Acrab

Acrab 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 78820 (β¹ Sco, HR 5984) in constellation Sco.

Etymology and History

Arabic name al-'Aqrab for the constellation Scorpius ("the scorpion") (e.g. Al Sufi). Application of the transliteration "Acrab" specifically to the pair Beta¹ and Beta² Sco was made by Piazzi (1814) in the Palermo Catalog, and its use spread through the 19th century.

IAU Working Group on Star Names

The name was adopted by the IAU WGSN on 2016/08/21.

Weblinks

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

Reference

• References (general)
• Kunitzsch, P. (1959) Arabische Sternnamen in Europa. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz. No. 3; 88; 108