The Latin and scientific name for giraffe, or a constellation in the northern sky named to commemorate this exotic animal.
Late Latin adaptation of Greek kamelos + pardalis (leopard), literally 'camel-leopard.' This term was used by Pliny and other classical naturalists. In 1613, a constellation was named Camelopardalis to fill empty space in the northern sky.
Here's a cosmic fact: Camelopardalis is a real constellation invented relatively recently! Most constellations are ancient, but astronomers in the 1600s literally created new ones to fill gaps—Camelopardalis is one of the largest but faintest ones, named after this misunderstood animal.
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