Coma Berenices, or Berenice’s Hair, is a constellation in the northern sky. It was named after the Queen Berenice II of Egypt.
The Greek astronomer Ptolemy considered Coma Berenices to be an asterism in the constellation Leo, representing the tuft at the end of the lion’s tail, and it was not until the 16th century that Berenice’s Hair was promoted to a constellation in its own right, on a celestial globe by the cartographer Caspar Vopel. It is the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe who is usually credited for the promotion. He included Coma Berenices among the constellations in his star catalogue of 1602.
Coma Berenices is not a large constellation, yet it contains a number of famous deep sky objects, among them the Black Eye Galaxy (Messier 64), Messier 98, Messier 99, Messier 100, the globular cluster Messier 53, the Needle Galaxy (NGC 4565) and the Coma Cluster of galaxies. It also contains the northern part of the Virgo cluster of galaxies.
Also of note, the constellation is home to the North Galactic Pole.
FACTS, LOCATION & MAP
Coma Berenices is the 42nd constellation in size, occupying an area of 386 square degrees. It lies in the third quadrant of the northern hemisphere (NQ3) and can be seen at latitudes between +90° and -70°. The neighboring constellations are Boötes, Canes Venatici, Leo, Ursa Major, and Virgo.
Coma Berenices belongs to the Ursa Major family of constellations, along with Boötes, Camelopardalis, Canes Venatici, Corona Borealis, Draco, Leo Minor, Lynx, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.
Coma Berenices has two stars with known planets and contains eight Messier objects: M53 (NGC 5024), the Black Eye Galaxy (M64, NGC 4826), M85 (NGC 4382), M88 (NGC 4501), M91 (NGC 4548), M98 (NGC 4192), M99 (NGC 4254), and M100 (NGC 4321). The brightest star in the constellation is Beta Comae Berenices. There is one meteor shower associated with the constellation; the Coma Berenicids.
MYTH
Coma Berenices is associated with the story of a historical figure, Queen Berenice II of Egypt. Berenice was married to Ptolemy III Euergetes (fl. 246 BC-221 BC), who went on a dangerous mission against the Seleucids, who had killed his sister, in 243 BC, during the Third Syrian War.
Worried for her husband’s life, the queen swore to Aphrodite that she would cut off her beautiful long, blonde hair if the goddess brought Ptolemy back home safely.
Once her husband returned, Berenice fulfilled her promise to the goddess. She cut off her hair and placed it in Aphrodite’s temple. The hair disappeared the next day. This made the king furious. To appease him, the court astronomer Conon said that Aphrodite was so pleased with Berenice’s offering that she had placed it in the sky, pointing to the group of stars that have since been known as Berenice’s Hair.
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