al-Ẓibā’ (الظباء)

The Arabic term means "Gazelle" and designates a group of asterisms (some single star-asterisms forming a herd) in the ancient indigenous Arabic sky culture. Laffitte (2012) gives a long list of identifications of its stars based upon different sources from different centuries and authors. Adams (2018) suggests to be more careful in separating different states of the constellation because different authors may have shifted the name labels over the course of time.

Etymology and History

Al Thiba (σ¹σ² UMa : 5,15 & 3,25) according to Laffitte (2024): Borrowed at the end of the 20th century, this name is justified by the fact that these stars constitute, in al-Ṣūfī, one of the subgroups of al-Ẓibā', “Gazelles” of the Ancient Arabs, which also groups other stars from Ursa Major (UMa) but also from nearby constellations, Leo Minor (LMi) and Lynx (Lyn). The second group of al-Ẓibā‘ is made up of α and β CVn, the third by α and 31-32 Lyn, while the stars of the Little Lion, namely 46, 21 and β LMi are Awlād al-Ẓibā’, ‘the Little Gazelles’, Ibn Qutayba.

• al-Ṣūfī (10th c.) Al-Qazwīnī (13th c.). ‘El-dhibâ’
• Ideler (18xx), ‘Al Ṭhibā’’
• Allen (1899) identifies Al Thiba I-VII p/ aπφρσ¹σ²d UMa
• Rhoads (1971) identifies p/σ¹σ²

The Gazelles, the Offspring of the Gazelles, the Leaps of the Gazelles, and the Watering Trough, after Ibn Qutayba. The location of the Gazelles according to al-Ṣūfī is also provided. (Danielle Adams, own work)

al-Ẓibā’ in Danielle Adams, Rain Stars Set, Lunar Stations Rise, 2018, p. 102.

"Both Ibn Qutayba and al-Marzūqī report that the Gazelles themselves [al-ẓibāʾ] were represented by an elongated line of stars located below their Leaps, with the Offspring of the Gazelles (awlād al-ẓibāʾ) as the very faint stars that lie between the Gazelles and their Leaps (Ibn Qutayba 1956, 66-67; al-Marzūqī 1914, 2:374). According to al-Ṣūfī, the Gazelles leapt away from the Coarse Tail Hair of the Lion and arrived at the Watering Trough (al-ḥawḍ), which is a semicircle of stars located near the Third Leap that the other authors also describe (1981, 33; Ibn Qutayba 1956, 67; al-Marzūqī 1914, 2:374-375). Al-Ṣūfī locates the line of Gazelles in a different location near the Watering Trough, with their Offspring again being the many faint stars located nearby and extending toward the Extended Forearm of the Lion (dhirāʿ al-asad al-mabsūṭa; 1981, 33, 34)."

al-Ẓibā’, «°les Gazelles°» (CC BY Roland Laffitte 2024)

al-Ẓibā’, « les Gazelles » (CC BY Roland Laffitte 2024)

al-Ẓibā’ in Roland Laffitte, Le ciel des Arabes, 2012, pp. 112-113.

ο2ρπ2σ2d UMa +αβ CVn + α/31 Lyn
	Arabic	French	English	Author
al-Ẓibā’		les Gazelles	the Gazelles	Qutayba
α Lyn	Ğanūbī ’l-Ḍibā’ [p/ al-Ẓibā’]	l’Australe des Gazelles	the southern one of the Gazelles	Miṣrī
31 Lyn	Mutaq. al-Ḍibā’ [p/ al-Ẓibā’]	l’Antérieure des Gazelles	the front one of the Gazelles	Miṣrī
38 Lyn	Šamālī ’l-Ḍibā’   [en fait : al-Ẓibā’]	la Boréale des Hyènes   [en fait : les Gazelles]	the northern one of of the Hyena	Miṣrī
46, 21+β LMi
	Awlād al-Ẓibā’	les Petits des Gazelles	the small one of the Gazelles	Qutayba
	Awlād al-Ġizlān	idem		Ṣūfī
τhυφθef UMa
	al-Ḥawḍ	l’Abreuvoir	the Water Trough	Qutayba
	al-ᶜUnq	l’Assemblée	the Meeting	Qutayba
ικλμνξ UMa
	Qafazāt al-Ẓibā’	les Sauts	the Jumps	Qutayba
	al-Qafazāt	les Sauts [des Gazelles]	the Jumps (of the Gazelles)	Qutayba
	Qafazāt al-Ġizlān	les Sauts des Gazelles	The Jumps of the Gazelles	Ṣūfī
	al-Qawāfiz	les Bondissantes	the Bouncings	Marzūqī
	Baqarāt al-Ẓibā’	les Gazelles femelles	the female Gazelles	Fāris
νξ UMa	al-Qafazat al-Ūlā	le 1er Saut	First Jump	Ṣūfī
λμ UMa	al-Qafazat al-Ṯāniyya	le 2nd Saut	Second Jump	Ṣūfī
ικ UMa	al-Qafazat al-Ṯāliṯa	le 3ème Saut	Third Jump	Ṣūfī
ι UMa	Šamālī ’l-Qafazat al-Ūlā   [en fait : al-Ṯāliṯa]	la Boréale du 1er Saut   [en fait : le 3ème]	the northern one of the first jump	Miṣrī
κ UMa	Ğanūbī ’l-Qafazat al-Ūlā   [en fait : al-Ṯāliṯa]	l’Australe du Premier Saut   [en fait : le 3ème]	the southern one of the first jump	Miṣrī
λ UMa	[Šamālī] ’l-Q. al-Ṯāniyya	[la Boréale] du 2nd Saut	(the northern one) of the second jump	Miṣrī
μ UMa	Ğanūbī ’l-Q al-Ṯāniyya	l’Australe du 2nd Saut	the southern one of the second jump	Miṣrī
ξ UMa	Ğanūbī ’l-Q. al-Ṯāliṯa   [en fait : al- Ūlā]	l’Australe du 3ème Saut   [en fait le 1er]	the southern one of the third jump	Miṣrī

NB : Miṣrī is Nağm al-Dīn al- Miṣrī (XIVth c.), see Ğadwal maṭāliᶜ al-kawākib wa-abᶜādihā wa-ğihatihi, or "Tables of right ascensions of the stars and their declinations", accompanied by their signs [+ or -] is one of the tables in the book Kitāb fī l-ālāt al-falakiyya by Nağm al-Dīn al-Miṣrī, between 1325 and 1340. It is edited and partially translated by ms. Oxford, Bodeliean Library, Marsh 672, fol. 148v-151r, in CHARRETTE, François, Mathematical Intrumentation in Fourteenth-Century Egypt and Syria^B►, 2003, p. 360-370.

al-Ẓibā’ in Paul Kunitzsch, Untersuchungen zur Sternnomenklatur, 1961.

* 21a. awlād aẓ-Ẓibā’, p. 39:

„die Jungen der Gazellen“. Ibn Qutayba 67, 1 (bei den unter Mondstation 14 mitbehandelten Sternen): kawākib ṣiġār fī-mā bayna ẓ-ẓibā’ wa-l-qafazāt „kleine Sterne zwischen aẓ-ẓibā’ [nr. 329] und al-qafazāt [nr. 211a]“. Ṣūfī 34, 1f. und 18‒20 zählt besonders den 5. bis 8. externen Stern im ptolemäischen Bildes Großer Bär = Fl. 10 Leonis Minoris; IX, 115; VIII, 245; Fl. 31 Lyncis hierzu, sowie all die zahllosen Sterne, die schwächer sind als Größe sechs und die Ptolemäus nicht angeführt hat.

English: 'the young of the gazelles’. Ibn Qutayba 67, 1 (for the stars treated under lunar station 14): kawākib ṣiġār fī-mā bayna ẓ-ẓibā‘ wa-l-qafazāt “small stars between aẓ-ẓibā” [no. 329] and al-qafazāt [no. 211a]’. Ṣūfī 34, 1f. and 18-20 counts especially the 5th to 8th external star in the Ptolemaic image Great Bear = Fl. 10 Leonis Minoris; IX, 115; VIII, 245; Fl. 31 Lyncis, as well as all the countless stars that are fainter than magnitude six and that Prolemy did not mention.

* 329. aẓ-Ẓibā’, p. 120:

„die Gazellen“. Ibn Qutayba 66, 11 (bei den unter Mondstation 14 mitbehandelten Sternen): kawākib mustaṭīla asfal min qafazāt aẓ-ẓibā’ „der Länge nach angeordnete Sterne unterhalb von qafazāt aẓ-ẓibā’ [= ικλμνξ Ursa Majoris]“; Ṣūfī 33,7 identifiziert aẓ-ẓibā’ mit den Sternen auf Brauen, Augen, Ohren und Maul des ptolemäischen Bildes Großer Bär (d. h. der 4., 5., 2., 3., 6. und 1. Stern) = ρο²Aπ²σ²dο Ursae Majoris, wozu er 33, 19‒34, 2 noch den 8., 3., und 4. externen des Großen Bären = Fl. 31, 40 (α), 38 Lyncis hinzunimmt. Nur die letzteren drei stimmen mit der anwā’ Definition „unterhalb von qafazāt aẓ-ẓibā’” überein.

English: ‘the gazelles’. Ibn Qutayba 66, 11 (for the stars treated under lunar station 14): kawākib mustaṭīla asfal min qafazāt aẓ-ẓibā‘ “stars arranged lengthwise below qafazāt aẓ-ẓibā” [= ικλμνξ Ursa Majoris]’; Ṣūfī 33,7 identifies aẓ-ẓibā with the stars on the brows, eyes, ears and mouth of the Ptolemaic image Great Bear (i.e. the 4th, 5th, 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 1st stars). i.e. the 4th, 5th, 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 1st star) = ρο²Aπ²σ²dο Ursae Majoris, to which he adds 33, 19-34, 2 the 8th, 3rd and 4th exterior of the Great Bear = Fl. 31, 40 (α), 38 Lynis. Only the latter three agree with the anwā‘ definition “below qafazāt aẓ-ẓibā”’.

IAU Working Group Star Names

The name was discussed and approved by the IAU WGSN in 202x. As this star is already named ..., the WGSN chose ... (not to apply/ to apply the name to a neighbouring star/ to ...) in the IAU-CSN.