Astronomy Picture of the Day - 25 Brightest Stars in the Night Sky

APOD.NASA.gov ^ | 18 Dec, 2022 | Image Credit & Copyright: Tragoolchitr Jittasaiyapan

[MtnClimber]

Explanation: Do you know the names of some of the brightest stars? It's likely that you do, even though some bright stars have names so old they date back to near the beginning of written language. Many world cultures have their own names for the brightest stars, and it is culturally and historically important to remember them. In the interest of clear global communication, however, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has begun to designate standardized star names. Featured here in true color are the 25 brightest stars in the night sky, currently as seen by humans, coupled with their IAU-recognized names. Some star names have interesting meanings, including Sirius ("the scorcher" in Latin), Vega ("falling" in Arabic), and Antares ("rival to Mars" in Greek). You are likely even familiar with the name of at least one star too dim to make this list: Polaris.

[MtnClimber]

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For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

[MtnClimber]

[MtnClimber]

Pinging the APOD list.

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

[vikingd00d]

How long before the IAU is called racist for standardizing on mostly Greek and Roman derived names?

[doorgunner69]

Have to admit not having a clue about them.

Never took astronomy and still have a fit trying to find anything.

[reg45]

Actually, many of the star names are from Arabic.

[Verginius Rufus]

Actually the Latin name Sirius is derived from the Greek name of the star, Seirios.

[GaltAdonis]

First time I noticed 'Arcturus' was decades ago.
I had dinner over some friends' house, and after the evening
was over, one buddy walked me out to my truck.
It was a warm, pleasant evening and we were in an involved
conversation.

So as we were standing out by the street talking, I noticed
the blinking light of a 'airplane' in the night sky.

But after twenty minutes of so, I noticed that the plane's
blinking light had barely moved!

I mentioned this to my friend - who was an avid amateur
astronomer - and he laughed -"That's not a plane, that's
Arcturus! - It's a star!".

Actually it's a binary star - TWO stars in a rapid, tight
orbit around each other - hence the 'Twinkling' that makes
it look like a blinking airplane light.
It does a fast red-blue shift back and forth as it rotates.

So if you want to find Arcturus - look in the northern sky
for a bright twinkling star that looks very 'airplane-like'.

Video:

Scintillation - Twinkling Star Arcturus

[fortes fortuna juvat]

Actually the Latin name Sirius is derived from the Greek name of the star, Seirios.
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Isn’t Sirius referred to as the “Dog star”?

[LibWhacker]

“Follow the arc to Arcturus.”

[LibWhacker]

[Verginius Rufus]

Yes, Sirius is known as the Dog Star. It's the brightest star in the constellation of Canis Major (the Greater Dog)--of course it is also the brightest of all stars visible from the earth, other than the sun. The star Procyon is so-called because it rises before Sirius (Greek kyon means "dog').

When astronomers discovered that Sirius has a white dwarf companion (Sirius B), it was nicknamed "the Pup."

The Dog Days of Summer got their name because it was thought that the position of Sirius in the sky in that part of the year was why the heat was so intense.

[LonePalm]

As such, they are the primary navigation stars.

WWG1WGA

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)