Revati
Revati is a modern star name adopted by the International Astronomical Union in the IAU-Catalog of Star Names (IAU-CSN). Its origin is Indian. It is the name of HIP 5737 (ζ Psc, HR 361) in the constellation Psc.
Etymology and History
Revatī is a Hindu mother goddess, in Sanskrit written रेवती. It is also the name of the 27th nakshatra and specifically its yogatara (main star) ζ Psc. The Sun passing this star designates the beginning of a new (solar) year.
Identification and Main Star
Revati's shape in temple illustrations shows sa jar with 29 stars inside, one above and one below. It matches a characteristic oval star pattern north of its determinative star (ζ Psc) in the Pisces/ Andromeda-area. The star above the jar would then mark the position of the Andromeda-Galaxy.
Mythology/ Religion
IAU Working Group on Star Names
The name was adopted by the IAU WGSN on 2017/06/30.
ζ Psc is a double or multiple star. Clearly resolved are the components A (with V=5.19 mag), B (with V=6.10 mag), and the X-ray source RX J0113.7+0734 (which is linked to them in SIMBAD but is actually 52" east of the A-component, 29" east of B). Revati is the name of the component ζ Psc A. This system ζ Psc has the two numbers 5737 and 5743 in the Hipparcos-catalog[1] and both of these HIP-numbers are given twice, so that it looks like a quadruple. Yet, in both pairs of stars the all physical entities (spectral class, fluxes in all wavebands) are identical in all (two to six) digits. So, this star is likely only double with the A-type star HIP 5737 as the brighter component.
Revati profile card for zeta Psc (CC BY Sadegh Faghanpour for IAU WGSN).
Revati stickfigure (CC BY Sadegh Faghanpour for IAU WGSN).
Weblinks
- Website of the IAU WGSN: https://exopla.net/
Reference
- References (general)
- Saha&Lahiri (1955)
- ↑ Fabricius et al. (2002). The Tycho double star catalogue
