Sigma Hydrae
| Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox J2000.0 | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Hydra |
| Right ascension | 8h 38m 45.4s |
| Declination | 3° 20' 29" |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 4.44 |
| Distance | 353 ly (108.28 pc) |
| Spectral type | K1III |
| Other designations | |
Sigma Hydrapp (σ Hydrae, σ Hya) is the 4th-magnitude star in the constellation Hydra. Sigma Hydrae belongs to spectral class K1+III and has apparent magnitude +4.44. It is approximately 353 light years from Earth
Etymology
It is also known by the proper name Minchir, and appears as Minchir es-schudscha' on Bode's large star atlas, Uranographia, which is derived from the Arabic Minkhir al-Shuja‘, "the Nostril of Hydra", for this star. The name is erroneously spelt as Al Minliar al Shuja in the Yale Bright Star Catalogue..
This star, along with δ Hya (Lisan al Shudja), ε Hya, ζ Hya, η Hya and ρ Hya, were Ulug Beg's Min al Azʽal, "Belonging to the Uninhabited Spot".[1]
According to the catalogue of stars in the Technical Memorandum 33-507 - A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars, Min al Azʽal or Minazal were the title for five stars : δ Hya as Minazal I, η Hya as Minazal II, ε Hya as Minazal III, ρ Hya as Minazal IV and ζ Hya as Minazal V (exclude this star)[2]
In Chinese, 柳宿 (Liǔ Sù), meaning Willow (asterism), refers to an asterism consisting of σ Hydrae, δ Hydrae, η Hydrae, ρ Hydrae, ε Hydrae, ζ Hydrae, ω Hydrae and θ Hydrae[3] Consequently, σ Hydrae itself is known as 柳宿二 (Liǔ Sù èr, English: the Second Star of Willow.).[4]
The people of Groote Eylandt, called Unwala, "The Crab", for the star cluster including this star, δ Hya (Lisan al Shudja), ε Hya, ζ Hya, η Hya and ρ Hya.[5]
References
- "HD 73471 -- Variable Star". SIMBAD Astronomical Database. Retrieved 2006-11-05.
- ↑ Allen, R. H. (1963). Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning (Reprint ed.). New York, NY: Dover Publications Inc. p. 249. ISBN 0-486-21079-0. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
- ↑ Jack W. Rhoads - Technical Memorandum 33-507-A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology; November 15, 1971
- ↑ (Chinese) 中國星座神話, written by 陳久金. Published by 台灣書房出版有限公司, 2005, ISBN 978-986-7332-25-7.
- ↑ (Chinese) AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 5 月 28 日
- ↑ Encyclopaedia of the history of science, technology, and medicine in non-western cultures, ed. Helaine Selin, Dordrecht, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1997, p.105.