Constellation Chart

The Northern Crown

Corona Borealis, has another name of the Northern Crown, is made up by seven stars that lines up like a semicircle. The constellation is found nearly midway between Arcturus and Vega. Member stars are not so bright except for Gemma, or Alphecca (alpha Coronae Borealis), but it's pretty obvious because there aren't so many bright ones around. It's the crown that was given Ariadne by Dionysus.

Derivation

This group of stars is small and not particularly bright (the brightest, Gemma, is only magnitude +2.2). Nonetheless, the seven main stars are grouped in a distinctive and recognizable U-shaped formation that calls to mind the shape of a crown or diadem.

This group has been called 'The Crown' since classical times, and there are several conflicting myths to explain its presence in the sky. The most popular legend makes it the headband of Ariadne, the daughter of Minos. When Dionysus came upon her on the island of Naxos, it is said, he threw her jewelled band into the sky to prove his godhood, and then claimed her as his wife.

Stars

Counting clockwise, the seven stars that make up the crown are Theta Coronae Borealis, Nusakan, Gemma, and then Gamma, Delta, Epsilon and Iota Coronae Borealis. Gemma is the brightest, while faint Iota Coronae Borealis has a magnitude of just +5.0.

Following the loop of the crown, the next star is fainter still (magnitude +5.4), but important. This is Rho Coronae Borealis, a binary star but otherwise very similar to our own Sun, and one of the few stars known to have a planet in orbit.

Galaxies

Only double stars and some faint galaxies are here to tempt the deep sky observer. Some of the doubles are fine objects. For those who like pursuing small faint fuzzies,

Galaxies In Corona Borealis

NGC5958

NGC 5958 is a small galaxy at RA 15h 34.7m, +28 deg 40m. Listed at visual magnitude (mv) 12.6 and about 1' across, this spiral galaxy might be found by offsetting the telescope from Beta CrB.

NGC6109

NGC 6109 (16 17.7, +35 00) is perhaps the brightest of a collection of faint galaxies, between and north of Sigma and Nu CrB. 6109 is mv 12.7, spiral, about 1' across; Uranometria shows eight NGC galaxies here within a 1-degree field, with two others nearby. Most of them are very faint.

NGC6001

NGC 6001 is a small spiral galaxy in Corona Borealis. Co-ordinates are Right Ascension: 15 47 45.9 & Declination: +28 38 32. The Photo Magnitude of the galaxy is 14.4z the galaxies size is 1.1'X1.1'

Planetary Destinations In Corona Borealis

HD 140913

Parent Star: HD 140913 (G0 V) in the constellation of Corona Borealis is located at a distance of 156.42 Light Years from our Solar system Co-ordinates are Right Ascension: 15 45 07.45 & Declination: +28 28 11.7. The apparent Magnitude of the star is 8.08. The Inner Edge of Habitability Zone is 0.57 AU & the Outer Edge of Habitability Zone: 1.78 AU. Orbiting around HD 140913 is planet

HD 140913 b is believed to be a brown dwarf and its exitence has been confirmed. The Planets Appearance is Dark brown haze. The planet is positioned on the edge of Habitability Zone at Mean Orbital Distance of 0.54 AU. The planet Orbits around the star every 147.94 Days and was discovered by Mayor and Queloz, and Mazeh et al in 1996.

HD 143761

Parent Star: Rho Coronae Borealis (HD 143761) (G2 V) in the constellation of Corona Borealis is located at a distance of 54.5 Light Years from our Solar system Co-ordinates are Right Ascension: 16 01 03.39 & Declination: -+33 18 51.5. The apparent Magnitude of the star is 5.41. The Inner Edge of Habitability Zone is 0.69 AU & the Outer Edge of Habitability Zone: 2.16 AU. Orbiting around HD 143761 is planet Rho Coronae Borealis b is believed to be a Clarified Jovian and its exitence has been confirmed. The Planets Appearance is Blue and cloudless. The planet is positioned out side of Habitability Zone at Mean Orbital Distance of 0.22 AU. The planet Orbits around the star every 39.945 Days and was discovered by Whipple AFOE team in 1997.

Parent Star: Rho Coronae Borealis (HD 143761) (G2 V) in the constellation of Corona Borealis is located at a distance of 54.5 Light Years from our Solar system Co-ordinates are Right Ascension: 16 01 03.39 & Declination: +33 18 51.5. The apparent Magnitude of the star is 5.41. The Inner Edge of Habitability Zone is 0.69 AU & the Outer Edge of Habitability Zone: 2.16 AU. Orbiting around rho Coronae Borealis is an Asteroid Field: r CBr Kuiper Belt. The Asteroid Field is believed to be a Kuiper object and its existence has been confirmed. The asteroid field is positioned at a Mean Orbital Distance of 40 AU. and was discovered by D. E. Trilling, R. H. Brown, A. S. Rivkin in 1999 . There may be more planets in this planetary system beyond the Asteroid Field.