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Kaffalmusalsala, Udkadua, Rasalnaqa, Alfarasalkamil

Kaffalmusalsala, Udkadua, Rasalnaqa, Alfarasalkamil

detail in a manuscript of as-Sufi with the asterism of four stars labelled with the translations of star names given by the IAU

As-Sufi already in the 10th century knew three constellations in the area: the Beduine constellation of the She-Camel, The Horse (which may or may not have Babylonian or Indian roots), and the (hand of) Greek Andromeda. What he did not know is that the northernmost star of the area (lambda Andromedae) was named “the heel of UD.KA.DU8.A”, a Sumerian storm daemon whose reconstructed image we display here as an inlay.