Honores Friderici
This obsolete constellation was invented in France, but became more famous after a renaming in Prussia. In both cases, the constellation depicts some symbols of honour and admiration for the contemporary ruler. The Latin term "Honores" means honour. As a political constellation, it became obsolete with the global standardization of constellations by the IAU in the 1920s.
Etymology and History
Bode's creation
The young mathematician Johann E. Bode (1747-1826) named a constellation in honour of the Prussian king in German "Friedrichsehre", which can be translated as "honour of Frederick", the deceased king of Prussia. In Bode's greatest atlas, the Uranographia (1801), the constellation is depicted as a sceptre with laurel branches and a ribbon, and a crown on top. It's a named area without any recognizable star pattern.
The same depiction is inserted in the 1805 edition of his earlier (smaller) celestial atlas in German, first published in 1782 (without this new constellation). In this book, "Anleitung zur Kenntniß des gestirnten Himmels - Vorstellung der Gestirne", Bode's target group is the broad public and not an academic audience. He adds the new constellation in the Andromeda map (Tafel III) but not in the Pegasus map (Tafel XII). On Tafel XII, Andromeda's right arm is drawn as described in Ptolemy's Almagest with the hand marked by the stars κ, λ, ι And. In contrast, on Tafel III which shows the new constellation, Andromeda's arm had to be moved eastwards.
In the first edition of his 1782 celestial atlas, Bode does not yet have the new constellation "Friedrichsehre". He only adds it in a later edition: the third edition (1805) appeared after the showpiece "Uranographia" in 1801. There, it was added to the headline "Triangel" (Triangulum) which is the wrong place, as Triangulum is southeast of Andromeda and his new constellation northwest of her.
Bode's predecessor Royer
Although Bode does not mention any sources, it is frequently pointed out that Bode's constellation likely was inspired by the earlier French invention of the constellation "Sceptrum" by Augustin Royer who lived in the time of Louis XIV. Royer had dedicated two constellations in honour to his king, the "Sun King" of the absolutist monarchy: the French national emblem, the Lily (Lilium, today surviving in the star name Lilii Borea), and the Sceptrum et Manus Iustitiae (Latin for "The Scepter and the Hand of Justice"). As Royer had obtained his star coordinates from the Carthusian monk Anthelme Voituret (1618-1683), whose work is not independently preserved but only in Royer's correction for the equinox 1700, it remains unknown who of the two invented this constellation.[1]
Royer's constellation was larger than Bode's as it also covered the area of Lacerta. Royer seems to have covered the empty area first, but in Bode's time Hevelius's influencial atlas had defined the Lizard there, and Bode had to shift Andromeda's arm to make room for the sceptrum.
Transformation and Variants
Constellation "Sceptrum" invented by Augustin Royer (1679).
Constellation "Friedrichsehre" as drawn by Bode (1782).
Constellation "Friedrichsehre" in the third edition of Bode's popular (small) 1782 atlas "Anleitung zur Kenntniß des gestirnten Himmels".
Bode 1782, map of Pegasus with the area between Lac and And unnamed and the hand of Andromeda drawn as described in the Almagest (not further east as in the same atlas, Andromeda-map - where he squeezed in Honores Fridericis).
Bode (1782) star catalogue in a later edition (1805) where "Friedrichsehre" is written at the wrong position.
Honores Fridericis in Bode's Uranographia (1801).
Mythology
IAU Working Group on Star Names
In 2023, it was suggested to keep the memory of this obsolete constellation by naming a star "Honores" or "Gloria" without any political reference - neither the French nor the German. The general concept of "honour" or "glory" of all humans who support science - might that be as taxpayers, political rulers or patrons - could be honoured with this star name. The brightest stars of the obsolete constellation are λ And (3.8 mag) κ And (4.15 mag) ι And (4.25 mag) and ο And (3.7 mag). λ And has an ancient Babylonian star name (Asidu ša U8.KA.DU8.A), and κ, ι And form the hand of Andromeda in the Almagest. Thus, ο And (3.7 mag) is recommended for the name "Honores".
WGSN decided ... in the IAU-CSN.
Weblinks
Reference
- References (general)
- References (early modern)
- Ian Ridpath's website (Star Tales )
- ↑ Warner, D. (1979). The Sky Explored - Celestial Cartography 1500-1800. Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, Amsterdam.
