#alphecca

[erazonpo3]

saw an image that compelled me

[quiltofstars]

The constellation of Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown // E. Slawik/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/M. Zamani

Click below to read some info about the mythology of the Northern Crown as well as an annotated image!

Corona Borealis, which is Latin for "northern crown," is a small constellation set down by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century.

In Greek mythology, this crown was associated with the story of Theseus and the minotaur. Corona Borealis represents the crown given by Dionysus to Ariadne, the daughter of Minos of Crete. In one legend, Ariadne then gives the crown to Theseus to help him defeat the minotaur. He uses the crown's light to escape the labyrinth and Dionysus later sets it in the heavens.

In order of brightness, the two named stars are:

Alphecca (α Coronae Borealis), a binary star system about 75 light years from Earth. This is a close binary system, where the stars complete an orbit around each other every 17 days. The primary star is a blue-white giant star, and the secondary is a Sun-like yellow star. Its name comes from the Arabic phrase nayyir al-fakka meaning "the bright star of the broken ring of stars."

Nusakan (β Coronae Borealis) is another binary star system, this one being about 112 light years from Earth. The primary star is a blue-white giant. Its name comes from the Arabic al-nasaqān meaning "the two lines of stars."

[tvfish]

Whoops! Watch that swimsuit!

An anonymous commission

[poetrybysita]

CORONA BOREALIS

A star brimming my eyes with tears

A moonlight so bright it dispels my fears

That's you, the luminous sunbeam

For what I never ever had, I long

Quench my thirst, for to you, I belong

For you I'll always be strong

For Dionysius, I won't back down

It adorns my head, this splendid crown

However, quiet sharp are its thorns

My skin, they prickle, my veins, they pierce

As resplendent swords, with all their might

Let's turn these thorns to rays of light

While a rainfall of blood trickles down

My skin, a cloud, your love, the sky

Thy Ariadne I am, a lucent constellation

[bogkeep]

aljanah is Bad representation and alphecca is Good representation. hope that clears things up (for legal reasons that is a joke. all aromantics and bisexuals are valid and very cool i love you)

[dorokora]

[wozziebear]

Clear sky this early morning for stargazing. Polaris, the tail of Ursa Minor, is on the bottom left of the top pic. Vega is right btm. leading to Eltanin and Rastaban and head of the dragon Draco in the center. The body and tail of Draco is faint. Vega is bottom left of bottom pic. Arcturus & Boötes top right. Alphecca is the bright star below Boötes in the Corona Borealis constellation. The Keystone trapezoid and the hero Hercules is below the crown. The brightest star Kornephoros, Hercules' right shoulder, is to the right of the Keystone. Hercules is admittedly faint and difficult to find

[guitarbage]

@beaucheneimplements hasn’t been posting on tumblr much lately, but this 2017 Alphecca is pretty fucking cool