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is a group of scientists from all over the world. They are in charge of naming things in space, like stars, planets, and moons. Since 2016, the IAU has a special team called the Working Group on Star Names (WGSN). This team officially approves and lists star names. As of 2023, they have approved over 470 star names!
Why Do Stars Have Names?
Out of the thousands of stars you can see without a telescope, only a few hundred have special names. Long ago, people usually named groups of stars, like constellations (think of the Big Dipper or Orion). They didn't always name each individual star.
Many star names describe where the star is in its constellation. For example, Phecda comes from an Arabic phrase meaning 'thigh of the bear'. This tells us it's in the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear.
Some of the very brightest stars have their own unique names. These names don't depend on their constellation.
- Sirius means 'the scorcher' because it's so bright.
- Antares means 'rival of Ares' (Mars) because it's red, just like the planet Mars.
- Alphard means 'the solitary one' because it's a bright star all by itself.
- Regulus means 'kinglet' or 'little king'.
- Aldebaran means 'the follower' because it seems to follow the Pleiades star cluster across the sky.
- Procyon means 'preceding the dog' because it rises before Sirius, the Dog Star.
Even in Chinese star names, most stars are part of named groups. But a few, like Vega (which means 'weaving girl'), have their own special names. In more recent times, new names have been created, and some stars have even been named after famous people.
The IAU's Official Star Names
In 2016, the IAU created the Working Group on Star Names (WGSN). Their job is to collect and officially approve star names. This helps make sure everyone uses the same names for stars around the world.
The WGSN started by approving 125 names in 2016. These included names from a special project called NameExoWorlds from 2015. In this project, people from different countries could suggest names for exoplanets (planets outside our solar system) and their host stars. More names were added over the years. By 2018, there were 336 approved names.
In 2019, the IAU held another NameExoWorlds campaign. This added 112 more names for exoplanets and their stars. By 2023, the total number of officially named stars reached 471!
The WGSN usually gives names to single stars, not to whole star systems (which can have many stars orbiting each other). If a star is part of a system, the name usually refers to the brightest star in that system.
A Glimpse of Star Names
Here are some examples of star names, showing their origins and meanings. Names marked with a "†" have not been officially approved by the IAU.
| Constellation | Designation | Modern Proper Name | Historical Names/Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eridanus | α Eridani A | Achernar | This name comes from Arabic and means 'river's end'. |
| Scorpius | β1 Scorpii Aa | Acrab | From Arabic, meaning 'the scorpion'. |
| Crux | α Crucis Aa | Acrux | A modern name from the 1800s, combining its constellation and its Greek letter designation. |
| Canis Major | ε Canis Majoris A | Adhara | From Arabic, meaning 'virgins'. |
| Taurus | α Tauri | Aldebaran | From Arabic, meaning 'the follower' (of the Pleiades star cluster). |
| Perseus | β Persei Aa1 | Algol | From Arabic, meaning 'head of the ogre'. |
| Ursa Major | ε Ursae Majoris A | Alioth | A bright star in the Big Dipper. |
| Ursa Major | η Ursae Majoris | Alkaid | Another bright star in the Big Dipper. |
| Orion | ε Orionis | Alnilam | The middle star in Orion's belt. Its name means 'arrangement' or 'string of pearls' in Arabic. |
| Hydra | α Hydrae | Alphard | From Arabic, meaning 'the solitary one'. |
| Aquila | α Aquilae | Altair | From Arabic, meaning 'the flying eagle'. It's part of the Summer Triangle. |
| Canis Major | HD 43197 | Amadioha | Proposed by Nigeria, named after a god in Igbo mythology. (IAU new 2019) |
| Scorpius | α Scorpii A | Antares | From Greek, meaning 'rival of Ares' (Mars), due to its red color. |
| Boötes | α Boötis | Arcturus | From ancient Greek, meaning "Guardian of the Bear". |
| Auriga | α Aurigae Aa | Capella | From Latin, meaning 'small female goat'. |
| Gemini | α Geminorum Aa | Castor | One of the "twin" stars in Gemini. |
| Ara | μ Arae | Cervantes | Named after the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes. (IAU new 2015) |
| Ursa Major | 47 Ursae Majoris | Chalawan | Named after a mythological crocodile king from a Thai folktale. (IAU new 2015) |
| Cancer | 55 Cancri A | Copernicus | Named after the famous astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. (IAU new 2015) |
| Cygnus | α Cygni | Deneb | From Arabic, meaning 'tail of the hen'. |
| Cetus | β Ceti | Diphda | From Arabic, meaning 'frog'. |
| Ursa Major | α Ursae Majoris A | Dubhe | A bright star in the Big Dipper. |
| Taurus | 17 Tauri | Electra | A member of the Pleiades star cluster, named after one of the Pleiades sisters in Greek mythology. |
| Draco | γ Draconis | Eltanin | From Arabic, meaning 'the great serpent'. |
| Piscis Austrinus | α Piscis Austrini A | Fomalhaut | From Arabic, meaning 'mouth of the fish'. (IAU new 2015) |
| Crux | γ Crucis | Gacrux | A modern name, combining its constellation and its Greek letter designation. |
| Aries | α Arietis | Hamal | From Arabic, meaning 'head of the ram'. |
| Pegasus | 51 Pegasi | Helvetios | Named after an ancient Celtic tribe in Switzerland. (IAU new 2015) |
| Ursa Major | ζ Ursae Majoris Aa | Mizar | A bright star in the Big Dipper. Its name means 'apron' or 'waistband' in Arabic. |
| Cetus | ο Ceti Aa | Mira | From Latin, meaning 'wonderful' or 'astonishing', named in the 1600s. |
| Perseus | α Persei | Mirfak | From Arabic, meaning 'the elbow'. |
| Ursa Minor | α Ursae Minoris | Polaris | Also known as the North Star. Its name means 'polar star' in Latin. |
| Canis Minor | α Canis Minoris A | Procyon | From Greek, meaning 'preceding the Dog' (referring to Sirius). |
| Centaurus | α Centauri C | Proxima Centauri | This is the closest star to our Sun! Its name means 'nearest' in Latin. |
| Leo | α Leonis A | Regulus | From Latin, meaning 'prince' or 'little king'. |
| Orion | β Orionis A | Rigel | From Arabic, meaning 'the left leg (foot) of Jauzah'. |
| Delphinus | β Delphini A | Rotanev | This name is a bit of a joke! It's the last name of the astronomer Niccolò Cacciatore (who added it to a star catalog) spelled backwards. |
| Canis Major | α Canis Majoris A | Sirius | The brightest star in our night sky! Its name means 'the scorcher' in Greek. It's also called the "Dog Star." |
| Virgo | α Virginis Aa | Spica | From Latin, meaning 'ear of grain'. |
| Delphinus | α Delphini Aa | Sualocin | Another joke name by Niccolò Cacciatore, it's his first name (Nicolaus) spelled backwards. |
| Draco | α Draconis A | Thuban | From Arabic, meaning 'the serpent'. |
| Andromeda | υ Andromedae A | Titawin | Named after an ancient city in Morocco. (IAU new 2015) |
| Centaurus | α Centauri B | Toliman | From Arabic, meaning 'two (male) ostriches'. |
| Camelopardalis | HD 104985 | Tonatiuh | Named after the Aztec god of the Sun. (IAU new 2015) |
| Lyra | α Lyrae | Vega | From Arabic, meaning 'the alighting vulture'. In Chinese stories, it's known as the 'weaving girl'. |
See also
- Lists of stars by constellation
- List of Arabic star names
- List of Chinese star names
- List of proper names of exoplanets
- Stars named after people
