V-Shaped Poniatowski’s Bull Asterism Lies in Constellation Ophiuchus

Summary: V-shaped Poniatowski’s Bull asterism lies in constellation Ophiuchus as a reminder of an obsolete constellation honoring Polish King Stanisław II August.

v-shaped asterism (right) in Taurus Poniatovii (Poniatowski’s Bull) constellation, depicted in Johann Elert Bode’s 1782 star catalogue and atlas, Vorstellung der Gestirn auf XXXIV Kupfertafeln, Plate X: Public Domain, via HathiTrust

The V-shaped Poniatowski’s Bull asterism lies in constellation Ophiuchus as a starry reminder of its namesake, an obsolete constellation honoring the reign of Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski (Jan. 17, 1732-Feb. 12, 1798) as Stanisław II August, last King and Grand Duke of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Poniatowski’s Bull asterism comprises a tight vee of four stars in Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer constellation in the celestial northern hemisphere.

At the westernmost point of the vee, 66 Ophiuchi (66 Oph) is a fifth magnitude, slightly variable star. The U.S. Naval Observatory’s Washington Double Star Catalog (WDS) reports six observations of a companion, with a magnitude of 6.50, between 2007 and 2014. Its light year distance is 676.69. The blue main sequence dwarf star rates in telescopic astronomy as guide star to Barnard’s Star, a dim red dwarf distanced at 6 light years from Earth.

Located below 66 Ophiuchi, 67 Ophiuchi (67 Oph) is a fourth magnitude, blue supergiant. Four faint companions may actually occur as line-of-sight coincidences. The blue-white supergiant is distanced at 1,418.10 light years.

Marking the vee of the v-shaped asterism’s two arms, 68 Ophiuchi (68 Oph) is a blue-white subgiant. The near-fifth magnitude star has a companion with a visual magnitude of 7.48. The light year distance for 68 Ophiuchi is 264.96 light years.

Positioned in the v-shaped asterism’s eastern arm, 70 Ophiuchi (70 Oph) is a yellow-orange dwarf. The fourth magnitude star actually is a binary star system, with a fainter companion described by Admiral William Henry Smyth (Jan. 21, 1788-Sept. 8, 1865), English naval officer and astronomer, as creating a colorful contrast of “pale topaz and violet.” The light year distance for 70 Ophiuchi is 16.59 light years.

Two other stars often included, individually or jointly, in Poniatowski’s Bull asterism are 72 Ophiuchi (72 Oph) and 73 Ophiuchi (73 Oph). Multiple star system 72 Ophiuchi marks the bull’s horn, at a distance of 82.78 light years. Multiple star system 73 Ophiuchi represents the bull’s right eye, at a distance of 166.24 light years.

The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which was established July 1, 1569, primarily observed an elective monarchy. Stanisław Antoni Poniatowski was elected Sept. 7, 1764. His coronation as King Stanisław II August took place Nov. 25, 1764. King Stanisłlaw II August’s abdication November 25, 1795, ended his 31 year reign and the 226-year duration of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

In 1777, around 12 years after King Stanisław II August’s coronation, Polish-Lithuanian Jesuit astronomer Marcin Odlanick Poczobutt (Oct. 30, 1728-Feb. 7, 1810) discerned a new constellation in the celestial northern hemisphere between Aquila the Eagle and Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer. A v-shaped pattern of stars lying east of the Serpent Bearer’s shoulder recalled for Abbot Poczobutt the v-shaped Hyades star cluster in Taurus the Bull constellation as well as the bull on the coat of arms for Poland’s noble House of Poniatowski.

Abbot Poczobutt’s new constellation was first depicted in 1778. Copper plates for a revision of the second edition of Atlas Céleste, published in 1776 by French scientific instrument maker Jean Nicolas Fortin (Aug. 9, 1750-1831), incorporated the new constellation under its French name, le Taureau Royal de Poniatowski (“Poniatowski’s Royal Bull”). German astronomer Johann Elert Bode presented the abbot’s constellation under its German name, der Königliche Stier von Poniatowski, in his 1782 star atlas and catalogue, Vorstellung der Gestirn auf XXXIV Kupfertafen (“Presentation of the Stars on 34 Copper Plates”). In 1822, Taurus Poniatowski (Latin: “Poniatowski’s Bull”) appeared in A Celestial Atlas by Scottish rhetorician Alexander Jamieson.

Abbot Poczobutt’s constellation, however, became obsolete in 1922. Along with other constellations, Poniatowski’s Bull was not included in the 88 modern constellations approved in May in Rome, Italy, by the inaugural General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

The takeaway for v-shaped Poniatowski’s Bull asterism is that the core quartet often completes the bull’s face, with a horn and the right eye, by welcoming one or two other fairly aligned stars in constellation Ophiuchus.

v-shaped asterism (upper left) in Poniatowski’s Bull constellation, depicted in Alexander Jamieson’s A Celestial Atlas (1822), Plate IX: Public Domain, via U.S. Naval Observatory

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

v-shaped asterism (upper left) in Taurus Poniatovii (Poniatowski’s Bull) constellation, depicted in Johann Elert Bode’s 1782 star catalogue and atlas, Vorstellung der Gestirn auf XXXIV Kupfertafeln, Plate X: Public Domain, via HathiTrust @ https://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.32044027949825?urlappend=%3Bseq=103

v-shape asterism (upper left) in Poniatowski’s Bull constellation, depicted in Alexander Jamieson’s A Celestial Atlas (1822), Plate IX: Public Domain, via U.S. Naval Observatory @ http://aa.usno.navy.mil/library/

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