APOD: 2022 May 26 - NGC 4565: Galaxy on Edge

Good evening, Rallypoint, and welcome to the May 26th edition of Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD): "NGC 4565: Galaxy on Edge." Scientists suspect that if we could look at our own Milky Way edge-on, it would look something like this. Also known as the Needle Galaxy, NGC 4565 is some 31-40 million light years away and is found in the northern constellation Coma Berenices (Berenice's Hair). William Herschel discovered NGC 4585 in 1785. The constellation has been recognized as star-pattern (aka asterism) since the Hellenistic period. The court astronomer to Ptolmey III of Egypt, Conon of Samos, formally introduced Coma Berenices to Western astronomy in the Third Century BC. And that leads to an interesting back story.

Berernices was the 'consort' of Ptolmey III, and was known for her long blonde tresses. In thanksgiving for Ptolmey's safe return from a war against the Assyrians (Third Syrian War, 246-241 BC). Berenices placed her shorn locks on the temple altar of the goddess Aphrodite in an evening ceremony. But the following morning, the hair offering was not to be found. I expect some temple priests were sweating bullets.

In steps Conon of Samos. He suggests that all look up now to acknowledge the sacrifice of Berenices, because clearly the gods had placed her accepted offering in the sky for all to see. Other English names for the constellation were a bit less dignified: Berenice's Bush and/or Berenice's Periwig. But by the early 18th century, the constellation was known as Coma Berenices.