Honores

The Latin term "Honores" means honour. Originally created to honour a specific patron of many European astronomers, the modern name dropped the proper name of the person and acknowledges the general concept of supporting research.

Etymology and History

Introduced by Bode (1801) and backed by many European (Royal) astronomical societies, the original name of the constellation in this area was "Honores Friderici".

Bode gave a paper in 1790 that this was a joined decision by many European astronomers as a memorial to an extraordinarily generous patron of scientific research and benevolent, peaceful ruler. WGSN considers this message worth to convay even without the dedication to a specific person; we named a star in the feather "Honores". It resembles the proverb "The pen is mightier than the sword", in German "Die Feder ist mächtiger als das Schwert" (the feather is mightier than the sword). Originating from an 1839 theatre play by the British author Edward Bulwer-Lytton, it emphasizes that words and communication can have a stronger and longer lasting impact than physical cruelty.

Mythology

There is no mythology.

IAU Working Group on Star Names

The name was discussed and applied by the IAU WGSN in 2025, in a time of global cuts of science budgets and with observed increasing science hostility. This way, IAU wants to point out the importance of research and express gratitude for all funding that is still granted.

Reference

• References (general)
• References (early modern)
• Ian Ridpath's website (Star Tales )