Zeta Centauri

Nomenclature

Zeta Centauri, written as ζ Centauri in Latin form, is the Bayer designation for this star. It was one of several modern Bayer labels for Centaurus assigned by Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in his 1756 star catalog. The star that Johann Bayer labeled ζ Centauri in his 1603 Uranometria is actually Acrux in the Southern Cross, which at that time was considered part of Centaurus. This star has been called Alnair, from Arabic, but that name originally belonged to Acrux. Alnair is also the proper name for α Gruis, and the International Astronomical Union officially approved it for that star. Another name for Zeta Centauri is Baten Kentaurus, derived from the same Arabic source. In Chinese astronomy, the asterism known as Arsenal includes ζ Centauri along with η Centauri, θ Centauri, 2 Centauri, HD 117440, ξ1 Centauri, γ Centauri, τ Centauri, D Centauri, and σ Centauri. As a result, the Chinese name for ζ Centauri itself translates to the first star of Arsenal. In the Marshallese language, this star is called Ļeepwal, pronounced leyepwal, and it is the third of ten sons of Lōktañūr, which is Capella. On 18 July 2024, the IAU Working Group on Star Names approved the name Leepwal for Zeta Centauri A, and it now appears in the IAU Catalog of Star Names.