Regulus (star)/meta
Notes (2016)
NOTE CONCERNING STAR POSITIONS:
When comparing real-astronomical star positions to the Traveller Map of Charted Space, it needs to be observed that the axes of the Charted Space Map appear to be tilted almost exactly 45o counter-clockwise from the correct position (i.e. "true" Coreward actually lies parallel to the Lesser Rift). If one makes that adjustment, about 70% of the named stars will fall roughly along their correct bearing. However, there are some exceptions in which the star in question lies in roughly the correct position relative to the Charted Space Map without the need to rotate the coordinate axes.
In general, if one is assigning the position of a Real-Universe star to a Traveller Map hex, it should be acceptable if:
- 1) The star's longitude angle (θ) is within a 45o bearing-arc between the "true" coordinate axes and the Traveller Charted Space Map coordinate axes, and
- 2) The star's assigned distance from Terra on the hexmap falls somewhere between its true distance R in parsecs, and its 2D-projection onto the flat map as seen from above, found by Dproj = {R * cos(ɸ)}, where (ɸ) is the latitude angle. If desired, the distance above/below the plane can be determined by Z = {R * sin(ɸ)}.
PLACEMENT NOTE
Due to the fact that the star Alpha Crucis cannot possibly be located in the sector labeled as the Alpha Crucis Sector, an alternative name for the Alpha Crucis Sector put forth in some Traveller non-canonical sources is the Alpha Leonis Sector, based on the fact that Alpha Leonis is the astronomical name for the star Regulus and the fact that the Alpha Crucis Sector contains the Regulus Subsector. At one time in older Traveller stellar data sets, the world (and star) Regulus was also located in this subsector; however, the current T5SS data has altered the name of the world in the former location of Regulus to "Basilicus" and changed its primary's stellar type to [M2 III / M3 V].
- Basilicus/Regulus (Alpha Crucis 0937)
- TravellerMap: [1]
Interestingly, whereas "Regulus" was the Latin term for a minor king or tribal chieftain, "Basilicus" seems to be derived from Greek "Basilikos", which is related to the Greek term "Basileos", also meaning "king". An alternate historical name for Regulus was "Basiliscus".
It is likely that Alpha Corvi was the actual star originally marked erroneously as Alpha Crucis on the published CT:Traveller Map from ca 1980. The star Alpha Crucis is placed far too close to Earth on this map (though its bearing is approximately correct, it should be 3 Sectors away, not 1). In the 2300AD game by GDW (which used what was considered a highly precise astronomical catalog for its day), Alpha Crucis is placed on this map as well in almost exactly the position that Alpha Corvi would occupy, and "Alpha Crucis" is listed with the Gliese star catalog number of Alpha Corvi.
In astronomical texts, Alpha Crucis is usually labeled α Cru, whereas Alpha Corvi is labeled α Crv. It is likely that this similarity in notation is where the error occurred.
Alpha Corvi is not a particularly bright or prominent star, however, and would be unlikely to lend its name to a sector.
See: