Coma Berenices

1 9.9

A group of stars in the northern sky between Ursa Major and Boötes that has many galaxies

proper noun

: Coma Berenices

You can spot Coma Berenices between the constellations of Ursa Major and Boötes on a clear night.

Examples

The galaxy cluster in Coma Berenices is one of the richest known to astronomers.
Many amateur astronomers observe Coma Berenices to find its distinctive star cluster.
Look! Coma Berenices is visible tonight!
Wow! Coma Berenices shines brightly!
Many amateur astronomers observe Coma Berenices to find its distinctive star cluster.
The galaxy cluster in Coma Berenices is one of the richest known to astronomers.
You can spot Coma Berenices between the constellations of Ursa Major and Boötes on a clear night.

Surface Forms

Coma Berenices main

Morphology

coma + Berenices

Coma Berenices is a Latin proper name for a constellation and functions as a conventional label; the constituent 'coma' (given here as a comet’s envelope and in common English also a medical state) and the unknown form 'Berenices' do not compositionally yield ‘a constellation’. Its etymology (literally ‘Berenice’s hair’) and mythological background are required to understand the name, so a B1 learner who only knows the listed constituents would not be able to derive the meaning.

Etymology

Coma Berenices comes from a story about a queen: the words Coma and Berenices mean 'Berenice's hair', because Queen Berenice II cut off her hair and left it in a temple and people said the hair was turned into stars. That's why the name now refers to that group of stars and to the large cluster of galaxies found there.