Talitha
Designations
- Bayer: ι UMa
- Flamsteed: 9 UMa
- Hipparchos: HIP 44127
Data
- Constellation: Ursa Major
- Apparent Magnitude: 3.14
- Right Ascension (J2000): 08h59m09.36s
- Declination (J2000): +48°02'30".3
- Colour Index (B-V): 0.19
- Distance: 47.32±0.11ly
Nomenclature
Talitha, or Talitha Borealis
Along with κ UMa, this star marked the indigenous Arabian asterism al-Qafzat al-Ṯāliṯa, 'the third leap', part of the greater asterism al-Qafazāt, 'the leaps', along with the pairs ν & ξ and λ & μ UMa. This asterism marked three footprints of a gazelle heading to al-Ḥawḍ, 'the pond', an asterism composed of θ, τ, υ, φ, e, f, & h UMa. These asterisms partly comprised the indigenous Arabian scene of al-Ẓibā’, 'the gazelles', depicting a herd of gazelles in the regions of Ursa Major, Lynx, Leo Minor. The asterism name al-Qafzat al-Ṯāliṯa was abbreviated and Latinised to Talitha and applied as a star name to ι UMa in modern times. Some instead call this star Talitha Borealis, marking this as the northerly star of al-Qafzat al-Ṯāliṯa, with κ UMa gaining the Latin epithet australis. However, only the former is a proper name for the star, despite the other pairs of al-Qafazāt following the latter pattern.
Dnoces
Along with Regor (γ Vel) and Navi (γ Cas), this star name was jokingly coined by Apollo I astronaut V. I. "Gus" Grissom and T. Jenzano. Dnoces commemorated fellow Apollo I astronaut Ed. H. White II by spelling "second" backwards.