Mizar

Mizar is a modern star name adopted by the International Astronomical Union in the IAU-Catalog of Star Names (IAU-CSN). Its origin is Arabic. It is the name of HIP 65378 (ζ UMa, HR 5054) in constellation UMa.

Etymology and History

Ultimately from the Arabic word al-maraqq, "the Groin", used in the Arabic Almagest in describing β UMa. Correct transliterations of almaraqq in the Medieval Latin Almagest were mirac and mirach. However, Renaissance scholars confused these words with the Arabic word mi'zar, which had equally been transliterated and corrupted in Latin as mirac, mirach, etc. Subsequently the mistaken mi'zar, written as Mizar, was applied as a star name to β UMa, and it became transferred to ζ UMa in late Renaissance times.

IAU Working Group on Star Names

The name was adopted by the IAU WGSN on 2016/06/30.

Weblinks

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

Reference

• References (general)
• Kunitzsch, Paul; Smart, Tim (2006). A Dictionary of Modern star Names: A Short Guide to 254 Star Names and Their Derivations (2nd rev. ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Sky Pub.