Safina

Alsafina is a proposed IAU star name that represents the Arabian asterism al-safīna (السَّفينة), meaning "the Ship". (Note: The Arabic term denotes a large boat, possibly with multiple masts.) The precise identification of the stars that were incorporated into this asterism is challenging because of obscure and conflicting descriptions in the primary sources, thus leading to multiple interpretations of this figure in the present day.

Etymology and History

al-safīna in Danielle Adams, Rain Stars Set, Lunar Stations Rise, 2018, pp. 162–163.

The Arabian asterism of the Ship/Boat (al-safīna) as interpreted by Danielle Adams (2018). In this view, a transverse oval of stars between the Two Frogs would have represented the hull of the Ship, and two loops to the north would have represented two sails.

"Ibn Qutayba identifies an asterism called the Boat (al-safīna), which was comprised of dim stars that follow in succession from the vicinity of the Well Bucket (al-dalw) to the Auspice of Auspices (saʿd al-suʿūd; 1956, 81). He also reported that the Front Frog (al-ḍifdiʿ al- muqaddam) was at its beginning and the Rear Frog (al-ḍifdiʿ al-muʾakhkhar) was at its end (1956, 81; al-Ṣūfī 1981, 240). Al-Ṣūfī further describes a jagged line of stars that connects one end of the boat to the other in the south, and another line extending up towards the Well Bucket that would have represented its mast and sails extending toward the Auspice of Newborn Lambs (saʿd al-bihām) in the north (1981, 240, 303). He then criticizes those who conflated the description of this Arabian Boat with the Greek constellation Argo Navis, which was located much further to the east and used the star Suhayl as one of its oars (1981, 240, 303).⁷¹"

"⁷¹ Paul Kunitzsch also berates Ibn Qutayba’s inclusion of Suhayl as the Edge of the Oar (ṭarf al-mijdāf) of the Boat, as well as the rest of his description of the Boat, saying it “consists of nothing but absurdities” (1961, 103-104). To his credit, Ibn Qutayba distinguishes that element from the rest of his description by saying it was the speech of the mathematical astronomers (aṣḥāb al-nujūm), which is his typical method of distinguishing Greek from Arabian astronomy in his Kitāb al-anwāʾ (1956, 81)."

From the above source materials, Adams interprets the figure of the Ship/Boat as seen in the diagram above.

IAU Working Group Star Names

The name was discussed by the IAU WGSN in 2024.

"Alsafina" is duplicative with "Alsephina", a star name with similar etymology - Arabic for "the ship" - in this case referring to the constellation Argo Navis by Al-Ṣūfī (~964) in his Book of the Fixed Stars, and following the spelling and star identification by Andreas Cellarius (1660) in Harmonia Macrocosmica. As Alsephina was already adopted for Delta Velorum Aa by WGSN in 2017, some members of WGSN that Alsafina should not be eligible for use again.