Constellation
Named after the hair of Queen Berenice II of Egypt, home to a rich cluster of galaxies.
| Type | Constellation |
|---|---|
| Area of sky | 386 sq° |
| Brightest star | Beta Comae Berenices |
| Brightest star magnitude | mag 4.26 |
| Hemisphere | Northern |
| Zodiac constellation | No |
| Discovered | 1602 |
A constellation is a pattern drawn on the sky rather than a physical grouping: its stars are usually unrelated and sit at wildly different distances, just lined up as seen from Earth.
Coma Berenices covers 386 square degrees of sky, which is 0.9 percent of the whole celestial sphere.
That makes it the 42nd largest of the 88 constellations the International Astronomical Union recognises.
It sits in the northern sky.
Its brightest star reaches magnitude 4.26, bright enough to pick out with the naked eye under a dark sky.
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