Other names for Corona Borealis: Aclil'u schemali, Aclu'shemali, Al Fak'kah (also mentioned in Corona Australis), Fo'ca, Al Iklil, Al Iklil al Shamaliy'yah, Phec'ca, Pu'pilla, Malphelca'ne, Malfelcar'ro, Milaff', Munir al Fak'kah.
- Allen commented: ... and, as early as the 3rd century B.C., Apollonius Rhodius wrote in his Argonauticae:
Bayer said of it Azophi Parma, by which he meant that Al Sufi called it a Shield; but the majority of Arabian astronomers rendered the classical title by Al Iklil al Shamaliyyah, which degenerated into Acliluschemali and Aclushemali, and appeared with Ulug Beg as plain Iklil.
But in early Arabia there was a different figure here, Al Fakkah, the Dish, which Ulug Beg's translator gave as Phecca, and others as Alphaca, Alfecca, Alfacca, Foca, Alfeta, and Alfelta; while Riccioli said Alphena Syrochaldaeis; and Schickard, Alphakhaco.
- Allen continues: Hyde quoted Kasat al Salik, and Kasat al Masakin, the Pauper's Bowl; and the Persians had the same in their Kasah Darwishan, the Dervish's Platter, or Kasah Shekesteh, the Broken Platter, because the circle is incomplete. Bullialdus latinized some of these titles in his Discus parvus confractus, evidently taken from Chrysococca's Pinakin keklasmenon, a Small Broken Dish, which, however, should read Pinakion (A "pinax" or "pinakion", meaning "tablet," because of its flat shape.).
The Alfonsine Tables have Malfelcarre, "of the Chaldaeans," Riccioli's Malphelcane, considered by Ideler a degenerate form of the Arabic Al Munir al Fakkah, the Bright One of the Dish; though Buttmann derived it from Al Malf al Khatar, the Loop of the Wreath, or the Junction of the Crown; and Scaliger suggested Al Malif al Kurra, of somewhat similar meaning, more correctly written Al Milaff al Kurrah. Bayer said Malphelcarre quod est sertum pupillae, the Circle of the Pupil of the Eye; and, although he did not explain this, may have written better than he knew, for Pupilla is the Latin equivalent of Kore, which, as a proper name, was a title for Persephone. In La Lande's Astronomic Dupuis (circe 1862) devoted much space to his identification of this goddess, the Latin Proserpina, with the Chaldaean Phersephon, taking the title from Phe'er, Crown, and Serphon, Northern. Thus, if Dupuis be correct, the origin of the figure, as well as of the name, may lie far back of Cretan days.
- Seen as the French Couronne Boreale, the German Nordliche Krone, and the Italian ancestral Corona.
See Star Names of Corona Borealis.
This file was updated on November 20, 2004, March 31, 2005, and on July 15, 2008.
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