Kaus Media

Authors: IAU-WGSN Etymology Group, Roland Laffitte, Susanne M Hoffmann, Youla Azkarrula, IanRidpath

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Kaus Media (القوس) is a modern star name adopted by the International Astronomical Union in the IAU-Catalog of Star Names (IAU-CSN). Its origin is Arabic. It is the name of HIP 89931 (δ Sgr, HR 6859) in constellation Sgr.

Etymology and History

Arbitrarily applied in recent times, together with the Latin distinctions of "middle", "southern", and "northern" (for λ Sgr), from the ind-A (and later sci-A) constellation name al-qaus, "the Bow". For the ind-Arabs, al-qaus was marked by the curved line of stars ξ², o, π, d, ρ and υ Sgr (corresponding to what in other cultures was Sagittarius among the zodiacal signs). The sci-Arabs used the indigenous name for the Greeks' Archer, alternatively translated as al-rami.

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Sagittarius with Arabic star names (CC BY Laffitte 2025).

Roland Laffitte (2025):

Piazzi introduisit ce nom pour les étoiles du Τόξος / Toksos, l’« Arc » des astronomes grecs, constitué par le groupe δελ Sgr. Il le fit comme pour les deux autres étoiles du groupe, dont les noms sont retenus par l’UAI. Il le fit à partir de la description de l’Arc dans la figure grecque, alors que les Anciens Arabes nommaient spécifiquement al-Qaws, « l’Arc », le groupe ξοπdρυ Sgr, situé dans le Turban de Sagittarius, autrement nommé al-Qilāda, « le Collier ». Ar. al-Qaws, Ibn Qutayba, al-Ṣūfī p/ ξοπdρυ Sgr. Ar. al-Qaws, p/ la constellation, d’où lat. ‘Kaus’, Hyde, puis Kaus Australis & Borealis, Piazzi > fr. Kaus, Francœur p/ δελ Sgr, Kaus Media, Australe & Boréale, BdL., Rumrill, Rhoads, etc., UAI.

AUTRE NOM : Alwarida Secunda. Ar Ar. الواردة [النعايم] [al-Na^cā’im] al-Wārida p/ le groupe γδεη Sgr ; se reporter à η Sgr pour les explications. P/ δ Sgr, nous avons, via M. A. Sédillot, Alwarida Secunda, Benhamouda, et via al-Aḫsāsī et Knobel, voir Allen, ‘Thanih al Warida - Secunda τῶν Al Warida’.

English

Piazzi introduced this name for the stars of Τόξος / Toksos, the “Bow” of the Greek astronomers, consisting of the δελ Sgr group. He did so in the same way as for the other two stars in the group, whose names are recognized by the IAU. He based this on the description of the Bow in Greek astronomy, whereas the ancient Arabs specifically referred to the group ξοπdρυ Sgr—located in the Turban of Sagittarius, also known as al-Qilāda, “the Necklace”—as al-Qaws, “the Bow.” Arabic al-Qaws, Ibn Qutayba, al-Ṣūfī for ξοπdρυ Sgr. Arabic al-Qaws, for the constellation, hence Latin ‘Kaus’, Hyde, then Kaus Australis & Borealis, Piazzi > French Kaus, Francœur for δελ Sgr, Kaus Media, Australe & Boréale, BdL., Rumrill, Rhoads, etc., UAI.

ALTERNATIVE NAME: Alwarida Secunda. Ar. الواردة [النعايم] [al-Nacā’im] al-Wārida for the γδεη group in Sgr; see η Sgr for explanations. For δ Sgr, we have, via M. A. Sédillot, Alwarida Secunda, Benhamouda, and via al-Aḫsāsī and Knobel, see Allen, “Thanih al Warida - Secunda τῶν Al Warida.”

IAU Working Group on Star Names

The name was adopted by the IAU WGSN on 2016/07/20.

Weblinks

• Website of the IAU WGSN: https://exopla.net/

Reference

• References (general)
• Kunitzsch, Paul; Smart, Tim (2006). A Dictionary of Modern star Names: A Short Guide to 254 Star Names and Their Derivations (2nd rev. ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Sky Pub.