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Corona Borealis | [[Corona Borealis]] is a small constellation in the Northern Celestial Hemisphere. Its Latin name means "northern crown", a name inspired by its shape; its main stars form a semicircular arc. It is the northern counterpart ofCorona Australis, the southern crown. One of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy, it remains one of the 88 modern constellations. In classical mythology Corona Borealis generally represented a crown given by the god Dionysus to the Cretan princess Ariadne and set by him in the heavens. Other cultures likened the pattern to a circle of elders, eagle's nest, bear's den or even a smokehole. | ||
The brightest star is the 2.2-magnitude Alpha Coronae Borealis. Five star systems have been found to have exoplanets, four of which were detected by changes in radial velocity and one by transit photometry. The yellow supergiant R Coronae Borealis is the prototype of a rare class of unusual stars—the R Coronae Borealis variables—that are extremely hydrogen deficient, and thought to result from the merger of two white dwarfs. T Coronae Borealis, also known as the Blaze Star, is another unusual type of variable star known as a recurrent nova. | The brightest star is the 2.2-magnitude Alpha Coronae Borealis. Five star systems have been found to have exoplanets, four of which were detected by changes in radial velocity and one by transit photometry. The yellow supergiant R Coronae Borealis is the prototype of a rare class of unusual stars—the R Coronae Borealis variables—that are extremely hydrogen deficient, and thought to result from the merger of two white dwarfs. T Coronae Borealis, also known as the Blaze Star, is another unusual type of variable star known as a recurrent nova. | ||
In November 2013 astronomers discovered the largest structure in the universe ever found—the Hercules–Corona Borealis Great Wall, which lies partly within this constellation's borders. The structure is a galaxy filament,[50] or a huge group of galaxies assembled by gravity. It is about 10 billion light-years (3 Gpc) at its longest dimension. | In November 2013 astronomers discovered the largest structure in the universe ever found—the Hercules–Corona Borealis Great Wall, which lies partly within this constellation's borders. The structure is a galaxy filament,[50] or a huge group of galaxies assembled by gravity. It is about 10 billion light-years (3 Gpc) at its longest dimension.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corona_Borealis Corona Borealis]]</ref> | ||
==Mythology== | ==Mythology== | ||