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Coma Berenices
Constellation
Coma Berenices
List of stars in Coma Berenices
AbbreviationCom
GenitiveComae Berenices
Pronunciation/ˈkoʊmə ˌbɛrəˈnaɪsiːz/,
genitive /ˈkoʊmiː/
SymbolismBerenice's hair
Right ascension11h 58m 25.0885s–13h 36m 06.9433s[1]
Declination33.3074303°–13.3040485°[1]
Area386 sq. deg. (42nd)
Main stars3
Bayer/Flamsteed
stars		44
Stars brighter than 3.00m0
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly)1
Brightest starβ Com (4.26m)
Nearest starβ Com[2]: 84 
Messier objects8
Meteor showersComa Berenicids
Bordering
constellations		Canes Venatici
Ursa Major
Leo
Virgo
Boötes
Visible at latitudes between +90° and −70°.
Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of May.

Coma Berenices is an ancient asterism in the northern sky, which has been defined as one of the 88 modern constellations. It is in the direction of the fourth galactic quadrant, between Leo and Boötes, and it is visible in both hemispheres. Its name means "Berenice's Hair" in Latin and refers to Queen Berenice II of Egypt, who sacrificed her long hair as a votive offering.[3] It was introduced to Western astronomy during the third century BC by Conon of Samos and was further corroborated as a constellation by Gerardus Mercator and Tycho Brahe. It is the only modern constellation named after a historic person.[a]

The constellation's major stars are Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Comae Berenices. They form a half square, along the diagonal of which run Berenice's imaginary tresses, formed by the Coma Star Cluster. The constellation's brightest star is Beta Comae Berenices, a 4.2-magnitude main sequence star similar to the Sun. Coma Berenices contains the North Galactic Pole and one of the richest-known galaxy clusters, the Coma Cluster, part of the Coma Supercluster. Galaxy Malin 1, in the constellation, is the first-known giant low-surface-brightness galaxy. Supernova SN 1940B was the first scientifically observed (underway) type II supernova. FK Comae Berenices is the prototype of an eponymous class of variable stars. The constellation is the radiant of one meteor shower, Coma Berenicids, which has one of the fastest meteor speeds, up to 65 kilometres per second (40 mi/s).

History

[edit]
See caption
Bust of Berenice II of Egypt

Coma Berenices has been recognized as an asterism since the Hellenistic period[4] (or much earlier, according to some authors), and is the only modern constellation named for an historic figure.[5] It was introduced to Western astronomy during the third century BC by Conon of Samos, the court astronomer of Egyptian ruler Ptolemy III Euergetes, to honour Ptolemy's consort, Berenice II.[6] Berenice vowed to sacrifice her long hair as a votive offering if Ptolemy returned safely from battle during the Third Syrian War.[7] Modern scholars are uncertain if Berenice made the sacrifice before or after Ptolemy's return; it was suggested that it happened after Ptolemy's return (around March–June or May 245 BC), when Conon presented the asterism jointly with scholar and poet Callimachus during a public evening ceremony.[8] In Callimachus' poem, Aetia (composed around that time), Berenice dedicated her tresses "to all the gods". In Poem 66, the Latin translation by the Roman poet Catullus, and in Hyginus' De Astronomica, she dedicated her tresses to Aphrodite and placed them in the temple of Arsinoe II (identified after Berenice's death with Aphrodite) at Zephyrium. According to De astronomica, by the next morning the tresses had disappeared. Conon proposed that Aphrodite had placed the tresses in the sky as an acknowledgement of Berenice's sacrifice.[7] Callimachus called the asterism plokamos Berenikēs or bostrukhon Berenikēs in Greek, translated into Latin as "Coma Berenices" by Catullus. Hipparchus[9] and Geminus also recognized it as a distinct constellation.[10] Eratosthenes called it "Berenice's Hair" and "Ariadne's Hair", considering it part of the constellation Leo.[11] Similarly, Ptolemy did not include it among his 48 constellations in the Almagest;[9] considering it part of Leo[4] and calling it Plokamos.[12]

Sixteenth-century sky map superimposed on a globe
Coma Berenices on Mercator's 1551 celestial globe, in the upper left

Coma Berenices became popular during the 16th century. In 1515, a set of gores by Johannes Schöner labelled the asterism Trica, "hair". In 1536 it appeared on a celestial globe by Caspar Vopel, who is credited with the asterism's designation as a constellation.[13] That year, it also appeared on a celestial map by Petrus Apianus as "Crines Berenices". In 1551, Coma Berenices appeared on a celestial globe by Gerardus Mercator with five Latin and Greek names: Cincinnus, caesaries, πλόκαμος, Berenicis crinis and Trica. Mercator's reputation as a cartographer ensured the constellation's inclusion on Dutch sky globes beginning in 1589.[14]

Tycho Brahe, also credited with Coma's designation as a constellation, included it in his 1602 star catalogue.[4] Brahe recorded fourteen stars in the constellation; Johannes Hevelius increased its number to twenty-one, and John Flamsteed to forty-three. Coma Berenices also appeared in Johann Bayer's 1603 Uranometria, and a few other 17th-century celestial maps followed suit. Coma Berenices and the now-obsolete Antinous are considered the first post-Ptolemaic constellations depicted on a celestial globe.[15] With Antinous, Coma Berenices exemplified a trend in astronomy in which globe- and map-makers continued to rely on the ancients for data. This trend ended at the turn of the 16th century with observations of the southern sky and the work of Tycho Brahe.[14]

Before the 18th century Coma Berenices was known in English by several names, including "Berenice's Bush" and "Berenice's periwig".[16] The earliest-known English name, "Berenices haire", dates to 1601.[16][17] By 1702 the constellation was known as Coma Berenices,[18] and appears as such in the 1731 Universal Etymological English Dictionary.

In non-Western astronomy

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Coma Berenices was known to the Akkadians as Ḫegala.[19] In Babylonian astronomy a star, known as ḪÉ.GÁL-a-a (translated as "which is before it") or MÚL.ḪÉ.GÁL-a-a, is tentatively considered part of Coma Berenices.[20] It was also argued that Coma Berenices appears in Egyptian Ramesside star clocks as sb3w ꜥš3w, meaning "many stars".[21]

In Arabic astronomy Coma Berenices was known as Al-Dafira الضفيرة ("braid"), Al-Hulba الهلبة and Al-Thu'aba الذؤابة (both meaning "tuft"), the latter two are translations of the Ptolemaic Plokamos, forming the tuft of the constellation Leo[12] and including most of the Flamsteed-designated stars (particularly 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18 and 21 Comae Berenices).[22] Al-Sufi included it in Leo. Ulugh Beg, however, regarded Al-Dafira as consisting of two stars, 7 and 23 Comae Berenices.[23] R. H. Allen's Star Names gives the name Al Ḍafīrah to 15 = Gamma Comae Berenices.[16]

The North American Pawnee people depicted Coma Berenices as ten faint stars on a tanned elk-skin star map dated to at least the 17th century.[24] In the South American Kalina mythology, the constellation was known as ombatapo (face).[25]

The constellation was also recognized by several Polynesian peoples. The people of Tonga had four names for Coma Berenices: Fatana-lua, Fata-olunga, Fata-lalo and Kapakau-o-Tafahi.[26] The Boorong people called the constellation Tourt-chinboiong-gherra, and saw it as a small flock of birds drinking rainwater from a puddle in the crotch of a tree.[27] The people of the Pukapuka atoll may have called it Te Yiku-o-te-kiole, although sometimes this name is associated with Ursa Major.[28]

Characteristics

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Coma Berenices is bordered by Boötes to the east, Canes Venatici to the north, Leo to the west and Virgo to the south. Covering 386.5 square degrees and 0.937% of the night sky, it ranks 42nd of the 88 constellations by area.[29] The three-letter abbreviation for the constellation, as adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1922, is "Com".[30] The official constellation boundaries, as set by Belgian astronomer Eugène Delporte in 1930,[b] are defined by a polygon of 12 segments (illustrated in infobox). In the equatorial coordinate system, the right ascension coordinates of these borders lie between 11h 58m 25.09s and 13h 36m 06.94s, and the declination coordinates are between +13.30° and +33.31°.[1] Coma Berenices is wholly visible to observers north of latitude 56°S.[c] and the constellation's midnight culmination occurs on 2 April.[32]

Features

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Black-on-white photo of the constellation
Coma Berenices' major stars

Although it is not large, Coma Berenices contains one galactic supercluster, two galactic clusters, one star cluster and eight Messier objects (including several globular clusters). These objects can be seen with minimal obscuration by dust because the constellation is not in the direction of the galactic plane. Because of that, there are few open clusters (except for the Coma Berenices Cluster, which dominates the northern part of the constellation), diffuse nebulae or planetary nebulae. Coma Berenices contains the North Galactic Pole at right ascension 12h 51m 25s and declination +27° 07′ 48″ (epoch J2000.0).

Stars

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Further information: List of stars in Coma Berenices

Brightest stars

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Photo of Coma Berenices' three visible stars, which form a triangle
Coma Berenices as seen by the naked eye

Coma Berenices is not particularly bright, as none of its stars are brighter than fourth magnitude,[33] although there are 66 stars brighter than or equal to apparent magnitude 6.5.[d][29]

The constellation's brightest star is Beta Comae Berenices (43 Comae Berenices in Flamsteed designation), at magnitude 4.2 and with a high proper motion. In Coma Berenices' northeastern region, it is 29.95 ± 0.10 light-years from Earth.[35] A solar analog, it is a yellow-hued F-type main-sequence star with a spectral class of F9.5V B.[36] Beta Comae Berenices is around 36% brighter,[37] and 15% more massive than the Sun,[38] and with a radius 10% larger.[37]

The second-brightest star in Coma Berenices is the 4.3-magnitude, bluish Alpha Comae Berenices (42 Comae Berenices), with the proper name Diadem,[39] in the southeastern part of the constellation. Despite its Alpha Bayer designation, the star is dimmer than Beta Comae Berenices, being one of the cases where designation does not correspond to the brightest star. It is a double star, with the spectral classes of F5V and F6V.[40] The star system is 58.1 ± 0.9 light-years from Earth.[41]

Gamma Comae Berenices (15 Comae Berenices) is an orange-hued giant star with a magnitude of 4.4 and a spectral class of K1III C. In the southwestern part of the constellation, it is 169 ± 2 light-years from Earth,[42] Estimated to be around 1.79 times as massive as the Sun,[43] it has expanded to around 10 times its radius.[44] It is the brightest star in the Coma Star Cluster.[45] With Alpha Comae Berenices and Beta Comae Berenices, Gamma Comae Berenices forms a 45-degree isosceles triangle from which Berenice's imaginary tresses hang.

Star systems

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Annotated wide-field photograph of Coma Berenices with IAU boundaries, stick figure, and labeled stars
The constellation Coma Berenices showing the IAU boundaries, the constellation stick figure, and labels for its brightest stars. Astrophotograph by Eckhard Slawik, from NOIRLab's 88 Constellations project.

The star systems of Coma Berenices include binary, double and triple stars. 21 Comae Berenices (sometimes called Kissin, but this name is shared with 23 Comae Berenices) is a close binary with nearly equal components and an orbital period of 26 years.[46] The system is 272 ± 3 light-years away.[47] The Coma Cluster contains at least eight spectroscopic binaries,[48] and the constellation has seven eclipsing binaries: CC, DD, EK, RW, RZ, SS and UX Comae Berenices.[49]

There are over thirty double stars in Coma Berenices,[50] including 24 Comae Berenices with contrasting colors. Its primary is an orange-hued giant star with a magnitude of 5.0, 610 light-years from Earth, and its secondary is a blue-white-hued star with a magnitude of 6.6. Triple stars include 12 Comae Berenices, 17 Comae Berenices, KR Comae Berenices and Struve 1639.[51][52]

Variable stars

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Over 200 variable stars are known in Coma Berenices, although many are obscure.[53] Alpha Comae Berenices is a possible Algol variable.[54] FK Comae Berenices, which varies from magnitude 8.14 to 8.33 over a period of 2.4 days, is the prototype for the FK Comae Berenices class of variable stars[53] and the star in which the "flip-flop phenomenon" was discovered.[55] FS Comae Berenices is a semi-regular variable, a red giant with a period of about two months whose magnitude varies between 6.1 and 5.3. R Comae Berenices is a Mira variable with a maximum magnitude of almost 7.[56] There are 123 RR Lyrae variables in the constellation,[57] with many in the M53 cluster.[58] One of these stars, TU Comae Berenices, may have a binary system.[59] The M100 galaxy contains about twenty Cepheid variables, which were observed by the Hubble Space Telescope.[60] Coma Berenices also contains Alpha2 Canum Venaticorum variables, such as 13 Comae Berenices and AI Comae Berenices.[61]

In 2019 scientists at Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences announced the discovery of 28 new variable stars in Coma Berenices' globular cluster NGC 4147.[62]

Supernovae

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A number of supernovae have been discovered in Coma Berenices. Four (SN 1940B, SN 1969H, SN 1987E and SN 1999gs) were in the NGC 4725 galaxy,[63] and another four were discovered in the M99 galaxy (NGC 4254): SN 1967H, SN 1972Q, SN 1986I and SN 2014L.[63] Five were discovered in the M100 galaxy (NGC 4321): SN 1901B, SN 1914A, SN 1959E, SN 1979C and SN 2006X.[63] SN 1940B, discovered on 5 May 1940, was the first observed type II supernova.[64] SN 2005ap, discovered on 3 March 2005, is the second-brightest-known supernova to date with a peak absolute magnitude of about −22.7.[65] Due to its great distance from Earth (4.7 billion light-years), it was not visible to the naked eye and was discovered telescopically. SN 1979C, discovered in 1979, retained its original X-ray brightness for 25 years despite fading in visible light.[66]

Other stars

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Coma Berenices also contains the neutron star RBS 1223 and the pulsar PSR B1237+25.[67] RBS 1223 is a member of the Magnificent Seven, a group of young neutron stars.[68] In 1975, the first extra-solar source of extreme ultraviolet, the white dwarf HZ 43, was discovered in Coma Berenices.[69] In 1995, there was a very rare outburst of the WZ Sagittae-type dwarf nova AL Comae Berenices.[70] A June 2003 outburst from GO Comae Berenices, an SU Ursae Majoris-type dwarf nova, was photometrically observed.[71]

Exoplanets

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Coma Berenices has seven known exoplanets.[72] One, HD 108874 b, has Earth-like insolation.[73] WASP-56 is a sun-like star of spectral type G6 and apparent magnitude 11.48 with a planet 0.6 the mass of Jupiter that has a period of 4.6 days.[74]

Star clusters

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Coma Star Cluster

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The Coma Star Cluster represents Berenice's sacrificed tresses and as a naked eye object has been known since antiquity, appearing in Ptolemy's Almagest.[75] It doesn't have a Messier or NGC designation, but is in the Melotte catalogue of open clusters (designated Melotte 111) and is also catalogued as Collinder 256. It is a large, diffuse open cluster of about 50 stars ranging between magnitudes five and ten, including several of Coma Berenices' stars which are visible to the naked eye. The cluster is spread over a huge region (more than five degrees across) near Gamma Comae Berenices. It has such a large apparent size because it is relatively close, only 280 light-years or 86 parsecs away.[76][77]

Globular clusters

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M53 (NGC 5024) is a globular cluster which was discovered independently by Johann Elert Bode in 1775 and Charles Messier in February 1777; William Herschel was the first to resolve it into stars.[58] The magnitude-7.7 cluster is 56,000 light-years from Earth. Only 1° away is NGC 5053, a globular cluster with a sparser nucleus of stars. Its total luminosity is the equivalent of about 16,000 suns, one of the lowest luminosities of any globular cluster. It was discovered by William Herschel in 1784. NGC 4147 is a somewhat dimmer globular cluster, with a much-smaller apparent size and an apparent magnitude of 10.7.[78]

Galaxies

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Coma Supercluster

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The Coma Supercluster, itself part of the Coma Filament, contains the Coma and Leo Cluster of galaxies. The Coma Cluster (Abell 1656) is 230 to 300 million light-years away. It is one of the largest-known clusters, with at least 10,000 galaxies (mainly elliptical, with a few spiral galaxies).[79] Due to its distance from Earth, most of the galaxies are visible only through large telescopes. Its brightest members are NGC 4874 and NGC 4889, both with a magnitude of 13; most others are magnitude 15 or dimmer. NGC 4889 is a giant elliptical galaxy with one of the largest-known black holes (21 billion solar masses),[80] and NGC 4921 is the cluster's brightest spiral galaxy.[81] After observing the Coma Cluster, astronomer Fritz Zwicky first postulated the existence of dark matter during the 1930s.[79] The massive galaxy Dragonfly 44 discovered in 2015 was found to consist almost entirely of dark matter.[82] Its mass is very similar to that of the Milky Way,[82] but it emits only 1% of the light emitted by the Milky Way.[83] NGC 4676, sometimes called the Mice Galaxies, is a pair of interacting galaxies 300 million light-years from Earth. Its progenitor galaxies were spiral, and astronomers estimate that they had their closest approach about 160 million years ago. That approach triggered large regions of star formation in both galaxies, with long "tails" of dust, stars and gas. The two progenitor galaxies are predicted to interact significantly at least one more time before they merge into a larger, probably-elliptical galaxy.[84]

Virgo Cluster

[edit]
Messier 100 taken with Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3[85]

Coma Berenices contains the northern portion of the Virgo Cluster (also known as the Coma–Virgo Cluster), about 60 million light-years away. The portion includes six Messier galaxies. M85 (NGC 4382), considered elliptical or lenticular, is one of the cluster's brighter members at magnitude nine. M85 is interacting with the spiral galaxy NGC 4394 and the elliptical galaxy MCG-3-32-38.[67] However, it is relatively isolated from the rest of the cluster.[86] M88 (NGC 4501) is a multi-arm spiral galaxy seen at about 30° from edge-on. It has a highly-regular shape with well-developed, symmetrical arms. Among the first galaxies recognized as spiral,[87] it has a supermassive black hole in its center.[67] M91 (NGC 4548), a barred spiral galaxy with a bright, diffuse nucleus, is the faintest object in Messier's catalog at magnitude 10.2.[88] M98 (NGC 4192), a bright, elongated spiral galaxy seen nearly edge-on, appears elliptical because of its unusual angle. The magnitude-10 galaxy has no redshift.[89] M99 (NGC 4254) is a spiral galaxy seen face-on. Like M98 it is of magnitude-10 and has an unusually long arm on its west side. Four supernovae have been observed in the galaxy.[90][91][92] M100 (NGC 4321), a magnitude-nine spiral galaxy seen face-on, is one of the cluster's brightest.[60] Photographs reveal a brilliant core, two prominent spiral arms, an array of secondary arms and several dust lanes.

Other galaxies

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M64 (Black Eye Galaxy)

M64 (NGC 4826) is known as the Black Eye Galaxy because of the prominent dark dust lane in front of the galaxy's bright nucleus. Also known as the Sleeping Beauty and Evil Eye galaxy,[93] it is about 17.3 million light-years away.[94] Recent studies indicate that the interstellar gas in the galaxy's outer regions rotates in the opposite direction from that in the inner regions, leading astronomers to believe that at least one satellite galaxy collided with it less than a billion years ago. All other evidence of the smaller galaxy has been assimilated. At the interface between the clockwise- and counterclockwise-rotating regions are many new nebulae and young stars.[84]

NGC 4314 is a face-on barred spiral galaxy at a distance of 40 million light-years. It is unique for its region of intense star formation, creating a ring around its nucleus which was discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope. The galaxy's prodigious star formation began five million years ago, in a region with a diameter of 1,000 light-years. The core's structure is also unique because the galaxy has spiral arms which feed gas into the bar.[84]

NGC 4414 is an unbarred spiral flocculent galaxy about 62 million light-years away. It is one of the closest flocculent spiral galaxies.[95]

NGC 4565 is an edge-on spiral galaxy which appears superimposed on the Virgo Cluster. NGC 4565 has been nicknamed the Needle Galaxy because when seen in full, it appears as a narrow streak of light.[96] Like many edge-on spiral galaxies, it has a prominent dust lane and a central bulge. NGC 4565 has at least two satellite galaxies, and one of them is interacting with it.[97]

NGC 4651, about the size of the Milky Way, has tidal stellar streams gravitationally stripped from a smaller, satellite galaxy.[98] It is about 62 million light-years away.[98] It is located on the outskirts of the cluster,[99] and is also known as the Umbrella Galaxy. Unlike the other spiral galaxies in the cluster, NGC 4651 is rich in neutral hydrogen, which also extends beyond the optical disk.[100] Its star formation is typical for a galaxy of its type.[99]

Spiral galaxy Malin 1 discovered in 1986 is the first-known giant low-surface-brightness galaxy.[101] With UGC 1382, it is also one of the largest low-surface-brightness galaxies.[101]

In 2006 a dwarf galaxy, also named Coma Berenices, was discovered in the constellation from data obtained by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.[102] The galaxy is a faint satellite of the Milky Way. It is one of the faintest satellites of the Milky Way - its integrated luminosity is about 3700 times that of the Sun (absolute visible magnitude of about −4.1), which is lower than many globular clusters.[103] A high mass to light ratio may mean that the satellite has large amounts of dark matter.[104]

  • Diffuse galaxy
    Dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 4789A[105]
  • Galaxy resembling an angled needle
    NGC 4565 (Needle Galaxy)
  • Spiral galaxy with streams of light
    NGC 4651, with umbrella-shaped stellar streams
  • The constellation Coma Berenices hosts the galaxy NGC 4495 among myriad other astronomical objects.
    The constellation Coma Berenices hosts the galaxy NGC 4495 among myriad other astronomical objects.
  • The jellyfish galaxy JW39 hangs serenely in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. This galaxy lies over 900 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices.
    The jellyfish galaxy JW39 hangs serenely in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. This galaxy lies over 900 million light-years away in the constellation Coma Berenices.

Quasars

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HS 1216+5032 is a bright, gravitationally lensed pair of quasars.[106] W Comae Berenices (or ON 231), a blazar in the constellation's northwest, was originally designated a variable star and later found to be a BL Lacertae object.[107] As of 2009, it had the most intense gamma ray spectrum of the sixty known gamma-ray blazars.[107]

Gamma-ray bursts

[edit]

Some gamma-ray bursts occurred in Coma Berenices, particularly GRB 050509B on 9 May 2005[108] and GRB 080607 on 7 June 2008.[109] GRB 050509B, which lasted only 0.03 second, became the first short burst with a detected afterglow.[108]

Meteor showers

[edit]

The Coma Berenicids meteor shower peaks around 18 January.[53] Despite the shower's low intensity (averaging one or two meteors per hour) its meteors are some of the fastest, with speeds up to 65 kilometres per second (40 mi/s).[53]

In culture

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Print of two female nudes in the heavens
Luis Ricardo Falero's The Hair of Berenice (1886)

Since Callimachus' poem, Coma Berenices has been occasionally featured in culture. Alexander Pope alludes to the legend in the ending of The Rape of the Lock, in which the titular hair is placed among the stars. (The poem would go on to provide the names of some of the moons of Uranus.) In 1886, Spanish artist Luis Ricardo Falero created a mezzotint print personifying Coma Berenices alongside Virgo and Leo.[110] In 1892, the Russian poet Afanasy Fet made the constellation the subject of his short poem, composed for the Countess Natalya Sollogub.[111] The Swedish poet Gunnar Ekelöf wrote the lines "Your friend the comet combed his hair with the Leonids / Berenice let her hair hang down from the sky" in a 1933 poem.[112] American writer and folksinger Richard Fariña mentions Coma Berenices in his 1966 novel Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me, sardonically writing about content typical to upper-level astronomy coursework at Cornell: "It's the advanced courses give you trouble. Relativity principles, spiral nebula in Coma Berenices, that kind of hassle". The Bolivian poet, Pedro Shimose, makes Coma Berenices the home address of his "Señorita NGC 4565" in his poem "Carta a una estrella que vive en otra constelación" ("Letter to a star who lives in another constellation"), included in his 1967 collection, "Sardonia".[113] "[114] The Irish poet W. B. Yeats, in his poem "Her Dream", refers to "Berenice's burning hair" being "nailed upon the night". Francisco Guerrero, a 20th-century Spanish composer, wrote an orchestral work on the constellation in 1996. In 1999 Irish artist Alice Maher made a series of four oversize drawings, entitled Coma Berenices, of entwining black hair coils.[115] The asterism also gives its name to a prose poem in Where Shall I Wander, a 2005 collection by the American writer John Ashbery.[116]

Notes

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See also

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References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Coma Berenices

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Coma Berenices (/ˈkoʊmə ˌbɛrəˈnaɪsiːz/), Latin for "Berenice's Hair", is a faint constellation in the northern sky representing the tresses sacrificed by Queen Berenice II of Egypt as a votive offering for her husband's safe return from war.[1][2] It is one of the 88 modern constellations officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), covering an area of 386 square degrees and ranking 42nd in size among them.[1][3] The constellation lies between the brighter patterns of Virgo, Boötes, Canes Venatici, and Ursa Major, with its approximate boundaries spanning right ascension 11h 58m to 13h 36m and declination +13° to +33°.[4] Although the asterism of stars in Coma Berenices has been recognized since ancient times—mentioned by the Greek poet Aratus around 275 BCE as part of Leo's tail—it was not formally distinguished as a separate constellation until the late 16th century.[5] The Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe cataloged it independently in 1602, crediting the poet Conon of Samos for the mythological attribution to Berenice II during the 3rd century BCE.[5][1] This makes Coma Berenices unique as the only one of the 88 IAU constellations named after a historical figure rather than a mythological one.[1] Coma Berenices contains no stars brighter than magnitude 4.3, making it challenging to observe without dark skies, but its brightest member, Beta Comae Berenices, is a yellow dwarf star similar to the Sun, located about 30 light-years away.[1] Alpha Comae Berenices, known as Diadem, forms a prominent binary system at magnitude 4.3 and 58 light-years distant.[1] The constellation is particularly renowned for its rich deep-sky objects, including the Coma Star Cluster (Melotte 111), an open cluster of around 40 stars visible to the naked eye under good conditions, and numerous galaxies such as the Messier objects M53 (a globular cluster) and M85, M88, M91, M98, M99, and M100.[1] Most notably, it hosts the Coma Cluster (Abell 1656), one of the densest known galaxy clusters, containing over a thousand galaxies and located approximately 320 million light-years away.[6]

History

Western Mythology and Early Records

The constellation Coma Berenices, meaning "Berenice's Hair" in Latin, originates from a Hellenistic myth involving Queen Berenice II of Egypt, wife of Ptolemy III Euergetes. During the Third Syrian War around 246 BCE, Berenice vowed to sacrifice her renowned long locks to the gods if her husband returned safely from battle. Upon his victorious homecoming, she cut her hair and dedicated it in the temple of Arsinoe Aphrodite in Alexandria, but the tresses mysteriously disappeared, causing distress at court. To console the queen and avert panic, the royal astronomer Conon of Samos announced that the goddess Aphrodite had elevated the hair to the heavens as an eternal constellation, visible as a cluster of stars near Virgo.[7][5] Ancient Greek and Roman astronomers observed the starry region now known as Coma Berenices, though it was not initially recognized as a distinct constellation. In his poem Phaenomena (circa 275 BCE), Aratus included the stars within the figures of Leo or Virgo without distinguishing the area as a separate asterism. Later Hellenistic commentators, such as Eratosthenes, interpreted the stellar group as a tuft or lock of hair associated with Ariadne beneath Corona Borealis, reflecting early poetic imagery of the cluster. By the 2nd century CE, Claudius Ptolemy cataloged the asterism in his Almagest as a "nebulous mass" or Plokamos (lock of hair), comprising three unformed stars positioned at the end of the tail of Leo or Virgo, marking it as part of those larger figures rather than an independent entity.[5][8] The transition to formal constellation status occurred in the Renaissance. Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe first listed Coma Berenices as a separate constellation in his comprehensive star catalog of 1602, distinguishing it from Virgo and recording 14 stars within its bounds, which helped standardize its recognition among European astronomers. Shortly thereafter, Johann Bayer depicted it prominently in his influential star atlas Uranometria (1603), illustrating the figure as flowing locks labeled "Coma Berenices" or "Bernice's Hair," complete with Greek lettering for its principal stars, thereby embedding the mythological name in Western celestial cartography.[5][9]

Non-Western Astronomical Traditions

In ancient Babylonian astronomy, the stars of Coma Berenices, along with the western portion of Virgo, formed the constellation known as the "Frond," depicted as the goddess Erua (also called Sherua or Ishtar of the Date Palm) holding a sacred branch of the date palm. This asterism symbolized the ripening of dates in the autumn months when it rose heliacally, predating Greek interpretations and reflecting cuneiform traditions of divine hair or locks associated with fertility goddesses.[10][11] Arabic astronomers referred to Coma Berenices as Al-Dafīrah (the Braid or Lock of Hair), Al-Hulbah (the Coarse Hair), or Al-Thu'ābah (the Tuft), often viewing it as an extension of Leo's tail rather than a separate figure. The 10th-century Persian astronomer Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi cataloged its stars individually within Leo in his influential Kitāb ṣuwar al-kawākib al-thābitah (Book of Fixed Stars), describing them as a nebulous cluster and noting their faint, diffuse appearance. Later, Ulugh Beg treated Al-Dafīrah as a distinct asterism in his 15th-century star catalog. Among Native American groups, the Pawnee people, particularly the Skidi band, depicted Coma Berenices on a 17th-century elk-skin star chart as a scattered group of ten faint stars, possibly representing part of a larger celestial figure tied to seasonal rituals and cosmology involving nearby Virgo as a broader mythological entity. In South American Kalina (Carib) mythology, the constellation was known as ombotapo (the Face), integrated into narratives of human and animal forms in the sky.[12][13][14] Polynesian navigators recognized Coma Berenices as a navigational asterism, with the people of Tonga assigning it multiple names including Fatana-lua (Double Shelf or Double Cluster), Fata-olunga (Upper Shelf), Fata-lalo (Lower Shelf), and Kapakau-o-Tafahi (Shoulder of Tafahi), using its rising and setting positions to guide voyages across the Pacific. In Hawaiian and Māori traditions, it formed part of broader star paths for wayfinding, though specific names varied by island group.[14][15] In Chinese astronomy, Coma Berenices encompassed the asterism Niū (婁, the Girl or Weaving Woman), a minor lodge in the Azure Dragon quadrant of the eastern sky, symbolizing a young maiden or servant in imperial cosmology and cataloged in Tang Dynasty texts like the Kaiyuan Zhanjing (Establishing Origins Star Classic) of 729 CE. Additional asterisms within it included Wū Zhūhóu (Five Feudal Lords) and Láng Wèi (Imperial Rank), reflecting hierarchical social structures, with historical observations dating back to the Han Dynasty but formalized during the Tang era.

Characteristics

Position and Visibility

Coma Berenices occupies a region of the northern celestial hemisphere with boundaries spanning right ascension from 11h 58m to 13h 36m and declination from +13° to +33°, according to the International Astronomical Union (IAU) delineations.[16] This area covers 386 square degrees, making it the 42nd largest of the 88 modern constellations.[8] The constellation lies adjacent to Virgo to the south and Boötes to the north, with Canes Venatici and Leo forming its other borders, positioning it within the spring sky for northern observers.[17] In the Northern Hemisphere, Coma Berenices is best visible during May evenings, when it culminates high overhead after sunset, though its midnight culmination occurs on April 2.[3] Observers at latitudes above approximately 77°N can see the entire constellation as circumpolar. At mid-northern latitudes, such as around 58°N, the northern parts remain visible year-round, but the southern extent dips below the horizon. It appears faint to the naked eye, with no stars brighter than magnitude 4.3. The main asterism, known as the Coma Star Cluster (Melotte 111), has an integrated magnitude of 1.8, appearing as a hazy patch visible to the naked eye under dark skies.[3] Due to its subdued stellar glow, Coma Berenices demands dark skies away from light pollution for effective observation; binoculars are recommended for initial detection of its loose star grouping, which resembles a hazy patch even under moderate conditions.[3] Ancient records noted its visibility as a subtle extension of Boötes' figure in spring skies.[3]

Boundaries and Extent

The boundaries of Coma Berenices were delineated by Belgian astronomer Eugène Delporte in his 1930 work Délimitation scientifique des constellations, which was officially adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) following their 1928 General Assembly. These boundaries follow lines of constant right ascension and declination for the epoch B1875.0, ensuring that every point on the celestial sphere belongs to exactly one constellation, with Coma Berenices encompassing its traditional asterism while separating it from neighboring regions.[18] The constellation spans an area of 386.5 square degrees, ranking it as the 42nd largest among the 88 modern IAU constellations and covering approximately 0.937% of the total sky. Although positioned in close proximity to the zodiacal constellation Virgo, Coma Berenices is not itself a zodiac constellation, as the zodiac comprises only the traditional 12 along the ecliptic path.[14] Stars within these boundaries are cataloged using Bayer designations, such as β Comae Berenices for the brightest star, and Flamsteed numbers, which provide numerical identifiers based on right ascension ordering within the constellation. Over long timescales, axial precession causes stellar positions to shift relative to the fixed coordinate boundaries, potentially altering which stars lie within Coma Berenices in future epochs, though current astronomical catalogs account for precession to J2000.0 standards.[19] Coma Berenices shares its southern border with Virgo, northern border with Canes Venatici, northeastern border with Ursa Major, and eastern border with Boötes, forming a compact region in the northern celestial hemisphere.[8]

Stellar Content

Brightest and Notable Stars

The brightest star in Coma Berenices is Beta Comae Berenices, with an apparent visual magnitude of 4.25.[20] This main-sequence star has a spectral type of F9.5V, making it a yellow-white dwarf similar in characteristics to the Sun but slightly hotter and more luminous.[20] Located approximately 30 light-years from Earth, it exhibits high proper motion, with components of -800.72 mas/yr in right ascension and +882.30 mas/yr in declination, indicating significant transverse movement across the sky.[20] Its radial velocity is +5.30 km/s, showing a gentle recession from the Solar System. The second-brightest star, Alpha Comae Berenices, is known by the traditional name Diadem and has a combined apparent visual magnitude of 4.32.[21] This binary system consists of two main-sequence stars with spectral types F5V and F6V, orbiting each other with a period of about 26 years and separated by roughly 0.2 arcseconds.[21] Situated 58 light-years away, the system displays proper motion values of -433.13 mas/yr in right ascension and +141.24 mas/yr in declination, along with a radial velocity of -18.83 km/s.[21] The name Diadem, evoking a jeweled crown, reflects its position as the symbolic "crown" atop Berenice's hair in the constellation's mythological representation, a designation popularized in 19th-century catalogs.[22] Gamma Comae Berenices ranks as the third-brightest at an apparent visual magnitude of 4.34.[23] Classified as a K1III giant, this orange-hued star is evolved and expanded, with a distance of about 164 light-years from Earth.[23] It has a radial velocity of +3.38 km/s and proper motion components of -83.01 mas/yr in right ascension and -80.92 mas/yr in declination.[23] Among other notable stars, 21 Comae Berenices stands out with an apparent visual magnitude of 5.47, visible to the naked eye under dark skies.[24] This A2p chemically peculiar star, located 270 light-years away, is recognized for its variability and inclusion in studies of magnetic Ap stars.[24]

Variable Stars and Stellar Systems

Coma Berenices hosts a diverse array of variable stars, including pulsating, eruptive, and eclipsing types, which provide valuable insights into stellar interiors and evolutionary processes. These variables exhibit brightness fluctuations due to intrinsic pulsations, surface activity, or interactions in binary systems, with over 200 known in the constellation.[25] Among the notable cataclysmic variables is AL Comae Berenices, a dwarf nova characterized by tremendous outburst amplitudes, reaching up to 9 magnitudes during rare superoutbursts, as observed in time-resolved spectroscopy.[26] This system, consisting of a white dwarf accreting material from a low-mass companion, exemplifies the dynamic accretion processes in short-period binaries. Another significant discovery occurred in 2019, when photometric observations identified 28 new variable stars within the globular cluster NGC 4147, marking the first such detections in this object and including RR Lyrae and SX Phoenicis types.[25] Binary and multiple stellar systems are prevalent in Coma Berenices, offering opportunities to study orbital dynamics and stellar masses. A prominent example is 12 Comae Berenices, a double-lined spectroscopic binary located approximately 280 light-years away, with an orbital period of 396.5 days and an eccentricity of 0.566, where the primary is a G0 III-IV giant and the secondary an A3 V star. The constellation also features eclipsing binaries such as RW Comae Berenices, which display photometric variations due to mutual eclipses, aiding in the determination of component radii and inclinations. These systems contrast with fixed bright stars like Beta Comae Berenices by revealing dynamical interactions absent in single-star profiles. Variable stars in Coma Berenices contribute to understanding stellar evolution, particularly through pulsating types that serve as standard candles for distance measurements. R Comae Berenices, a classic Mira-type long-period variable, undergoes semi-regular pulsations with a period of about 317 days and amplitude exceeding 6 magnitudes, reflecting late-stage asymptotic giant branch evolution and mass loss. Cepheid variables, though fewer in the local field, enable precise distance calibrations via their period-luminosity relation, as demonstrated in broader galactic studies where such stars anchor the cosmic distance ladder. The 2006 discovery of the Coma Berenices dwarf spheroidal galaxy by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey revealed a faint Milky Way satellite at a distance of about 140,000 light-years, populated primarily by low-mass, metal-poor stars that trace the galaxy's tidal disruption and accretion history. Time-series photometry in this dwarf galaxy has identified pulsating variables like RR Lyrae stars, which confirm its ancient stellar population and aid in refining the Milky Way's mass distribution models.

Deep-Sky Objects

Star Clusters

Coma Berenices hosts several notable star clusters, ranging from nearby open clusters to more distant globular clusters, offering insights into stellar evolution and galactic structure. The constellation's star clusters are primarily aggregates of stars bound by gravity, with the open clusters forming from recent molecular clouds and globular clusters representing ancient populations from the Milky Way's early formation. These objects are observable with amateur equipment under dark skies, providing a rich field for study. The most prominent open cluster in Coma Berenices is the Coma Star Cluster, also known as Melotte 111. Located approximately 280 light-years from Earth, this loose open cluster spans about 5–6 degrees across the sky, making it one of the largest apparent clusters visible to the naked eye in good conditions. It contains around 40 stars brighter than magnitude 10, primarily of spectral types A and G, with the cluster's integrated magnitude of 1.8 allowing individual members to be resolved without optical aid on clear nights. Estimated to be 400 to 500 million years old, Melotte 111 represents an intermediate-age population, where stars have evolved beyond the main sequence but retain a coherent structure due to their proximity and low stellar density. Observers often appreciate it through binoculars, which reveal the scattered pattern resembling a faint glow near γ Comae Berenices, enhancing its visibility over a wide field of view.[27][28] Among the globular clusters, NGC 4147 stands out as a compact, metal-poor example. This cluster has an apparent magnitude of 10.3 and lies about 60,000 light-years away, positioning it on the far side of the galactic halo. Its low metallicity, with iron abundances around [Fe/H] ≈ -1.9, indicates formation in the early universe from pristine gas clouds, and it contains several hundred thousand stars packed into a core radius of just a few light-years. Hubble Space Telescope observations have resolved intricate details, including blue stragglers and horizontal branch stars, revealing dynamical processes like mass segregation within the cluster. NGC 4147's high galactic latitude of 77 degrees minimizes foreground extinction, making it a valuable target for studying halo kinematics. Another significant globular cluster is M53, cataloged as NGC 5024, which is brighter and more accessible. With an apparent magnitude of 7.7, M53 is visible in small telescopes and is situated approximately 58,000 light-years from Earth. This cluster, also metal-poor with [Fe/H] ≈ -1.9, spans an angular diameter of 13 arcminutes and harbors hundreds of thousands of ancient stars, aged over 12 billion years. Its position near the galactic anticenter highlights the Milky Way's outer halo structure.

Galaxies and Superclusters

The Coma Supercluster is one of the nearest major superclusters to the Milky Way, located at an average distance of approximately 100 Mpc and spanning a region about 20 Mpc in diameter. It contains roughly 3,000 galaxies, organized into filaments and clusters, with the central Coma Cluster (Abell 1656) serving as its dominant feature.[29] This structure highlights the hierarchical assembly of cosmic large-scale features, where gravitational interactions bind galaxies over vast scales.[30] At the heart of the Coma Supercluster lies the Coma Cluster, a rich assemblage of over 1,000 identified galaxies situated about 99 Mpc from Earth.[31] The cluster's redshift is z = 0.0235, corresponding to a recessional velocity influenced by the Hubble flow. Its high velocity dispersion of approximately 1,000 km/s among member galaxies indicates a total mass on the order of 10^{15} solar masses, predominantly in the form of dark matter that maintains the cluster's gravitational binding. Dominated by massive elliptical galaxies such as NGC 4874 and NGC 4889, the Coma Cluster exemplifies the environmental processes that quench star formation in dense regions.[31] The constellation Coma Berenices also includes galaxies from the nearer Virgo Cluster (part of the separate Virgo Supercluster), located about 16 Mpc away and containing over 1,300 galaxies, with the giant elliptical M87 as a prominent member hosting a supermassive black hole.[32] Notable examples include the lenticular galaxy M85. Dynamical studies highlight the Virgo Cluster's role in the local universe's filamentary structure, distinct from the more distant Coma Supercluster. Notable individual galaxies within the Coma Cluster include the ultra-diffuse galaxy Dragonfly 44, discovered in 2015 through a deep imaging survey of the cluster.[33] Observations revealed its exceptionally low surface brightness and high stellar velocity dispersion, initially implying that dark matter constitutes nearly 100% of its total mass, though later stellar velocity measurements suggest a lower fraction more typical for ultra-diffuse galaxies.[34][35] This makes it a key probe for understanding dark matter-dominated systems. Other significant members are the elliptical galaxy IC 4051, noted for its globular cluster system shaped by tidal interactions,[36]

Extragalactic and Transient Phenomena

Quasars

Coma Berenices hosts several notable quasars, which are among the most luminous and distant objects in the observable universe, powered by accretion onto supermassive black holes at the centers of distant galaxies. These quasars appear as point-like sources projected against the constellation's backdrop, with their emissions spanning radio to gamma-ray wavelengths due to relativistic jets and thermal processes in their accretion disks. Typical luminosities for such quasars reach approximately 10^{46} erg/s, driven by material spiraling into black holes with masses exceeding 10^8 solar masses, producing intense radiation from heated accretion disks at temperatures around 10^5 K.[37] One prominent example is Ton 599 (also known as 4C +29.45), located at right ascension 11h 59m 32s and declination +29° 14' 44" (J2000), with a spectroscopic redshift of z = 0.725, placing it about 6 billion light-years away. Identified in the 1960s as the optical counterpart to a radio source from the Tonantzintla survey, Ton 599 was recognized as a quasar through its strong emission lines and high radio flux, contributing to early understandings of these enigmatic objects as extragalactic phenomena. It is a flat-spectrum radio quasar (FSRQ) classified as a blazar due to its beamed emission, exhibiting dramatic flares across the spectrum, including gamma-ray outbursts detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope in 2017 and subsequent years.[38][39][40] Another significant quasar is PKS 1222+216 (4C +21.35), at coordinates right ascension 12h 24m 54s and declination +21° 22' 46" (J2000), with z = 0.435, corresponding to roughly 4.6 billion light-years. Discovered in the 1960s via radio surveys like the Parkes Catalogue and confirmed as a quasar through optical spectroscopy revealing broad emission lines, it exemplifies the role of early radio catalogs—similar to the Third Cambridge (3C) survey—in quasar identification by linking compact radio sources to quasi-stellar optical counterparts. As a gamma-ray emitting blazar, PKS 1222+216 has shown extreme variability, including very high-energy gamma-ray flares observed by the MAGIC telescope in 2010, highlighting relativistic effects in its jet structure.[41][42] The discovery of quasars in Coma Berenices, including contributions from radio surveys such as the 4C and Parkes catalogs, paralleled the broader quasar revolution initiated by the 3C catalog in the early 1960s, which identified objects like 3C 273 and established quasars as distant, highly energetic active galactic nuclei. These surveys systematically cataloged radio sources, enabling optical follow-ups that revealed the true nature of quasars beyond initial assumptions of galactic stars. In Coma Berenices, this process uncovered sources like 3C 275.1 (z = 0.555), identified as a quasar in 1986, further populating the region's quasar inventory. Recent observations of quasars in Coma Berenices have focused on multi-wavelength monitoring rather than major new discoveries since 2015, with instruments like Fermi-LAT and Swift capturing variability in Ton 599 and PKS 1222+216, revealing correlations between optical, X-ray, and gamma-ray emissions tied to jet dynamics. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) holds potential for deeper infrared follow-ups on these and other quasars projected near the Coma Supercluster, enabling studies of their host galaxies and dust-obscured environments at higher redshifts.[43][44]

Gamma-Ray Bursts and Supernovae

Coma Berenices has been the direction from which several significant gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been detected, providing key insights into high-energy transient events. One of the most notable is GRB 050509b, a short-duration GRB lasting approximately 0.03 seconds, observed by NASA's Swift satellite on May 9, 2005. This event was localized to within 0.1 arcminutes of a luminous elliptical galaxy at redshift z=0.225, approximately 2.7 billion light-years away, marking the first precise association of a short GRB with a non-star-forming host galaxy and supporting the compact object merger model for such bursts.[45] The Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) played a crucial role in its rapid detection and follow-up, enabling multi-wavelength observations that revealed no optical afterglow but confirmed the burst's proximity to the galaxy cluster environment.[46] Supernovae in the direction of Coma Berenices have also been extensively studied, offering windows into stellar evolution and cosmic distances. A prominent example is SN 1979C, a Type II supernova discovered in the spiral galaxy Messier 100 (NGC 4321), approximately 50 million light-years away, which was visually detected by amateur astronomer Gus Johnson on August 19, 1979. This event, one of the brightest supernovae of the 20th century in a nearby galaxy, has been monitored for decades, revealing ongoing X-ray emission from its remnant suggestive of a young neutron star or black hole formation.[47] Another historical Type II supernova, SN 1940B in the galaxy NGC 4725, holds the distinction of being the first observed in real-time during its early phases, allowing pioneering spectroscopic studies of the explosion process. For Type Ia events, SN 2006X in Messier 100, discovered on February 4, 2006, has been instrumental in cosmological research due to its low extinction and well-sampled light curve, aiding refinements in distance measurements and the Hubble constant determination. These transients are detected through a combination of space-based and ground-based observatories. The Swift satellite's BAT instrument excels at promptly localizing GRBs, triggering automated follow-ups with its X-ray Telescope and Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope, often within minutes. Supernovae, in contrast, are primarily identified via systematic surveys such as the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN) and professional telescopes like the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, supplemented by amateur contributions that have historically enabled early discoveries like SN 1979C. The study of GRBs and supernovae in Coma Berenices yields profound implications for understanding stellar death and the universe's expansion. Short GRBs like 050509b highlight the role of neutron star mergers in heavy element production, while Type II events such as SN 1979C and SN 1940B illuminate core-collapse mechanisms in massive stars, potentially linked to variable progenitors like luminous blue variables. Type Ia supernovae, exemplified by SN 2006X, serve as standard candles for probing dark energy, with their uniform luminosities enabling precise measurements of cosmic acceleration. No GRBs have been firmly localized to this constellation since 2020, reflecting the rarity of these events and potential gaps in sky coverage by current instruments.

Exoplanets and Meteor Showers

Exoplanetary Systems

Coma Berenices hosts several confirmed exoplanetary systems, primarily detected through radial velocity and transit methods, reflecting the constellation's inclusion of relatively bright stars suitable for these techniques. As of November 2025, the NASA Exoplanet Archive lists approximately 11 confirmed exoplanets orbiting stars within the constellation's boundaries, with ongoing surveys like TESS contributing to recent discoveries. These systems feature a mix of gas giants and sub-Neptunes, none of which are Earth-like in size or composition, though some receive stellar insolation comparable to Earth's.[48][49] One of the earliest detections is the 11 Comae Berenices system, where a massive gas giant, 11 Comae Berenices b, orbits a K0 III giant star approximately 321 light-years away. Discovered in 2007 via radial velocity measurements using the HIRES spectrograph at Keck Observatory, the planet has a minimum mass of about 15 Jupiter masses and an orbital period of 323 days, placing it in a relatively cool outer position around its host. This Jupiter analog highlights early successes in radial velocity surveys targeting evolved stars.[50][51] The HD 108874 system, located roughly 195 light-years distant, contains two super-Jupiter planets detected in 2006 through radial velocity observations with the AFOE and HIRES instruments. HD 108874 b, with a minimum mass of 1.36 Jupiter masses and a 395-day orbit at about 1 AU, receives Earth-like levels of stellar insolation from its G5V host star, though its gaseous nature precludes habitability. Its outer companion, HD 108874 c (minimum mass 0.89 Jupiter masses, period 794 days), further illustrates multi-planet architectures stable over long timescales, as confirmed by subsequent dynamical analyses. No Earth-sized planets are present, emphasizing the prevalence of massive worlds in this system. A notable recent addition is the HD 110067 system, a bright K0V star 105 light-years away hosting six sub-Neptune planets in a rare resonant chain, discovered in 2023 using TESS transit data refined by CHEOPS and ground-based follow-up. The planets (b through g) have radii between 1.9 and 2.9 Earth radii and orbital periods ranging from 4.1 to 20.3 days, locked in a 3:4:6:8:12:16 near-resonance configuration that suggests formation through inward migration. This architecture provides key insights into planetary system evolution, with the innermost worlds receiving intense stellar radiation unsuitable for habitability. The system's brightness facilitates atmospheric studies, potentially revealing compositional details via transmission spectroscopy.[52][53] Transit surveys have also identified shorter-period giants, such as WASP-56 b, a 0.6 Jupiter-mass hot Jupiter orbiting a G6V star approximately 1046 light-years distant, confirmed in 2013 from WASP photometry and radial velocity validation. With a 3.4-day orbit and inflated radius of 1.1 Jupiter radii, it exemplifies tidal heating effects on close-in worlds. Similarly, TOI-1811 b, a 1.0 Jupiter-mass gas giant on a 3.7-day orbit around a K-dwarf 418 light-years away, was validated in 2023 through TESS observations and ground-based photometry, demonstrating TESS's role in expanding the catalog despite incomplete sky coverage. These examples underscore the diversity of exoplanets in Coma Berenices, from resonant sub-Neptunes to hot Jupiters, with no confirmed habitable-zone terrestrial worlds to date.[54][55][56]
SystemHost Star TypeNumber of Confirmed PlanetsPrimary Detection MethodDiscovery YearKey Reference
11 Comae BerenicesK0 III1 (gas giant)Radial velocity2007Lovis et al. (2007)
HD 108874G5 V2 (super-Jupiters)Radial velocity2006Butler et al. (2006)
HD 110067K0 V6 (sub-Neptunes)Transit (TESS/CHEOPS)2023Luque et al. (2023)
WASP-56G6 V1 (hot Jupiter)Transit (WASP)2013Faedi et al. (2013)
TOI-1811K V1 (hot Jupiter)Transit (TESS)2023Rodriguez et al. (2023)

Associated Meteor Showers

The Coma Berenicids (COM) is a minor annual meteor shower associated with the constellation Coma Berenices, producing swift meteors that enter Earth's atmosphere at approximately 64 km/s.[57] The shower is active from December 5 to February 4, with its peak occurring around December 16 (solar longitude λ⊙ = 264°), when the Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) reaches about 3 under ideal conditions.[57] Its radiant is positioned at right ascension 158° (10h 32m) and declination +30°, located within the boundaries of Coma Berenices near the northern edge of the constellation.[57] The parent body of the Coma Berenicids remains unidentified, distinguishing it from better-characterized showers linked to known comets.[58] Historical observations of the Coma Berenicids are sparse, with early records dating back to the late 19th century, such as sightings of seven meteors from a similar radiant in December 1878 by British observer T. W. Backhouse.[58] Subsequent visual reports through the 20th century confirmed its weak activity, often yielding only 1–2 meteors per hour, though occasional brighter fireballs have been noted.[58] The shower's low rates and position in a relatively faint constellation have limited widespread documentation, with no direct orbital associations established to other major December streams like the Puppid-Velids, despite shared seasonal overlap.[59] Due to its modest intensity, the Coma Berenicids is best observed from the Northern Hemisphere, where the radiant rises higher in the evening sky during peak activity, allowing for clearer views away from twilight interference.[60] Data on potential outbursts or stream evolution remains incomplete, as radar surveys have primarily focused on stronger showers; further instrumental studies could reveal filamentary structures or variability in the meteoroid flux.[61]

Cultural Significance

In Mythology and Literature

The constellation Coma Berenices originates from an Egyptian legend involving Queen Berenice II, who ruled alongside Ptolemy III Euergetes in the 3rd century BCE. To ensure her husband's safe return from the Third Syrian War, Berenice vowed to sacrifice her renowned long locks to the goddess Aphrodite, dedicating them in the temple of Arsinoe at Alexandria upon his victory. When the hair mysteriously vanished the following day, the court astronomer Conon of Samos announced that the gods had elevated it to the heavens as a new constellation, thereby resolving the enigma and honoring the queen's devotion.[62][63] This myth inspired one of the earliest literary treatments in Hellenistic poetry through Callimachus's "Lock of Berenice," the concluding elegy of his Aetia, composed around 245 BCE at the Ptolemaic court. In the poem, the deified lock speaks from the stars, expressing reluctance at its separation from Berenice's head but ultimate acceptance of its celestial role among the immortals, blending themes of personal loss with divine elevation. The work was later translated into Latin by Catullus as Poem 66 around 55 BCE, adapting the Greek original while preserving the lock's voice and its placement between the constellations Virgo and Leo; Catullus frames it as a gift to console a friend, emphasizing the hair's transformation from mortal adornment to eternal stellar beauty.[64][65] Beyond Greco-Egyptian traditions, Coma Berenices appears in other cultural narratives symbolizing natural or spiritual elements. Among Aboriginal Australian groups, such as the Boorong people of Victoria, it is known as Tourtchin Boionggerra ("Stars of the Needlewood") or viewed as a tree with three branching limbs and a cavity holding water, linked to stories of sustenance and the landscape's spiritual vitality.[66] Across these accounts, Coma Berenices embodies recurring motifs of sacrifice and aesthetic transcendence: Berenice's offering underscores devotion through relinquishing beauty for a greater cause, while the lock's ascension highlights hair as a symbol of vitality and allure, elevated to imperishable form in the sky. These themes resonate in the constellation's portrayal as a gentle, diffuse cluster, evoking both vulnerability and enduring grace in human-cosmic relations.[62][65]

Modern Representation

In popular culture, Coma Berenices appears in the Star Trek franchise as a constellation visible from Earth, serving as the backdrop for several star systems used in navigation and exploration narratives. For instance, Beta Comae Berenices is depicted as a G-type dwarf star system approximately 30 light-years from Sol in the Alpha Quadrant, referenced in episodes involving Federation space travel.[67] Similarly, the planet Teneebia is located in the Alpha Comae Berenices system within the Beta Quadrant, highlighting the constellation's role in interstellar plotting.[68] Contemporary astronomy applications and planetarium software prominently feature Coma Berenices to aid stargazers in identifying its faint stars and associated deep-sky objects. Tools like Stellarium Mobile provide interactive sky maps that display the constellation's loose star cluster, enabling users to simulate views from various locations and times for educational exploration.[69] Articles in outlets such as Space.com recommend using mobile astronomy apps to locate Coma Berenices during spring observing sessions, emphasizing its utility for hunting galaxies in the region.[70] In modern astrological interpretations, Coma Berenices, known as "Berenice's Tresses," is associated with qualities of suaveness, refinement, and personal charm, though it is said to incline individuals toward idleness and dissipation.[71] This symbolic reading draws from the constellation's diffuse, hair-like appearance, adapting ancient motifs to contemporary horoscopic practices. Coma Berenices plays a key role in astronomical education and outreach, particularly as an example of a faint constellation that challenges observers and teaches techniques for dark-sky viewing. Organizations like the National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab) include it in constellation guides to illustrate northern sky patterns and the importance of averted vision for spotting its dim stars.[1] Local astronomy societies, such as the Syracuse Astronomical Society, use it in public programs to discuss historical naming and visibility, making it accessible for beginners learning about non-zodiacal asterisms.[72] While Western media and educational contexts abound, modern non-Western representations of Coma Berenices remain sparse, with few documented contemporary revivals in indigenous astronomies that might reinterpret its form through local cultural lenses. Building briefly on its historical foundation as the tresses of Queen Berenice II, these gaps suggest opportunities for further cross-cultural studies in global stargazing traditions.

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  15. Polynesian Wayfinding - Hōkūleʻa
  16. Constellation Coma Berenices (Bernice's Hair) | Deep⋆Sky Corner
  17. https://www.go-astronomy.com/constellations.php?Name=Coma%20Berenices
  18. The Coma Berenices galaxy cluster, best in April and May - EarthSky
  19. The Constellations - International Astronomical Union | IAU
  20. Constellation List
  21. Beta Comae Berenices
  22. Alpha Comae Berenices
  23. Diadem - JIM KALER
  24. Gamma Comae Berenices
  25. 21 Comae Berenices
  26. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019AJ....158...51L/abstract
  27. [PDF] 3653.pdf - Information Bulletin on Variable Stars - Konkoly Observatory
  28. Nearest Superclusters - Imagine the Universe! - NASA
  29. A snapshot on galaxy evolution occurring in the Great Wall - arXiv
  30. Hubble's Sweeping View of the Coma Cluster of Galaxies
  31. M87 and Surrounding Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster - NASA Science
  32. Ultraviolet and optical view of galaxies in the Coma Supercluster
  33. A HIGH STELLAR VELOCITY DISPERSION AND ∼100 GLOBULAR ...
  34. The Globular Cluster Systems in the Coma Ellipticals. III - arXiv
  35. New General Catalog Objects: NGC 4800 - 4849
  36. [2403.00572] Broadband spectral and temporal study of Ton 599 ...
  37. 1156+295 - 4C 29.45
  38. Leptonic modelling of Ton 599 in flare and quiescent states
  39. Fermi-LAT detection of record flaring activity from the blazar Ton 599 ...
  40. PKS 1222+21 - Frankfurt Quasar Monitoring
  41. On the origin of the γ-ray emission from the flaring blazar PKS 1222+ ...
  42. $γ$-ray Flux and Spectral Variability of Blazar Ton 599 during ... - arXiv
  43. Broad-band spectral and temporal study of Ton 599 during the ...
  44. A short γ-ray burst apparently associated with an elliptical galaxy at ...
  45. the elusive optical/nIR/mm afterglow of a short-duration GRB
  46. THE BRIGHT SN 1979 C IN M 100. - IOPscience
  47. NASA Exoplanet Archive
  48. Exoplanet Catalog - NASA Science
  49. 11 Comae Berenices b - NASA Science
  50. A resonant sextuplet of sub-Neptunes transiting the bright star HD ...
  51. Discovery Alert: Watch the Synchronized Dance of a 6-Planet System
  52. WASP-54b, WASP-56b, and WASP-57b: Three new sub-Jupiter ...
  53. Another shipment of six short-period giant planets from TESS
  54. [PDF] 2025 Meteor Shower Calendar
  55. Coma Berenicids (COM) - Meteor Showers Online
  56. 2025 Meteor Shower List
  57. Comae Berenicids Meteor Shower: Complete Information
  58. High inclination meteor showers in December and January - ADS
  59. Coma Berenice - Constellations of Words
  60. Berenice II of Egypt - World History Edu
  61. CALLIMACHUS, Aetia | Loeb Classical Library
  62. The Nuptial Rite in Catullus 66 and Callimachus' Poetry for Berenice
  63. [PDF] STARLAB® Hindu Mythology Cylinder
  64. [PDF] Night Skies of Aboriginal Australia A Noctuary
  65. Beta Comae Berenices - Memory Alpha - Fandom
  66. Teneebia | Memory Alpha - Fandom
  67. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.noctuasoftware.stellarium_free
  68. Hunting for Spring Galaxies with Mobile Astronomy Apps | Space
  69. Coma Constellation Meaning - Astrology King
  70. Coma Bernices - Syracuse Astronomical Society
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