Lilii Austrina

Lilium in "Globi coelestis in tabulas planas redacti descriptio auctore R.P." by Ignatio Gastone Pardies Societatis Jesu mathematico opus postumum" by Ignace-Gaston Pardies (1636-1673), digital.

Lilii Austrina in Lacaille's star list 1757. in: "Astronomiae fundamenta novissimis solis et stellarum observationibus stabilita, Lutetiae in Collegio mazarineo et in Africa ad caput Bonae Spei peractis a Nicolao Ludovico de La Caille"

In his short list of right ascensions of selected stars and his star catalogue, Lacaille 1757 named this star "The one south of the Lily" (or "the southern one of the Lily") in Latin: Lilii Austrina. The Lily (Lilium) is an obsolete constellation of the 17th century. It was formed of four stars that were unnamed in antiquity: In the Almagest they were listed as "The 4 stars over the rump [of the Ram]", outside the constellation image.

Etymology and History

page of the star catalogue of Lacaille1757 (Astronomiae fundamenta novissimis solis et stellarum observationibus stabilita, Lutetiae in Collegio mazarineo et in Africa ad caput Bonae Spei) with LiliiBorea and Lilii Austrina marked

Lacaille named its two brightest stars Lilii Borea and Lilii Austrina (i.e. in the north and south of the lily). The Latin term can be interpreted as "a star outside the constellation and in the north/south of it" or "a star in the northern/southern section of the constellation". As both stars form part of the asterism (since Ptolemy where it was unnamed), we should understand "The Northern One of the Lily" and "The Southern One of the Lily".

In his Astronomiæ fundamenta novissimis solis et stellarum observationibus stabilita published in 1757, Lacaille presented several tables, e.g. a star catalogue (Tabula exhibens Stellarum afcenfiones rectas veras declinationes veras) and a list of right ascensions of selected stars (De veris aliquot Stellarum afcenfionibus rectis fæpiùs) where he calls the two star names Lilii Borea and Lilii Austrina.

	RA1750	DEC1750	identification
Lilii Borea	38° 15' 39."7	28° 11' 33."1	39 Arietis (a star of Lilium)
39 Ari (Stellarium)	38.°28 38° 17' 1".6	28° 11' 34."6
Lilii Austrina	38° 49' 45."2	26° 12' 47."7	41 Arietis (a star of Lilium)
41 Ari (Stellarium)	38.°84 38° 50' 37"	26° 12' 52."1

Lacaille also published the Ephemerides des mouvemens celestes, pour dix annees, depuis 1765 and names these two stars La Boreale a la fleur de Lys (The Northern one of the Lily) and L'Australe a la fleur de Lys (The Southern one of the Lily).

The modern designations of these two stars are 39 and 41 Arietis. In 2017 the IAU WGSN adopted Lacaille’s name Lilii Borea for 39 Arietis. They gave 41 Arietis the name Bharani after the second nakshatra (lunar mansion) in Hindu astronomy, consisting of 35, 39, and 41 Arietis.

Mythology

The Lily was an emblem of France: the "Fleur-de-lis" (Unicode U+269C ⚜) is a heraldic symbol. In particular, in the time of Louis XIV this symbol was dedicated to the French king as the country's representative.

IAU Working Group Star Names

As "Lilii Borea" has been applied to 39 Ari in 2017, the IAU discusses the parallel name in 2023/4 (found by Ian Ridpath). However, as the identification of Lilii Austrina with 41 Arietis is without any doubt due to the given coordinates, and this star already has a name given by the IAU, WGSN refrains from applying "Lilii Austrina".

Weblinks

• Ridpath, Ian, Star Tales: Lilium, the fleur-de-lis.