Corona Australis
Encyclopedia
Corona Australis or Corona Austrina is a constellation
. Its name means "south
ern crown
", and it contrasts with Corona Borealis
, the northern crown. Corona Australis was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy
, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations.
. The name combines the Arabic name of the constellation with the Latin
for 'middle'.
CrA also harbours RX J1856.5-3754
, an isolated neutron star
that is one of the closest to the earth at approximately 200 light years and suspected to be a strange star.
, the stars of Corona Australis are located within the Black Tortoise of the North
(北方玄武, Běi Fāng Xuán Wǔ)
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
. Its name means "south
South
South is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.South is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to east and west.By convention, the bottom side of a map is south....
ern crown
Crown (headgear)
A crown is the traditional symbolic form of headgear worn by a monarch or by a deity, for whom the crown traditionally represents power, legitimacy, immortality, righteousness, victory, triumph, resurrection, honour and glory of life after death. In art, the crown may be shown being offered to...
", and it contrasts with Corona Borealis
Corona Borealis
Corona Borealis is a small constellation in the northern sky. Its name is Latin for "northern crown", a name inspired by its shape; its main stars form a semicircular arc. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy and remains one of the 88 modern...
, the northern crown. Corona Australis was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations.
Stars
The only star in the constellation to have received a name is Alfecca Meridiana, or Alpha CrAAlpha Coronae Australis
Alpha Coronae Australis is a star in the constellation Corona Australis. It is the only star in the constellation with a proper name, Alphekka Meridiana , after the brightest star in Corona Borealis, Alphecca...
. The name combines the Arabic name of the constellation with the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
for 'middle'.
CrA also harbours RX J1856.5-3754
RX J1856.5-3754
RX J1856.5-3754 is a nearby neutron star in Corona Australis. It is believed to have been created by a supernova explosion of its companion star about one million years ago and is moving 108 km/s across the sky...
, an isolated neutron star
Neutron star
A neutron star is a type of stellar remnant that can result from the gravitational collapse of a massive star during a Type II, Type Ib or Type Ic supernova event. Such stars are composed almost entirely of neutrons, which are subatomic particles without electrical charge and with a slightly larger...
that is one of the closest to the earth at approximately 200 light years and suspected to be a strange star.
Equivalents
In Chinese astronomyChinese astronomy
Astronomy in China has a very long history, with historians considering that "they [the Chinese] were the most persistent and accurate observers of celestial phenomena anywhere in the world before the Arabs."...
, the stars of Corona Australis are located within the Black Tortoise of the North
Black Tortoise (Chinese constellation)
The Black Tortoise is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. It is sometimes called the Black Warrior of the North , and is known as Xuanwu in Chinese, Genbu in Japanese, Hyeonmu in Korean and Huyền Vũ in Vietnamese. It represents the north and the winter season...
(北方玄武, Běi Fāng Xuán Wǔ)