Aludra

/əˈluːdrə/ noun

Definition

A bright star in the constellation Canis Major, one of the brightest stars visible from Earth.

Etymology

From Arabic al-'udhra, meaning 'the maiden' or 'the virgin,' one of many Arabic star names adopted into Western astronomy.

Kelly Says

About 300 of the brightest stars still use Arabic names—it's a reminder that Islamic astronomy was centuries ahead of Europe and gave us much of our star map vocabulary.

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