Named star

Elnath

HIP
25428
Designation
112 Bet Aur
Bayer designation
β Tau
Visual magnitude
1.65
Constellation
Charioteer
Name approved by the IAU
2016-07-20

The IAU catalogue's account

From the pre-Islamic Arabian name al-naṭh, "the Butting (with the horns)," an alternative name for the 1st lunar mansion al-sharaṭān consisting of β and γ Ari (see β Ari). Some late Arabic authors also applied al-naṭh as a star name to α Ari. In recent times the name, as “Nath,” was wrongly transferred to β Tau, and subsequently it was completed to “Elnath” (adding the Arabic definite article).

Source language
Arabic
Reference
Kunitzsch, Paul; Smart, Tim (2006). A Dictionary of Modern star Names: A Short Guide to 254 Star Names and Their Derivations (2nd rev. ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Sky Pub.

Source: IAU Catalog of Star Names (IAU-CSN), Working Group on Star Names. The account is the IAU's own text and is quoted in full: it is published under CC BY.

From Kunitzsch & Smart

Layer of tradition
Indigenous Arabic
Ancient-layer signal
cue found
Source form
al-najh
Pronounced
el' nath
Literal meanings
the Butting (with the horns); Nath
Periods of use
Recent / modern
Transmission notes
error/corruption, transferred

Source: Kunitzsch & Smart, A Dictionary of Modern Star Names, 2nd ed. 2006, p. 54

Layer of tradition and ancient-layer signal are not the dictionary authors' judgement but a keyword reading of the entry's wording. “No simple cue found” means exactly that — the parser found none — not that the name is late.

The fields on this card were read off an OCR layer and are not checked against the printed page. The page number is given so the claim can be verified in your own copy.

Corpus chains passing through this star. Deviation is the cross-track angular distance of the third star from the great-circle plane.

  • Змееносец → Эридан → ВозничийПастырь-Победитель → Огненная река Божьего суда → Господь Творения — Добрый ПастырьWith: Sabik, Sceptrum · Deviation 0,000530778°
  • Пегас → Персей → ВозничийБлагословение Авраама → Первое восстание → Господь Творения — Добрый ПастырьWith: Markab, Atik · Deviation 0,000699461°

Other named stars of this constellation: