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Coma Berenices
Coma Berenices
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List of stars in Coma Berenices
Abbreviation: Com
Genitive: Comae Berenices
Symbology: Berenice's Hair
Right ascension: 12. This is the list of notable Stars in the Constellation Coma Berenices, sorted by decreasing brightness In Grammar, the genitive case or possessive case (also called the second case) is the case that marks a Noun as modifying another Berenice II (267 or 266 BC - 221 BC was the daughter of Magas of Cyrene and Queen Apama and the wife of Ptolemy III Euergetes I, the third ruler Hair is a keratinised protein filament that grows through the epidermis from follicles deep within the Dermis. Right ascension (abbrev RA; symbol α) is the Astronomical term for one of the two Coordinates of a point on the Celestial sphere 76 h
Declination: +21. In Astronomy, declination (abbrev dec or δ) is one of the two coordinates of the Equatorial coordinate system, the other being either 83°
Area: 386 sq. deg.  (42nd)
Main stars: 3
Bayer/Flamsteed stars: 44
Stars known to have planets: 2
Bright stars: 0
Nearby stars: 2
Brightest star: β Com (4. Here is a list of the 88 modern Constellations by their area in the sky measured in square degrees. A Bayer designation is a stellar designation in which a specific star is identified by a Greek letter, followed by the genitive form of its parent constellation's Flamsteed designations for Stars are similar to Bayer designations except that they use numbers instead of Greek letters An extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a Planet beyond the Solar System, orbiting around other Stars As of September 2008 312 Beta Coma Berenices (β Comae Berenices / β Com is a Main sequence dwarf Star in the Constellation of Coma Berenices. 26m)
Nearest star: β Com (30 ly)
Messier objects: 8
Meteor showers: Coma Berenicids
Bordering constellations: Canes Venatici
Ursa Major
Leo
Virgo
Boötes
Visible at latitudes between +90° and −70°
Best visible at 21:00 (9 p. The apparent magnitude ( m) of a celestial body is a measure of its Brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, normalized to the value A light-year or light year (symbol ly) is a unit of Length, equal to just under ten trillion Kilometres As defined by The Messier objects are a set of Astronomical objects first listed by French astronomer Charles Messier in his "Catalogue des Nébuleuses A meteor shower, some of which are known as a "meteor storm" or "meteor outburst" is a celestial event where a group of meteors are observed to radiate from one point Canes Venatici ( Hunting dogs) is a small northern Constellation that was introduced by Johannes Hevelius in the 17th century Ursa Major ( is a Constellation visible throughout the year in most of the northern hemisphere Leo (ˈliːoʊ Lion, symbol, Unicode ♌ is a Constellation of the Zodiac. Virgo ( Virgin, symbol, Unicode ♍ is a Constellation of the Zodiac. Boötes ( Greek Βοώτης or herdsman) is one of the 88 modern Constellations and was also one of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy. m. ) during the month of May

Coma Berenices (pronounced /ˈkoʊmə bɛrəˈnaɪsiːz/, Latin: Berenice's Hair) is a traditional asterism that has since become a constellation. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Berenice II (267 or 266 BC - 221 BC was the daughter of Magas of Cyrene and Queen Apama and the wife of Ptolemy III Euergetes I, the third ruler Hair is a keratinised protein filament that grows through the epidermis from follicles deep within the Dermis. In Astronomy, an asterism is a pattern of Stars seen in Earth's sky which is not an official Constellation. In common usage a constellation is a group of celestial bodies that are connected together in some arrangement typically stars to form a visible figure or picture It is located near Leo, and was originally considered to be the tuft of hair on the end of Leo's tail. Leo (ˈliːoʊ Lion, symbol, Unicode ♌ is a Constellation of the Zodiac.

Contents

Notable features

Coma Berenices contains the North Galactic Pole, at right ascension 12h 51m 25s and declination +27° 07′ 48″ (epoch J2000.0). The galactic coordinate system is a Celestial coordinate system which is centered on the Sun and is aligned with the apparent center of the Milky Way galaxy Right ascension (abbrev RA; symbol α) is the Astronomical term for one of the two Coordinates of a point on the Celestial sphere In Astronomy, declination (abbrev dec or δ) is one of the two coordinates of the Equatorial coordinate system, the other being either In Astronomy, an epoch is a moment in time used as a reference for the Orbital elements of a Celestial body.

The constellation is not particularly bright, having no stars brighter than fourth magnitude. β Comae Berenices is the brightest star in the constellation, at magnitude 4. Beta Coma Berenices (β Comae Berenices / β Com is a Main sequence dwarf Star in the Constellation of Coma Berenices. A star is a massive luminous ball of plasma. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the Energy on Earth The apparent magnitude ( m) of a celestial body is a measure of its Brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, normalized to the value 26. It is intrinsically only slightly brighter than the Sun, which gives us an idea of how faint the Sun would appear seen from 27 light years away. The Sun (Sol is the Star at the center of the Solar System. A light-year or light year (symbol ly) is a unit of Length, equal to just under ten trillion Kilometres As defined by

The second brightest star in Coma Berenices is α Comae Berenices (4. This article is about the star called Diadem for alternate meanings see Diadem. 32m), also called Diadem. The name represents the gem in Berenice's crown. It is a binary star, with two components of almost equal magnitude. A binary star is a Star system consisting of two Stars orbiting around their Center of mass. Because the orbital plane is so close to the Earth's line of sight, it was long suspected of being an eclipsing binary, but it now appears that the orbital tilt is 0. The orbital plane of an object orbiting another is the geometrical plane in which the orbit is embedded. A binary star is a Star system consisting of two Stars orbiting around their Center of mass. 1° relative to the line of sight, so the stars do not eclipse each other as seen from Earth.

Photograph of Coma Berenices.
Photograph of Coma Berenices.

The only other fourth magnitude star in Coma Berenices is γ Comae Berenices (4. 36m).

Over 200 variable stars are known in Coma Berenices, although many of them are obscure. FK Comae Berenices, which varies between 8. FK Comae Berenices, yellow giant attracts attention by the enormous activity of its surface 14m and 8. 33m over a period of 2. 4 days, is the prototype for the FK Com class of variable stars. It is believed that the variability of FK Com stars is caused by large, cool spots on the rotating surfaces of the stars. FS Comae Berenices is a semiregular variable that varies between 5. Semiregular variable stars are giants or Supergiants of intermediate and late Spectral type showing considerable periodicity in their light changes accompanied 3m and 6. 1m over a period of 58 days. R Comae Berenices is a Mira variable star that varies between 7. Mira variables, named after the star Mira (ˈmairə are a class of pulsating Variable stars characterized by very red colors pulsation periods longer than 100 days 1m and 14. 6m over a period of 363 days.

Notable deep sky objects

Although Coma Berenices is not a large constellation, it contains eight Messier objects. The Messier objects are a set of Astronomical objects first listed by French astronomer Charles Messier in his "Catalogue des Nébuleuses The constellation is rich in galaxies, containing the northern part of the Virgo cluster. A galaxy is a massive gravitationally bound system consisting of Stars an Interstellar medium of gas and dust, and Dark matter The Virgo Cluster is a cluster of galaxies at a distance of approximately 59 ± 4 Mly (18 There are also several globular clusters to be seen. A globular cluster is a spherical collection of Stars that orbits a galactic core as a Satellite. These objects can be seen with minimal obscuration from dust because the constellation is not in the direction of the galactic plane. However, because of this fact, there are few open clusters (except for the Coma Berenices Cluster, which dominates the northern part of the constellation), diffuse nebulae, or planetary nebulae. An open cluster is a group of up to a few thousand Stars that were formed from the same Giant molecular cloud, and are still loosely gravitationally A nebula (from Latin: "mist" pl nebulae or nebulæ, with ligature or nebulas) is an Interstellar cloud of A planetary nebula is an Emission nebula consisting of a glowing shell of Gas and plasma formed by certain types of Stars when they die

Coma Berenices Cluster

Main article: Coma star cluster

The Coma Berenices Cluster does not have a Messier or an NGC designation, but it is in the Melotte catalogue of open clusters, where it is designated Melotte 111. Not to be confused with the Coma cluster of galaxies The Coma Star Cluster in Coma Berenices, designated It is a large, diffuse open cluster of stars that range between 5th and 10th magnitudes, including several of the naked eye stars in the constellation. The cluster is spread over a huge region, more than 5 degrees across, near γ Coma Berenices. The cluster has such a large apparent size because it is relatively nearby, only around 270 light years away. A light-year or light year (symbol ly) is a unit of Length, equal to just under ten trillion Kilometres As defined by


Named Stars

Galaxies

A large number of galaxies are visible in Coma Berenices, including seven Messier objects. Hedera (English name ivy, plural ivies) is a genus of 15 species of climbing or ground-creeping Evergreen woody plants in the family The Messier objects are a set of Astronomical objects first listed by French astronomer Charles Messier in his "Catalogue des Nébuleuses

Virgo cluster of galaxies

Main article: Virgo Cluster

Coma Berenices contains the northern portion of the Virgo cluster (also known as the Coma-Virgo cluster), which is around 60 million light years away. The Virgo Cluster is a cluster of galaxies at a distance of approximately 59 ± 4 Mly (18

M100 (NGC 4321) is a 9. Messier 100 (also known as NGC 4321) is a Spiral galaxy about 52 4m spiral galaxy seen face-on. A spiral galaxy is a Galaxy belonging to one of the three main classes of galaxy originally described by Edwin Hubble in his 1936 work “The Realm of the At 7 arcminutes across, it has the largest apparent size of any galaxy in the Virgo cluster. It is located about 56 million light-years away. Its diameter is over 120,000 light years, making it among the largest spiral galaxies in the Virgo cluster. Photographs reveal a brilliant core, two prominent spiral arms and an array of secondary ones, as well as several dust lanes.

M85 (NGC 4382) is a lenticular galaxy that is the northernmost outlier of the Virgo cluster. Messier 85 (also known as M85 or NGC 4382) is a Lenticular galaxy in the Coma Berenices constellation. A lenticular galaxy is a type of Galaxy which is intermediate between an Elliptical galaxy and a Spiral galaxy in Galaxy morphological classification It is one of the brighter members of the cluster. M98 (NGC 4192) is a bright, elongated spiral that is seen nearly edge-on. Messier 98 (also known as M98 or NGC 4192) is an intermediate Spiral galaxy about 60 million Light-years away in the Constellation It has a small nucleus and faint but vast spiral arms. M99 (NGC 4254), about 1. Messier 99 (also known as M99 or NGC 4254) is an Unbarred spiral galaxy approximately 60 million Light-years away in the 5° southeast of M98, is a bright, round spiral seen face-on. R. H. Allen called it the "Pinwheel nebula", although this name is more often applied to the Triangulum Galaxy. The Triangulum Galaxy (also known as Messier 33 or NGC 598) is a Spiral galaxy approximately 3 million light-years away in the

M88 (NGC 4501) is a multi-arm spiral galaxy, seen about 30° from edge-on. Messier 88 (also known as M88 or NGC 4501) is a Spiral galaxy about 47 million Light-years away in the Constellation

M91 (NGC 4548) is a barred spiral galaxy. Messier 91 (also known as NGC 4548) is a Barred spiral galaxy about 63 million Light-years away in the Constellation Coma A barred spiral galaxy is a Spiral galaxy with a central bar-shaped structure composed of Stars Bars are found in approximately half of all spiral galaxies

Coma cluster of galaxies

Main article: Coma Cluster

The Coma cluster of galaxies is to the north of the Virgo cluster. The Coma Cluster ( Abell 1656 is a large cluster of galaxies that contains over 1000 identified galaxies It lies much further away, however, around 230 to 300 million light years away. The cluster is quite large, containing 1,000 large galaxies and possibly up to 30,000 smaller ones. A survey by Fritz Zwicky in 1957 identified 29,951 galaxies in the area that are brighter than 19. Fritz Zwicky ( February 14 1898 &ndash February 8 1974) was an American-based Swiss Astronomer of Bulgarian origin 0m. While some of these may be distant background objects, the total number of galaxies in the cluster is quite large.

Due to the great distance to the cluster, most of the galaxies are only visible in large telescopes. The brightest members are NGC 4889 and NGC 4874, both of which are of thirteenth magnitude, with most of the other members being of fifteenth magnitude or dimmer. NGC 4889, also Caldwell 35, is a supergiant class-4 Elliptical galaxy, the brightest within the Coma cluster and a Caldwell object in the constellation NGC 4889 is a giant elliptical galaxy.

Other galaxies

M64, the Black Eye Galaxy
M64, the Black Eye Galaxy

M64 (NGC 4826) is known as the Black Eye Galaxy because of its prominent dark dust lane in front of the galaxy's bright nucleus. The Black Eye Galaxy (also called Sleeping Beauty Galaxy; designated Messier 64, M64, or NGC 4826) was discovered by Edward Pigott It is relatively nearby, at around 17 million light years away from Earth. Recent studies have revealed that the interstellar gas in the outer regions of the galaxy rotates in the opposite direction from that in the inner regions, leading astronomers to believe that at least one satellite galaxy had collided with it less than a billion years ago.

NGC 4565 is a spiral galaxy that is seen edge-on, and is called the "Needle Galaxy" for that reason. NGC 4565 is an edge-on Unbarred spiral galaxy about 53 million Light-years away in the Constellation Coma Berenices. With an apparent length of 16 arcminutes, it has the largest apparent size of any galaxy seen edgewise from Earth. It appears quite thin and has a dark dust lane.

Quasars

Quasar PG1247+26° is the brightest quasar visible in Coma Berenices. A quasar (contraction of QUASi-stellAR radio source) is an extremely powerful and distant Active galactic nucleus. As well, W Com was originally identified as a variable star and so given a variable star designation, but later discovered to be a BL Lacertae object. BL Lacertae or BL Lac is a highly variable extragalactic AGN (active galactic nucleus or Active galaxy) It is normally around magnitude 16. 5m, but has been known to reach 12th magnitude.

Globular clusters

M53 (NGC 5024) is a globular cluster that was discovered by Bode in 1775 and independently by Charles Messier in February 1777. Messier 53 (also known as M53, or NGC 5024) is a Globular cluster in the Coma Berenices constellation. Johann Elert Bode ( January 19, 1747 &ndash November 23, 1826) was a German Astronomer known for his reformulation Charles Messier ( June 26, 1730 &ndash April 12, 1817) was a French astronomer most notable for publishing an Its brightness is 7. 7m, making it visible in binoculars. It is around 65,000 light years away and its total luminosity is around 200,000 times that of the Sun. Only 1° away is NGC 5053, a globular cluster that is sparser and has a less dense nucleus of stars. Its total luminosity is around 16,000 suns, which is one of the lowest luminosities of any globular cluster. It was discovered by Sir William Herschel in 1784. Sir Frederick William Herschel FRS KH ( 15 November 1738 – 25 August 1822) was a German -born British It is around magnitude 9. 9m. NGC 4147 is a somewhat dimmer (magnitude 10. 2m) globular cluster with a much smaller apparent size.

History and mythology

Coma Berenices has been known as a distinct asterism since the Hellenistic period. This article focuses on the historical aspects of the Hellenistic age for the cultural aspects see Hellenistic civilisation. Eratosthenes referred to it as both "Ariadne's Hair" and "Berenice's Hair". Eratosthenes of Cyrene ( Greek; 276 BC - 194 BC was a Greek Mathematician, Poet, athlete, Geographer and Ariadne, in Greek mythology (Latin Arianna French Arianne was daughter of King Minos of Crete and his queen Pasiphaë, daughter Ptolemy referred to it as "the lock" (of hair); however, he did not list it as one of his 48 constellations, considering it as part of Leo. Claudius Ptolemaeus ( Greek: Klaúdios Ptolemaîos; after 83 &ndash ca For many years, Coma Berenices was considered usually as the tuft in Leo's tail, or sometimes as part of Virgo. Virgo ( Virgin, symbol, Unicode ♍ is a Constellation of the Zodiac.

During the 16th century, a few maps that were made of the sky pictured two new constellations, including Coma Berenices. Tycho Brahe, who is usually given credit for the creation of the constellation, listed it as a distinct constellation in his star catalogue of 1602, and it appeared in Johann Bayer's Uranometria of 1603. Tycho Brahe, born Tyge Ottesen Brahe ( December 14 1546 &ndash October 24 1601) was a Danish nobleman Johann Bayer (1572 &ndash March 7, 1625) was a German Astronomer and Lawyer. Uranometria is the short title of a star atlas produced by Johann Bayer.

Queen Berenice II of Egypt
Queen Berenice II of Egypt

Even though this constellation is a modern constellation, it is associated with a charming legend. It is one of the few constellations (with Scutum) to owe its name to a historical figure, in this case Queen Berenice II of Egypt, wife of Ptolemy III Euergetes (fl. For the Roman Shield, see Scutum (shield; For the zootomical term see Scute. Berenice II (267 or 266 BC - 221 BC was the daughter of Magas of Cyrene and Queen Apama and the wife of Ptolemy III Euergetes I, the third ruler Ptolemy III Euergetes, ( Greek: Πτολεμαῖος Εὐεργέτης, Ptolemaĩos Euergétēs, reigned 246 BC&ndash222 BC was the third ruler 246 BC–221 BC), the king under whom Alexandria became an important cultural center. Events By place Egypt Egypt's Ptolemy II dies and is succeeded by his son Ptolemy III. Events By place Carthage The Carthaginian general Hasdrubal is murdered by a Celtic assassin while campaigning to increase Alexandria ( Egyptian Arabic: اسكندريه Eskendereyya; Standard Arabic: ar الإسكندرية Al-Iskandariyya; Ἀλεξάνδρεια

Circa 243 BC, the king undertook a dangerous expedition against the Syrians, who had murdered his sister. Events By place Egypt Ptolemy III returns from Syria by a revolt in Egypt. Syrians today are an overall indigenous Levantine people closely related to their immediate neighbours like the Lebanese and (to a lesser extent Jordanians Berenice swore to the goddess Aphrodite to sacrifice her famous long hair, of which she was extremely proud, if her husband returned safely. He did, and she had her hair cut and placed it in the goddess' temple.

By the next morning the hair had disappeared. To appease the furious king and queen (and save the lives of the temple priests), the court astronomer, Conon, announced that the offering had so pleased the goddess, that she had placed it in the sky. Conon of Samos (ca 280 BC - ca 220 BC was a Greek astronomer and Mathematician. He indicated a cluster of stars that at the time were identified as Leo's tail, but which have since been called Berenice's Hair. Leo (ˈliːoʊ Lion, symbol, Unicode ♌ is a Constellation of the Zodiac. (Cf. Gaius Julius Hyginus, Astronomica 2. Gaius Julius Hyginus (ca 64 BC &ndash AD 17 was a Latin author but whether a native of Spain or of Alexandria is not sure a pupil of the famous 24)

References

External links


Dictionary

Coma Berenices

-proper noun

  1. (astronomy) A small dim summer constellation of the northern sky, said to represent an offering of hair from Queen Berenice II of Egypt. Originally considered to represent the tuft of hair on the end of Leo's tail.
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