Satabhisa: Difference between revisions
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==Etymology and History== |
==Etymology and History== |
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This nakshatra consists of four stars but the name consisting of the term "sata" for "100" led to the misinterpretation that there were one hundred stars. |
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=== Etymology of the name === |
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This nakshatra consists of four stars but the name consisting of the term "sata" for "100" led to the misinterpretation that there were one hundred stars. The earliest identification of 100 stars by Varahamihira of 7th century has been carried forward.<ref name=":0">Shankar Balkrishna Dixit (1981). Indian Astronomy History (Bharatiya Jyotish Sastra 2). Orig. Sanscrit, translated to English by R. V. Vaidya, Delhi |
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</ref> The works prior to that refer to it as one to four star(s), <ref name=":0" /> see table on p. 344. Because of this misinterpretation, the asterism is sometimes referred to as '''śatatārā''' (meaning 100 stars). |
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The word's literal meaning is ‘100 physicians’ (p. 346) – the origin is unknown.<ref name=":0" /> |
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=== Main Star === |
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| ⚫ | In India, "nakshatras" are used to mark the movement of the moon. The path of the moon is visible in the sky as the moon occasionally covers stars in this rage of 5° around the ecliptic. λ Aquarii is directly at the ecliptic and therefore cannot only be covered by the moon but also by the planets which makes the star's position particularly interesting. |
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| ⚫ | In India, "nakshatras" are used to mark the movement of the moon. The path of the moon is visible in the sky as the moon occasionally covers stars in this rage of 5° around the ecliptic. λ Aquarii is directly at the ecliptic and therefore cannot only be covered by the moon but also by the planets which makes the star's position particularly interesting. |
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==Mythology== |
==Mythology== |
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There is a mantic meaning of all nakshatras. Each of them is ruled by a planet and a deity. The "Lord" of Satabhisa is the north lunar node (Rahu), the deity is Varuna, the god of cosmic waters, sky and Earth. The nakshatra covers the section of the zodiac 13° 46 to 27°06 Pisces (which now lays in the constellation of Aquarius due to precession). |
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The word's literal meaning is ‘100 physicians’ – the origin is unknown. Dikshit, 1981, (https://archive.org/details/BharatiyaJyotishSastra2, p346) notes that the word śata was misunderstood as 100 and so the asterism was jotted down as consisting of 100 stars. The earliest identification of 100 stars by Varahamihira of 7th century has been carried forward. The works prior to that refer to it as a single star as per the table in p344. Because of this misidentification it is sometimes referred to as śatatārā, (meaning 100 stars) also. |
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==IAU Working Group Star Names== |
==IAU Working Group Star Names== |
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Revision as of 20:23, 25 December 2024
This is a name for the star λ Aquarii in India; it determines the 24th of the 27 Nakshatras. Spelling variants are Śatabhiṣa, (Śatabhiṣaj; Śatabhiṣak).
Etymology and History
The system of nakshatras for marking the path of the moon (and the sun) has been prevalent for almost 5000 years since the epics and older texts on astronomy mention the 27 asterisms with their determinative stars.
Etymology of the name
This nakshatra consists of four stars but the name consisting of the term "sata" for "100" led to the misinterpretation that there were one hundred stars. The earliest identification of 100 stars by Varahamihira of 7th century has been carried forward.[1] The works prior to that refer to it as one to four star(s), [1] see table on p. 344. Because of this misinterpretation, the asterism is sometimes referred to as śatatārā (meaning 100 stars).
The word's literal meaning is ‘100 physicians’ (p. 346) – the origin is unknown.[1]
Main Star
The star λ Aquarii is considered the determinative star of the nakshatra.[1] Alternatively, in particular in mantic circles, alternatively γ Aqr is used.
In India, "nakshatras" are used to mark the movement of the moon. The path of the moon is visible in the sky as the moon occasionally covers stars in this rage of 5° around the ecliptic. λ Aquarii is directly at the ecliptic and therefore cannot only be covered by the moon but also by the planets which makes the star's position particularly interesting.
Mythology
There is a mantic meaning of all nakshatras. Each of them is ruled by a planet and a deity. The "Lord" of Satabhisa is the north lunar node (Rahu), the deity is Varuna, the god of cosmic waters, sky and Earth. The nakshatra covers the section of the zodiac 13° 46 to 27°06 Pisces (which now lays in the constellation of Aquarius due to precession).
IAU Working Group Star Names
The name was discussed and approved by the IAU WGSN in 2024. As this star is already named ..., the WGSN chose ... (not to apply/ to apply the name to a neighbouring star/ to ...) in the IAU-CSN.
Reference
- https://archive.org/details/BharatiyaJyotishSastra2
- Sarma, S.R., 2023. A descriptive catalogue of Indian Astronomical Instruments MS https://srsarma.in/catalogue.php
