ON OTHER PAGES
Proper names of stars
In 2016, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) set up a Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) to compile a catalogue of officially sanctioned proper names for the brightest stars. This working group rectified a long-standing anomaly: although the IAU had adopted an official list of 88 constellations in 1922, it had never rationalized the multiplicity of popular star names encountered in books, magazines, and on star charts.
The IAU’s reluctance to get involved was understandable, since professional astronomers rarely used names for anything other than a handful of the brightest stars; instead, they identified stars by their designations in various catalogues. However, amateurs and the general public continued to use popular names for hundreds of naked-eye stars taken from various sources, which led to confusion. Some stars were known by more than one name. Some names had various alternative spellings. And certain names were reused for more than one star. The IAU Working Group has finally brought this profusion of conflicting names to an end.
The IAU star name catalogue contains over 300 entries. The table below lists some of the most commonly encountered IAU-approved names for stars, with their Bayer or Flamsteed identifications. Names marked with an asterisk (*) are navigation stars and are listed in The Nautical Almanac. The complete list can be found on the IAU’s Naming Stars web page.
Ian Ridpath (member, IAU Working Group on Star Names).
Popular name
Scientific name
Popular name
Scientific name
Acamar*
Theta Eridani
Kochab*
Beta Ursae Minoris
Achernar*
Alpha Eridani
Kornephoros
Beta Herculis
Acrab
Beta Scorpii
Lesath
Upsilon Scorpii
Acrux*
Alpha Crucis
Maia
20 Tauri
Acubens
Alpha Cancri
Marfik
Lambda Ophiuchi
Adhara*
Epsilon Canis Majoris
Markab*
Alpha Pegasi
Albireo*
Beta Cygni
Mebsuta
Epsilon Geminorum
Alcor
80 Ursae Majoris
Megrez
Delta Ursae Majoris
Alcyone*
Eta Tauri
Meissa
Lambda Orionis
Aldebaran*
Alpha Tauri
Menkalinan*
Beta Aurigae
Alderamin*
Alpha Cephei
Menkar*
Alpha Ceti
Alfirk
Beta Cephei
Menkent
Theta Centauri
Algedi
Alpha Capricorni
Merak*
Beta Ursae Majoris
Algenib*
Gamma Pegasi
Merope
23 Tauri
Algieba*
Gamma Leonis
Mesarthim
Gamma Arietis
Algol*
Beta Persei
Miaplacidus*
Beta Carinae
Algorab
Delta Corvi
Mimosa*
Beta Crucis
Alhena*
Gamma Geminorum
Mintaka
Delta Orionis
Alioth*
Epsilon Ursae Majoris
Mira
Omicron Ceti
Alkaid*
Eta Ursae Majoris
Mirach*
Beta Andromedae
Alkalurops
Mu Boötis
Mirfak*
Alpha Persei
Almach*
Gamma Andromedae
Mirzam*
Beta Canis Majoris
Alnair*
Alpha Gruis
Mizar*
Zeta Ursae Majoris
Alnasl
Gamma Sagittarii
Mothallah
Alpha Trianguli
Alnilam*
Epsilon Orionis
Muliphein
Gamma Canis Majoris
Alnitak*
Zeta Orionis
Muphrid
Eta Bootis
Alphard*
Alpha Hydrae
Muscida
Omicron Ursae Majoris
Alphecca*
Alpha Coronae Borealis
Naos
Zeta Puppis
Alpheratz*
Alpha Andromedae
Nashira
Gamma Capricorni
Alrescha
Alpha Piscium
Nekkar
Beta Boötis
Alshain
Beta Aquilae
Nihal
Beta Leporis
Altair*
Alpha Aquilae
Nunki*
Sigma Sagittarii
Aludra
Eta Canis Majoris
Nusakan
Beta Coronae Borealis
Alya
Theta Serpentis
Peacock*
Alpha Pavonis
Ankaa*
Alpha Phoenicis
Phact*
Alpha Columbae
Antares*
Alpha Scorpii
Phecda*
Gamma Ursae Majoris
Arcturus*
Alpha Boötis
Pherkad
Gamma Ursae Minoris
Arkab Posterior
Beta-2 Sagittarii
Pleione
28 Tauri
Arkab Prior
Beta-1 Sagittarii
Polaris*
Alpha Ursae Minoris
Arneb
Alpha Leporis
Pollux*
Beta Geminorum
Ascella
Zeta Sagittarii
Porrima
Gamma Virginis
Asellus Australis
Delta Cancri
Procyon*
Alpha Canis Minoris
Asellus Borealis
Gamma Cancri
Propus
Eta Geminorum
Aspidiske
Iota Carinae
Rasalgethi
Alpha Herculis
Asterope
21 Tauri
Rasalhague*
Alpha Ophiuchi
Atlas
27 Tauri
Rastaban
Beta Draconis
Atria*
Alpha Trianguli Australis
Regulus*
Alpha Leonis
Avior*
Epsilon Carinae
Rigel*
Beta Orionis
Baten Kaitos
Zeta Ceti
Rigil Kentaurus*
Alpha Centauri
Bellatrix*
Gamma Orionis
Ruchbah*
Delta Cassiopeiae
Betelgeuse*
Alpha Orionis
Rukbat
Alpha Sagittarii
Canopus*
Alpha Carinae
Sabik*
Eta Ophiuchi
Capella*
Alpha Aurigae
Sadachbia
Gamma Aquarii
Caph*
Beta Cassiopeiae
Sadalbari
Mu Pegasi
Castor*
Alpha Geminorum
Sadalmelik
Alpha Aquarii
Cebalrai
Beta Ophiuchi
Sadalsuud
Beta Aquarii
Celaeno
16 Tauri
Sadr
Gamma Cygni
Chara
Beta Canum Venaticorum
Saiph
Kappa Orionis
Cor Caroli*
Alpha Canum Venaticorum
Sargas
Theta Scorpii
Cursa
Beta Eridani
Scheat*
Beta Pegasi
Dabih
Beta Capricorni
Schedar*
Alpha Cassiopeiae
Deneb*
Alpha Cygni
Seginus
Gamma Boötis
Denebola*
Beta Leonis
Shaula*
Lambda Scorpii
Diphda*
Beta Ceti
Sheliak
Beta Lyrae
Dschubba*
Delta Scorpii
Sheratan*
Beta Arietis
Dubhe*
Alpha Ursae Majoris
Sirius*
Alpha Canis Majoris
Edasich
Iota Draconis
Spica*
Alpha Virginis
Electra
17 Tauri
Suhail*
Lambda Velorum
Elnath*
Beta Tauri
Sulafat
Gamma Lyrae
Eltanin*
Gamma Draconis
Tarazed
Gamma Aquilae
Enif*
Epsilon Pegasi
Taygeta
19 Tauri
Errai
Gamma Cephei
Thuban
Alpha Draconis
Fomalhaut*
Alpha Piscis Austrini
Unukalhai
Alpha Serpentis
Furud
Zeta Canis Majoris
Vega*
Alpha Lyrae
Gacrux*
Gamma Crucis
Vindemiatrix
Epsilon Virginis
Gienah*
Gamma Corvi
Wasat
Delta Geminorum
Gomeisa
Beta Canis Minoris
Wazn
Beta Columbae
Grumium
Xi Draconis
Wezen*
Delta Canis Majoris
Hadar*
Beta Centauri
Yed Posterior
Epsilon Ophiuchi
Hamal*
Alpha Arietis
Yed Prior
Delta Ophiuchi
Homam
Zeta Pegasi
Yildun
Delta Ursae Minoris
Izar
Epsilon Boötis
Zaurak
Gamma Eridani
Kaus Australis*
Epsilon Sagittarii
Zavijava
Beta Virginis
Kaus Borealis
Lambda Sagittarii
Zosma
Delta Leonis
Kaus Media
Delta Sagittarii
Zubenelgenubi*
Alpha Librae
Kitalpha
Alpha Equulei
Zubeneschamali
Beta Librae
Want to name a star?
If you are thinking of buying a star name from a commercial company, read the International Astronomical Union’s statement on this practice.
Fake star names
Unfortunately, vandals have introduced a number of fake star names into Wikipedia. These have since been removed by vigilant editors, but not before some of them were picked up and repeated by the unwary. An example is the name ‘Urodelus’, applied to Epsilon Ursae Minoris. This can now be found in a number of sources but all lead back to the same bogus Wikipedia entry. See here for a list of known or suspected fake star names on Wikipedia. If you see any of these names repeated elsewhere, you know where they came from!