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Credit & Copyright: Tragoolchitr Jittasaiyapan
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 above 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).
It's also likely that
other of these bright star names
are not familiar to you, even though familiar
Polaris
is too dim to make this list.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: star - night sky
Publications with words: star - night sky
See also: