Rigil
9.9
Bright star in the Centaurus constellation, one of the stars closest to the Sun
- proper noun
:
Rigil
- Rigil is the brightest star in the constellation of Centaurus.
Examples
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Rigil Kentaurus.
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FWIW, my naming suggestion is using some of the alternative proper star names used for Alpha Centauri—e.g., Rigil Kentauros, Toliman, and Bungula.
Blog text (13) -
Astronomers often refer to Rigil as Alpha Centauri, its more popular name.
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Without a telescope, you can easily spot Rigil shining brightly in the night sky.
Synonyms
7.1
A very bright star in the Centaurus group and the second nearest star system to the Sun
is the traditional proper name used instead of the scientific label
Rigil Kent
vsRigil
9.9
Old name for Alpha Centauri, the bright star in Centaurus and the second closest star to the Sun
is the modern or scientific term rather than the traditional form
Surface Forms
Rigil main
Etymology
Rigil comes from the Arabic word rijl, meaning 'foot', because this bright star marks the foot of the Centaurus figure in the sky. You can see the same root in the star name Rigel in Orion, so the name helps us remember where the star sits.
