Theta Ceti

Theta Ceti
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation Cetus
Right ascension 01h 24m 1.409s[1]
Declination −08° 11′ 0.56″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) 3.60
Distance115 ly
(35.28 pc)
Spectral typeK0III
Other designations
45 Ceti, HD 8512, HR 402, SAO 129274, FK5 47, NSV --, BD −08° 244, HIP 6537

Theta Ceti (θ Ceti, θ Cet) is a Class K0, fourth-magnitude star in the constellation Cetus. Theta Ceti is an orange giant star located about 115 light-years from Earth.

Name

In the catalogue of stars in the Calendarium of Al Achsasi Al Mouakket, this star was designated Thanih al Naamat (تاني ألنعامة - taanii al naʽāmāt), which was translated into Latin as Secunda Struthionum, meaning the second ostrich.[2] This star, along with η Cet (Deneb Algenubi), τ Cet (Thalath Al Naamat), ζ Cet (Baten Kaitos)and υ Cet, were Al Naʽāmāt (ألنعامة), the Hen Ostriches.[3][4]

In Chinese, 天倉 (Tiān Cāng), meaning Square Celestial Granary, refers to an asterism consisting of θ Ceti, ι Ceti, η Ceti, ζ Ceti, τ Ceti and 57 Ceti.[5] Consequently, θ Ceti itself is known as 天倉三 (Tiān Cāng sān, English: the Third Star of Square Celestial Granary.)[6]

References


  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Frosty Drew Observatory & Sky Theatre — Theta Ceti
  2. ↑ Knobel, E. B. (June 1895). "Al Achsasi Al Mouakket, on a catalogue of stars in the Calendarium of Mohammad Al Achsasi Al Mouakket". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 55: 429. Bibcode:1895MNRAS..55..429K. doi:10.1093/mnras/55.8.429.
  3. ↑ Allen, R. H. (1963). Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning (Reprint ed.). New York: Dover Publications Inc. p. 162. ISBN 0-486-21079-0. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
  4. ↑ η Cet as Aoul al Naamat or Prima Struthionum (the first ostrich), θ Cet as Thanih al Naamat or Secunda Struthionum (the second ostrich), τ Cet as Thalath al Naamat or Tertia Struthionum (the third ostrich), and ζ Cet as Rabah al Naamat or Quarta Struthionum (the fourth ostrich). υ Cet should be Khamis al Naamat or Quinta Struthionum (the fifth ostrich) consistently, but Al Achsasi Al Mouakket designated the title the fifth ostrich to γ Gam with uncleared consideration.
  5. ↑ (Chinese) 中國星座神話, written by 陳久金. Published by 台灣書房出版有限公司, 2005, ISBN 978-986-7332-25-7.
  6. ↑ (Chinese) AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 7 月 10 日

External links