Lesath

HR 6508

85696

υ Sco

2016/08/21

The formation of this name begins with the Greek term "(foggy) conglomeration," used by Ptolemy in the Tetrabiblos in describing several nebulous sky objects (in the present case, probably the open cluster M7). Ptolemy's term was translated by the sci-Arabs as al-latkha, "the Spot." This word in turn became transliterated and corrupted in Medieval Latin to alascha, which was used in astrological texts in connection with Scorpius' tail. In Renaissance times, the derivation of alascha was erroneously attributed to the Arabic word las'a, "sting, or bite (of a poisonous animal)," rather than to al-latkha. Subsequently the erroneous word, written as "Lesath," was applied as a star name to u Sco (and in recent times, also to λ Sco).