Shampagen's Astronomy
Star Cultures • Modern Constellations • Stars • Asterisms • Deep Sky Objects

Megrez

Designations

  • Bayer: δ UMa
  • Flamsteed: 69 UMa
  • Hipparchos: HIP 59774

Data

  • Constellation: Ursa Major
  • Apparent Magnitude: 3.32
  • Right Ascension (J2000): 12h15m24.61s
  • Declination (J2000): +57°02'14".2
  • Colour Index (B-V): 0.09
  • Distance: 80.89±0.38ly

Nomenclature

Megrez

The scientific Arabic name for the star was Maġriz Ḏanab al-Dubb al-Akbar, 'the root of the tail of the great bear', referring to its position within the figure. The name was abbreviated to Megrez and applied as as a star name in modern times.

Kaffa

The name is of unknown etmology, first attested in Antonín Bečvář's Atlas Coeli Skalnaté Pleso.

Sources

  • IAU WGSN. IAU-Catalog of Star Names (CSN). link.
  • Stellarium Contributors. Stellarium Astronomy Software. link.
  • Kunitszch, Paul. Smart, Tim. A Dictionary of Modern Star Names (2006), pp. 56. link.
  • Lafitte, Roland. Catalogue of Star Names Created in the Greco-Arabian Sky. link.
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