Star in Gemini

Mebsuta

ε Gem HR 2473 HIP 32246 magnitude 3.06

From an abbreviation of the ind-A asterism name dhira' al-asad almabsuta, "the Lion's Outstretched Paw," for one of the two pairs α/β Gem or α/β CMi. These pairs were assigned to the larger ind-A asterism al-asad, but t…

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Astronomy

Official IAU information

Designation

HR 2473

HIP

32246

Bayer ID

ε Gem

Visual magnitude

3.06

Right ascension (J2000)

100.983°

Declination (J2000)

25.1311°

IAU adoption

2016/07/20

Name origin

From an abbreviation of the ind-A asterism name dhira' al-asad almabsuta, "the Lion's Outstretched Paw," for one of the two pairs α/β Gem or α/β CMi. These pairs were assigned to the larger ind-A asterism al-asad, but there is no unanimity in the Arabic sources as to which pair was the "outstretched" or "folded" paw. "Mebsuta" was arbitrarily applied as a star name to ε Gem in recent times. In its indigenous location stretching from parts of Gemini all the way into Virgo, the ind-A al-asad, "the Lion," corresponded to what in other cultures was Leo among the zodiacal signs. Subsequently the sci-Arabs used the indigenous name for the smaller Greek Lion (Leo).

Other stars in Gemini