Bharani

Bharani asterism

Bharani mapped to the stars, animated GIF (SMH 2025)

Bharani is a modern star name adopted by the International Astronomical Union in the IAU-Catalog of Star Names (IAU-CSN). Its origin is Indian. It is the name of HIP 13209 (41 Ari, HR 838) in constellation Ari.

Etymology and History

The Indian term (Sanscrit: भरणी), The Bearer, designates the 2nd of the 27 nakshatras consisting of the three stars 35, 39 and 41 Ari, among which 41 Ari is the brightest. The modern star name was given to the brightest star of the historical constellation.

Name Variants

• Bharani (भरणी),
• Yamya,
• Yamabha

Identification

Shylaja and Pai (2019) suggest the group ε Ari and 41 Ari based on coordinates given on historical astrolabes.

Yet, this identification is unlikely as the historical depiction shows three stars. The standard identification 35, 39 and 41 Ari is a group of three stars and rather recognizable; it was even made an asterism (the French Lily, Lilium, or the Apis, the Bee) in early modern European maps.

Stars within the Constellation Area

id	Label	IAU design.	description	Vmag
1	Bharani	HIP 13209	Constellation lines (Vertex)	3.594
2	Lilii Borea	HIP 13061	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.51
3	35 Ari	HIP 12719	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.67

Transfer and Transformation

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  Bharani 10th century CE

• 

  Display of all 28th nakshatra in silver arch with candles in Tirupperunthurai (Athmanathaswamy temple) near Aranthangi, India, 10th century CE. (SMH 2025).

• 

  Display of all 28th nakshatra in a door frame in Tirupperunthurai (Athmanathaswamy temple) near Aranthangi, India, 10th century CE. (SMH 2025).

• 

  Bharani reconstructed by Jones (1720).

• 

  Bharani in Jones' reconstruction mapped to the stars

IAU Working Group on Star Names

The name was adopted by the IAU WGSN on 2017/06/30.

Weblinks

• Website of the IAU WGSN: https://exopla.net/

Reference

• References (general)
• Saha & Lahiri (1955)