emamajek on 20-Nov-2015 04:34:36 GMT about * tet Cen
Theta Cen (HR 5288) is known by the proper name "Menkent" in several astronomical references:
(1) C. W. Allen (1963) "Astrophysical Quantities" 2nd edition, University of London, The Athlone Press (Chapter 12, Section 114).
(2) Jack W. Rhoads (1971) "Technical Memorandum 33-507: A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars", Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
(3) Robert Burnham, Jr. (1978) "Burnham's Celestial Handbook: An Observer's Guide to the Universe Beyond the Solar System" (Dover Publications).
(4) Dorris Hoffleit & Carlos Jaschek (1991) "The Bright Star Catalogue" (5th edition; Yale University Observatory, New Haven, CT, USA).
(5) Arthur N. Cox (2000) "Allen's astrophysical quantities, 4th ed." (AIP Press, Springer, New York).
(6) Paul Kunitzsch & Tim Smart (2006) "A Short Guide to 254 Star Names and Their Derivations" (2nd Revised Edition, Sky Publishing, Cambridge MA, USA).
(7) Ian Ridpath & Wil Tirion (2008) "Stars and Planets: The Most Complete Guide to the Stars, Planets, Galaxies, and the Solar System Fully Revised and Expanded edition" (Princeton University Press, Princeton).
Richard Hinckley Allen (1899) "Star-names and their meanings" (G.E. Stechert, New York) only comments that the name "Chort" was erroneously attributed to theta Cen in the Century Cyclopedia (indeed it appears so in numerous editions), and that "Chort" more appropriately belongs to theta Leo instead. No other historical name was given by Allen (1899). The star is not mentioned with a proper name either by Ideler (1809) or in Piazzi's Palermo Catalog (1814). Kunitzsch & Smart (2006) suggests that the name is a mix of the Arabic term "mankib" for "shoulder" and "Kent" for a shortened version of the Latinized name for Centaurus ("Kentaurus"; Arabic "qanturus"). Hafez's (2010 PhD) translation of Al Sufi's (964) "Book of Fixed Stars" describes this star as "the star on the right shoulder" (and as born out in Al Sufi's drawings of the constellation). Taken together, it appears that "Menkent" was first adopted sometime in the 20th century, with the earliest reference that I can find being Allen's (1963) Astrophysical Quantities (2nd edition).
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