KRAZ

Fixed star: KRAZ

Constellation: Beta () Corvus
Longitude 1900: 15LIB58 Longitude 2000: 17LIB22
Declination 1900: -22.51' Declination 2000: -23.22'
Right ascension: 12h 34m Latitude: -18.02'
Spectral class: G4
Magnitude: 2.8

The history of the star: Kraz

from p.182 of Star Names, Richard Hinckley Allen, 1889.
[A scanned copy can be viewed on this webpage]

Beta () Corvus, Kraz, is a 3rd-magnitude ruddy yellow star in the right claw of the Raven.
In China it is Tso Hea, the Left-hand Linch-pin; but under this title were included gamma (
Gienah), delta ( Algorab), and eta ().
[Star Names, Their Lore and Meaning, Richard Hinckley Allen, 1889].

No meaning is given for this name, but to me the word 'kraz' seems be an Arabic version of
Latin cras. The cawing of the ravens or crows was heard as 'Cras! Cras!' by Latin speakers,
and was thought to mean "Tomorrow! Tomorrow!" We get the word procrastinate,
'postpone until the morrow', from Latin cras. Mythology identifies Corvus with the
procrastinating raven Apollo sent to fetch water, and tells how he dallied at a fig tree until the
figs became ripe before carrying out the god's task.
The Lunar Mansions

This star was included in the Hindu 11th nakshatra, Hasta, the Hand, with Savitar, the Sun, as
its presiding divinity. Hasta consists of five stars of the constellation Corvus: alpha (
Alchita), beta ( Kraz), delta ( Algorab), gamma ( Gienah), and epsilon ( Minkar). Hasta's
main translation "the Hand". Its alternative translation is "laughter"; the root "Has" in Sanskrit
means "to laugh". Its alternative names "Bhanu" and "Ark" translate into "Sun" and "Sun's
Rays" respectively. [The 27 Celestial Portals, Prash Trivedi, 2005, p.201]
Influences of the 11th Hindu Moon Mansion Hasta: A light asterism belonging to the Vaisya
caste (merchant/business) and favorable for sales, art, sculpture, learning, marital love,
wearing of ornaments, medicine, and purchase of carriages when containing the Moon. Those
born on the lunar day will be thieves, dealers in large animals, painters, merchants, handsome
and religious. With Moon here at birth native will be active, resourceful, shameless, merciless,
and a thief and drunkard. Rules tanks and the fingers. [Robson*, p.80.]

The astrological influences of the constellation Corvus

Legend: Apollo gave a feast to Jupiter and requiring water sent the raven with a cup (Crater)
to fetch some. On his way the raven noticed a fig tree, and, resting there until the figs became
ripe, feasted himself upon them until, remembering his errand and fearing the anger of Apollo,
he picked up a snake (Hydra) and on his return gave as an excuse that it had prevented him
from filling the cup. Apollo ordained in punishment that the raven should never drink so long
as figs were not ripe, and placed the raven (Corvus), cup (Crater) and snake (Hydra) in the
heavens as a memorial. [Robson*, p.40.]
Influences: According to Ptolemy, Corvus is like Mars and Saturn. It is said to give craftiness,
greediness, ingenuity, patience, revengefulness, passion, selfishness, lying, aggressiveness,
and material instincts, and sometimes causes its natives to become agitators. [Robson*, p.41.]
When Typhon came rushing toward Olympus, the gods fled in terror to Egypt where they
disguised themselves as animals; Apollo (Phoebus) became a raven:
"Corvinus, winner of spoils and a name, aided in combat by a bird which hides beneath a
bird's exterior the godhead of Phoebus" [Astronomica, Manilius, 1st century AD, p.67.]
References:
*[Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology, Vivian E. Robson, 1923].

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Corvus Constellation Stars

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Constellation Corvus [Stellarium]

Constellation Corvus Astrology

Constellation Corvus the Crow is a small constellation, perched on the back of the Water
Snake, Hydra. It lays south of the ecliptic under the head of the Maiden, Virgo constellation.
The name Corvus is Latin for raven or crow. Corvus spans less than 10 degree of the zodiac in
the Sign Libra, and has 7 named fixed stars.

Constellation Corvus Stars

10

44

11

40

12

15

13

27

13

48

13

49

17
22
Corvus
Corvus
Corvus
Corvus
Corvus
Corvus
Corvus
Gienah
Minkar
Alchita
Algorab
Avis Satyra
Chang Sha
Kraz

(Star positions for year 2000)

Apollo gave a feast to Jupiter and requiring water sent the raven with a cup (constellation
Crater) to fetch some. On his way the raven noticed a fig tree, and, resting there until the figs
became ripe, feasted himself upon them until, remembering his errand and fearing the anger
of Apollo, he picked up a snake (Hydra) and on his return gave as an excuse that it had
prevented him from filling the cup. Apollo ordained in punishment that the raven should never
drink so long as figs were not ripe, and placed the raven (Corvus), cup (Crater) and snake
(Hydra) in the heavens as a memorial.
According to Ptolemy, Corvus is like Mars and Saturn. It is said to give craftiness, greediness,
ingenuity, patience, revengefulness, passion, selfishness, lying, aggressiveness, and material
instincts, and sometimes causes its natives to become agitators. [1]
The Greek figure of Corvus is modeled on the Babylonian Raven (MUL.UGA.MUSHEN),
which was similarly placed sitting on the tail of the Serpent (Greek Hydra). The Babylonian

constellation was sacred to Adad, the god of rain and storm; in the second Millennium it
would have risen just before the start of the autumnal rainy season. [2]

Constellation Corvus [Uranias Mirror]

When Typhon came rushing toward Olympus, the gods fled in terror to Egypt
where they disguised themselves as animals; Apollo (Phoebus) became a raven:
Corvinus, winner of spoils and a name, aided in combat by a bird which hides
beneath a birds exterior the godhead of Phoebus [3]

Corvus, the Crow was the Raven in Chaucers time It contains only 15 naked-eye stars
according to Argelander, 26 according to Heis, yet was a noted constellation with the
Greeks and Romans, and always more or less associated with the Cup (Crater) and with the
Hydra, on whose body it rests Manilius designating it as Phoebo Sacer Ales, and Ovid as

Phoebeius Ales, mythology having made the bird sacred to Phoebus Apollo in connection
with his prophetic functions, and because he assumed its shape during the conflict of the gods
with the giants
This story gave rise to the stellar title Garrulus Proditor. Another version of the legend appears
in the Fasti viz., that the bird, being sent with a cup for water, loitered at a fig-tree till the
fruit became ripe, and then returned to the god with a water-snake (adjacent Hydra) in his
claws and a lie in his mouth, alleging the snake to have been the cause of his delay. In
punishment he was forever fixed in the sky with the Cup (Crater) and the Snake (Hydra); and,
we may infer, doomed to everlasting thirst by the guardianship of the Hydra over the Cup and
its contents. From all this came other poetical names for our Corvus Avis Ficarius, the Fig
Bird; and Emansor, one who stays beyond his time; and a belief, in early folklore, that this
alone among birds did not carry water to its young. [4]
He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry. [Psalms 147:9]
Here is the final scene of judgment. We have had Zeeb, the Wolf; now we have Oreb, the
Raven. Her-na is its name in the Denderah Zodiac. Her, means the enemy; and Na, means
breaking up or failing. That is to say, this scene represents the breaking up of the enemy.
There are nine stars (the number of judgment) in this constellation. The bright star (in the
eye) is called Al Chibar (Arabic), joining together, from the Hebrew Chiba (Num 23:8), which
means accursed. This star, then, tells of the curse inflicted. The star (in the right wing) is
called Al Goreb (Arabic), from Hebrew Oreb, the Raven. A third star is named Minchar al
Gorab (Arabic), and means the Raven tearing to pieces. [5]

References
1. Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology, Vivian E. Robson, 1923, p.41.
2. Babylonian Star-lore, Gavin White, Solaria Pubs, 2008, page 166ff.
3. Astronomica, Manilius, 1st century AD, book 4, p.67.
4. Star Names, Their Lore and Meaning, Richard Hinckley Allen, 1899, p.179.
5. The Witness of the Stars, E. W. Bullinger, 40. Corvus (the Raven).

Corvus Constellation

Corvus constellation is located in the southern sky. Its name means crow or raven in
Latin.
The constellation represents Apollos sacred bird in Greek mythology. It was first catalogued
by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century.
Corvus does not contain many bright stars and deep sky objects, but it is home to a very
famous pair of interacting galaxies, the Antennae Galaxies. The Antennae Galaxies show a
likely future of the Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxy (M31) when the two collide.

FACTS, LOCATION & MAP

Corvus Constellation Map, by IAU and Sky&Telescope magazine

Corvus is the 70th constellation in size, occupying an area of 184 square degrees.
It is located in the third quadrant of the southern hemisphere (SQ3) and can be seen from
latitudes between +60 and -90.
The neighboring constellations are Crater, Hydra, and Virgo.
Corvus has one star with known planets and contains no Messier objects. The brightest star in
the constellation is Gienah, Gamma Corvi, with an apparent visual magnitude of 2.59. There
is one meteor shower associated with the constellation; the Corvids.
Corvus belongs to the Hercules family of constellations, along with Aquila, Ara, Centaurus,
Corona Australis, Crater, Crux, Cygnus, Hercules, Hydra, Lupus, Lyra, Ophiuchus, Sagitta,
Scutum, Sextans, Serpens, Triangulum Australe, and Vulpecula.

MYTH
The constellation Corvus represents the raven (or crow), Apollos sacred bird in Greek
mythology. According to the myth, the raven originally had white feathers. In one story,
Apollo told the bird to watch over Coronis, one of his lovers, who was pregnant at the time.
Coronis gradually lost interest in Apollo and fell in love with a mortal man, Ischys. When the
raven reported the affair to Apollo, the god was so enraged that the bird did nothing to stop it
that he flung a curse on it, scorching the ravens feathers. That, the legend goes, is why all
ravens are black. Apollo then sent his sister Artemis to kill Coronis. Before Coronis body was

burned, the unborn child, Asclepius, was cut out of her womb and given to the centaur Chiron
to raise. Asclepius grew up to be a famous healer and is represented by the constellation
Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer.
The Greek Corvus was borrowed from the mythical Babylonian raven,
MUL.UGA.MUSHEN, which was usually depicted perched on the tail of a serpent.
Babylonians associated the constellation with Adad, the god of rain and storm, because its
stars would rise before the rainy season, in the fall, in the second millennium.

MAJOR STARS IN CORVUS

THE SAIL (SPICAS SPANKER)
The four brightest stars in Corvus Delta, Gamma, Epsilon and Beta Corvi form an
asterism known as the Sail, or the Spicas Spanker, because the stars Gamma and Delta Corvi
point the way to Spica (Alpha Virginis), the brightest star in the constellation Virgo and the
15th brightest star in the night sky.
Gienah Corvi (Gamma Corvi)
Gamma Corvi is the brightest star in Corvus. It has an apparent magnitude of 2.59 and is
approximately 165 light years distant. It is suspected to be a binary star.
Its traditional name, Gienah, which the star shares with Epsilon Cygni, comes from the Arabic
phrase al-jan al-ghirb al-yaman, which means the right wing of the crow.
Gamma Corvi is a giant belonging to the spectral class B8III.
Kraz Corvi (Beta Corvi)
Beta Corvi, or Kraz, is a yellow-white G-type bright giant 140 light years distant from Earth.
The stars visual magnitude varies between 2.60 and 2.66. Beta Corvi is the second brightest
star in Corvus. Its proper name, Kraz, was assigned to it in modern times, but the origin of the
name is uncertain. Beta Corvi has a luminosity 160 times that of the Sun.
Algorab Corvi (Delta Corvi)
Delta Corvi, also known as Algorab, is a class A0 star in Corvus, approximately 87 light years
distant from the solar system. It has an apparent visual magnitude of 3.1. The stars traditional
name comes from the Arabic word al-ghuraab, which means the crow.
Minkar Corvi (Epsilon Corvi)
Epsilon Corvi is a K2 III class star with a visual magnitude of 3.02. It is approximately 303
light years distant. The stars traditional name, Minkar, comes from the Arabic word
almnxar, which means the nostril of the crow.

Alchiba Corvi (Alpha Corvi)

Alpha Corvi is only the fifth brightest star in the constellation. It has a visual magnitude of
4.02. It is the third faintest star with the Alpha designation in the sky, brighter only than Alkes
(Alpha Crateris) and Alfecca Meridiana (Alpha Coronae Australis).
Alchiba is a class F0 dwarf or subdwarf only 48.2 light years distant. It is four times more
luminous than our Sun. The stars traditional name is derived from the Arabic al hibaa, which
means tent. Alpha Corvi is another suspected binary star.
Corvi (Eta Corvi)
Eta Corvi, the sixth brightest star in Corvus, is a main sequence star, a hydrogen fusing dwarf,
belonging to the spectral type F2 V. It is slightly more massive and a bit younger than the Sun.
It has an apparent visual magnitude of 4.31 and is approximately 59.4 light years distant.
Eta Corvi is similar to Vega, the brightest star in the constellation Lyra, in that it has a debris
disk in its orbit. In fact, it has two. The star emits an excess of infrared radiation, significantly
more than what is usually observed in an object belonging to this class.
VV Corvi
VV Corvi is a close double star composed of two stars that orbit each other with a period of
1.46 days. The system is approximately 280 light years distant. The binary also has a tertiary
companion, discovered only in the last decade.
DEEP SKY OBJECTS IN CORVUS

Antennae Galaxies - NGC 4038, NGC 4039, photo: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage
Team (STScI, AURA)-ESA, Hubble Collaboration
Antennae Galaxies (NGC 4038/NGC 4039, Caldwell 60/61)
The Antennae Galaxies are a well known pair of interacting galaxies in Corvus.
They were first discovered by the German-born British astronomer Sir William Herschel in
1785. The galactic collision is currently in the starburst stage: the rate of star forming activity
in the region is exceptionally high.
The Antennae are sometimes also known as the Ring Tail.
The Antennae Galaxies belong to the NGC 4038 group, a group of galaxies that consists of
between 13 and 27 members located in the constellations Corvus and Crater.
The colliding galaxies got named the Antennae because their shape resembles that of an
insects antennae.
They have two long tails comprised of gas, dust and stars ejected from their main bodies as a
result of the interaction.
The Antennae Galaxies have an apparent visual magnitude of 11.2/11.1 and are 45 million
light years distant from Earth.
Two supernovae have been observed in the galaxies in recent years: SN 2004GT and SN 2007
sr.
The Antennae were separate galaxies about 1.2 billion years ago. NGC 2038 is believed to
have been a barred spiral and NGC 2039, a spiral galaxy.
The two approached each other approximately 900 million years ago and they passed through
each other about 600 million years ago.

NGC 4027, photo: ESO

They started ejecting stars some 300 million years ago and now the streams of ejected stars
have grown so large that they appear as the antennae, an extension of the colliding pair.
The nuclei of the two galaxies are expected to merge into a single core within the next 400
million years, and the pair will eventually most likely settle into the form of an elliptical
galaxy.
NGC 4027 (Arp 22)
NGC 4027 is a barred spiral galaxy in Corvus. It has a visual magnitude of 11.7 and is about
83 million light years distant from the solar system.
The galaxy is a peculiar one: one of its spiral arms extends further outwards than the other,
possibly as a result of a past collision with another galaxy.

NGC 4361, photo: NASA, JPL-Caltech

NGC 4027 is also a member of the NGC 4038 group of galaxies. It is located less than a
degree southwest of the Antennae Galaxies.
NGC 4361
NGC 4361 is a large planetary nebula located in the centre of the constellation.
Its shape is similar to that of a dim elliptical galaxy.
The nebula is about 50 in diameter and surrounds a 13th magnitude star.