Sidus Ludoviciana

Sidus Ludoviciana ( Louis Stern ) is a star in the Big Dipper asterism, which lies midway between Mizar and Alcor.

On December 2, 1722 Johann Georg Liebknecht observed this star with a nichtachromatischen telescope of 6 feet in length at the observatory of Ludoviciana in Giessen. He thought he saw a proper motion and held him for a new planet which he named in honor of the Rector magnificentissimus Dr. Ludwig, the university founder Landgraf Ludwig V., " Sidus Ludoviciana ". He had, however, overlooked the fact that the star had already been observed in 1616 by Benedetto Castelli, a pupil of Galileo, at the same place, so he could not be a new planet. Instead of fame, he earned strong criticism of his colleagues.

Footnote

Leos Ondra ( see Related links ) writes the star would be named after the reigning Landgrave. However, the name was until 1739 Ernst Ludwig. After Burnham 's Celestial Handbook honors the star Louis V.