Constellation of the Berenice Hair - Constellation of Coma Berenices - The constellation of the...

Constellation of the Berenice Hair - Constellation of Coma Berenices - The constellation of the Berenice Hair contains a cluster of stars, Melotte 111. Coma Berenice's (Berenices Hair) would be as insignificant as many of Lacaille's southern sky inventions if it were not for the subtle but distinctive Coma Star Cluster (Melotte 111), 270 light years away. The constellation's name alludes to the flowing hair of Queen Berenices of Egypt, allegedly cut off in gratitude for the safe return of her husband from some military escapade. This constellation was once considered to be part of Leo, where the hairy smudge of the open cluster was regarded as the tuft of the lion's tail. Melotte 111 is a large, open cluster of stars ranging between 5th magnitude (barely visible) to 10th magnitude, 100 times fainter. It extends over 5 degrees and despite the faintness of its constituent stars is clearly visible as a hazy patch in an otherwise undistinguished part of the sky. Coma is the direction of the north galactic pole, where we look beyond our galaxy through relatively few foreground stars. Had Melotte 111 been in the Milky Way it would be hard to see