Columba Constellation

Columba Constellation [Stellarium]

Constellation Columba the Dove is a southern constellation bordering Puppis, Canis Major, Lepus, Caelum and Pctor. It was introduced by Petrus Plancius in 1592 and remains one of the 88 modern constellations. Columba spans 42 degrees of the zodiac in the Signs of Gemini and Cancer.

Columba Constellation Stars

2000	2050	Star	Name	Sp. Class	Mag.	Orb
18♊43	19♊25	ε Col		K1	3.86	1°30′
22♊11	22♊53	α Col	Phact	B7	2.65	2°00′
24♊44	25♊28	μ Col	She	B1	5.18	1°00′
26♊26	27♊08	β Col	Wazn	K1	3.12	1°50′
27♊22	08♊04	λ Col	Tsze	B5	4.88	1°00′
29♊03	29♊45	γ Col		B2	4.36	1°10′
29♊37	00♋40	η Col		K0	3.96	1°30′
03♋04	03♋46	θ Col	Elkurud	B8	5.00	1°00′
06♋30	07♋12	κ Col	Kurud II	G8	4.37	1°10′
08♋26	09♋08	δ Col	Ghusn al Zaitun	G7	3.85	1°30′

α Col is officially named Phact. Applied in recent times from the Arabic fākhitah, “ring dove,” used in connection with the constellation Cygnus in a Renaissance discussion of Arabic bird names. ^[1]The Chinese name for this star is 丈人一 Zhàngrényī, “1st star of Grandfather.” ^[2]Allen transliterated this as Chang Jin, “the Old Folks.” ^[3]

β Col is officially named Wazn. Applied in recent times from some Indigenous Arabic name al-wazn, of unknown significance. Also applied in recent times to δ CMa (Wezen). As a common noun in Arabic, al-wazn means “the weight.” ^[1]

δ Col has the traditional Arabic name Ghusn al Zaitun, from الغصن الزيتون al-ghuşn al-zaitūn, “the Olive Branch.” ^[4]

θ Col is officially named Elkurud. From the Arabic Al Kurud (القرود al-qurūd), “the monkeys.” ^[5]θ and κ were included by Kazwini in the Arabic figure Al Kurud, the Apes. ^[3]θ Col is also named Kurud I, with κ Col as Kurud II. Modern authors suggest the name Kurud comes from the Arabic الفرود al-furūd, “the Solitary Ones.” ^[1]

κ Col is named Kurud II, from the Arabic Al Kurud, “the monkeys” (see θ Col).

λ Col is named Tsze, from the Chinese 子一 Zǐyī, “1st star of Son.” ^[2]

μ Col is named She, from the Chinese 屎 Shǐ, “Excrement,” (from the celestial toilet in Lepus.) ^[2]

Columba Astrology

Robson

History. First recognized by Royer in 1679, but in existence some years before. It represents the dove sent by Noah from the Ark.

Influence. Columba gives a gentle, kind, timid, innocent and self-sacrificing nature, together with strength of spirit. ^[6]

Columba Constellation [Hevelius]

Allen

Columba Noae, Noah’s Dove, now known simply as Columba, lying south of the Hare, and on the meridian with Orion’s Belt.

Although first formally published by Royer in 1679, and so generally considered one of his constellations, it had appeared seventy-six years before correctly located on Bayer’s plate of Canis Major, and in his text as recentioribus Columba; one of these “more recent” being Petrus Plancius, the Dutch cosmographer and map-maker of the 16th century, and instructor of Pieter Theodor. While these are the first allusions to Columba in modern times, yet the following from Caesius may indicate knowledge of its stars, and certainly of the present title, seventeen centuries ago.

Still it was not recognized by Bartschius twenty-one years after Bayer, nor by Tycho, Hevelius, or Flamsteed; but Halley gave it, in the same year as Royer, with ten stars; and our Gould, two centuries later in Argentina, increased the number to seventeen. It was made up from the southwestern outliers of Canis Major, near to the Ship, — Noah’s Ark, — and so was regarded as the attendant Dove.

Smyth wrote of its modern formation, and of its nomenclature in Arab astronomy:

Royer cut away a portion of Canis Major, and constructed Columba Noachi therewith in 1679. The part thus usurped was called Muliphein, from al‑muhlifein, the two stars sworn by, because they were often mistaken for Soheil, or Canopus, before which they rise: these two stars are now α and β Columbae. Muliphein is recognized as comprehending the two stars called Ḥaḍʽár, ground, and al‑wezn, weight.

Reference already has been made to Al Muḥlīfaïn at the stars γ, ζ, and λ Argūs, δ Canis Majoris, and α Centauri.

α, 2.5. Phaet, Phact, and Phad are all modern names for this, perhaps of uncertain derivation, but said to be from the Ḥaḍar already noted under the constellation.

The Chinese call it Chang Jin, the Old Folks.

Although inconspicuous, Lockyer thinks that it was of importance in Egyptian temple worship, and observed from Edfū and Philae as far back as 6400 B.C.; but that it was succeeded by Sirius about 3000 B.C., as α Ursae Majoris was by γ Draconis in the north. And he has found three temples at Medinet Habu, adjacent to each other, yet differently oriented, apparently toward α, 2525, 1250, and 900 years before our era: all these to the god Amen. He thinks that as many as twelve different temples were oriented to this star; but the selection of so faint an object for so important a purpose would seem doubtful.

Phaet is 33° south of ε Orionis, the central star in the Belt, and culminates on the 26th of January.

β, 2.9. Wezn, or Wazn, is from Al Wazn, Weight.

With α it was among the disputed Al Muḥlīfaïn; and Al Tizini additionally called both stars Al Aghribah, the Ravens, a title that Hyde assigned to a group in Canis Minor.

Chilmead’s Treatise has this brief description of Columba:

11 Starres: of which there are two in the backe of it of the second magnitude, which they call the Good messengers, or bringers of good newes: and those in the right wing are consecrated to the Appeased Deity, and those in the left, to the Retiring of the waters in the time of the Deluge.

Heis locates α and β in the back: υ² in the right wing, and ε in the left. θ and κ were included by Kazwini in the Arabic figure Al Kurud, the Apes.

In China they were Sun, the Child; λ being Tsze, a Son; and the nearby small stars, She, the Secretions. ^[3]