Menkar

Menkar 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 14135 (α Cet, HR 911) in constellation Cet.

Etymology and History

From the Arabic word al-minkhar, "the nostrils", used in the Arabic Almagest in describing λ Cet. Wrongly applied as a star name to α Cet (properly on the jaw) in a Medieval Latin star table.

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.