Lilii Borea
Ignace-Gaston Pardies introduced a new (now obsolete) constellation Lilium, the fleur-de-lis of France, on an atlas published in 1674. He reused four stars in the north of Aries from which Petrus Plancius had previously formed Apes, the Bee. Lacaille named its two brightest stars Lilii Borea and Lilii Austrina (i.e. the northern and southern one of the lily) in his Astronomiæ fundamenta novissimis solis et stellarum observationibus stabilita published in 1757. The modern designations of these two stars are 39 and 41 Arietis. In 2017 the IAU WGSN adopted Lacaille’s name Lilii Borea for 39 Arietis. They gave 41 Arietis the name Bharani after the second nakshatra in Hindu astronomy, consisting of 35, 39, and 41 Arietis.
Etymology and History
The Lily was an emblem of France: the "Fleur-de-lis" (Unicode U+269C ⚜) is a heraldic symbol. In particular, in the time of Louis XIV this symbol was dedicated to the French king as the country's representative.
Mythology
IAU Working Group Star Names
The name was applied to the 4.52 mag-star HR 824 (39 Ari) in the IAU-CSN.
Weblinks
- Ridpath, Ian, Star Tales: Lilium, the fleur-de-lis
Reference
Lacaille, N.L. de (1757) Astronomiae fundamenta novissimis Solis et stellarum observationibus stabilita Lutetiæ in collegio Mazarinæo et in Africa ad Caput Bonæ Spei peractis. p.233.
Warner, D. J., (1979) Sky Explored: Celestial Cartography 1500–1800, Alan R. Liss, Inc., New York / Theatrum Orbis Terrum Ltd., Amsterdam, p. 213.
Kanas. N., (2007) Star Maps: History, Artistry, and Cartography, Praxis, Chichester, p. 159.
