Cexing

Cè (Whip, 策) or Cexing (whip star) is a traditional Chinese star name representing the horsewhip, located beside the asterism Wangliang (王良) and closely associated with both Wangliang (王良) and Tiansi (天駟). It belongs to the Gān school.

The name "Cexing" that was adopted to the IAU-CSN was already used in ancient times. A name variant is Tiance (celestial whip).

Concordance, Etymology, History

The main asterism here is Wangliang, a legendary general sitting in a chariot driven by four horses (quadriga).

IAU Working Group on Star Names

The name was discussed and approved by the IAU WGSN in November 2025. It was adopted to the IAU-CSN.

Reference

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