Coma Berenices

by Sir Wally

My choice for a constellation is the fascinating Coma Berenices!  Love that name and the myth behind the name. Coma Berenices represents the hair of Queen Berenice of Egypt. When her husband (and brother) Ptolemy Euergetes went off to war, she offered her hair as a sacrifice to the gods, if they would grant him a safe return. He did and she cut off her hair and placed it on the Altar in the temple of Venus. The locks were stolen and placed among the stars; some say Venus herself was the thief, while others think it was just an astronomer named Conon, who made up the whole story in order to comfort Berenice when she heard of the theft. Some other versions of the story said that the hair was turned into a hair-star, or comet. The origns of the constellation's actual position in ancient times are actually unknown, until Tycho Brahe, in 1602, settled the matter by recording its present position. The ancients had the constellation overlapping with either Leo's tail or Virgo. Queen Berenice died 221 BC. The brightest star is named Diadem, representing the gem in Berenice's crown. Viewing is best in the month of May.