Alpha Gruis - Name

Name

Alpha Gruis has the proper name Alnair or Al Nair (sometimes Al Na'ir), from the Arabic al-nayyir, meaning "the bright one". It is derived from its Arabic name, al-Nayyir min Dhanab al-ḥūt (al-Janūbiyy), "the Bright (star) belongs to the Tail of (the constellation of) the (Southern) Fish". Confusingly, "Alnair" is also given as the proper name for Zeta Centauri in an astronomical ephemerides in the middle of the 20th century. With β, δ, θ. ι, and λ Gru, Alnair belonged to Piscis Austrinus in traditional Arabic astronomy.

In Chinese, 鶴 (Hè), meaning Crane, refers to an asterism consisting of α Gruis, β Gruis, ε Gruis, η Gruis, δ Tucanae, ζ Gruis, ι Gruis, θ Gruis, δ2 Gruis and μ1 Gruis. Consequently, α Gruis itself is known as 鶴一 (Hè yī, English: First Star of the Crane). The Chinese name gave rise to another English name, Ke.