Fomalhaut

/foʊˈmɑːlɔː/ noun

Definition

A bright star in the southern celestial hemisphere, the brightest star in the constellation Piscis Austrinus (the Southern Fish).

Etymology

From Arabic 'fum al-ḥūt' meaning 'mouth of the whale' or 'mouth of the fish.' The name was given by Arab astronomers and preserved through medieval Islamic astronomy.

Kelly Says

Fomalhaut is one of the few bright stars whose name actually describes what ancient astronomers imagined it to be—it really does mark the mouth of a whale in the sky pattern, and Arabic astronomers nailed the visualization 1,200 years ago.

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