Editing Procyon (section)

==Etymology and cultural significance==
''α Canis Minoris'' ([[Latinisation of names|Latinized]] to ''Alpha Canis Minoris'') is the [[star]]'s [[Bayer designation]].

The name ''Procyon'' comes from the [[Ancient Greek]] {{lang|grc|Προκύων}} (''{{Transliteration|grc|Prokyon}}''), meaning "before the dog", since it precedes the "Dog Star" [[Sirius]] as it travels across the sky due to [[Earth's rotation]]. (Although Procyon has a greater [[right ascension]], it also has a more northerly [[declination]], which means it will rise above the [[horizon]] earlier than Sirius from most northerly latitudes.) In Greek mythology, Procyon is associated with [[Maera (hound)|Maera]], a hound belonging to [[Erigone (daughter of Icarius)|Erigone]], daughter of [[Icarius]] of Athens.<ref name=mw1999/> In 2016, the [[International Astronomical Union]] organized a [[Working Group on Star Names]] (WGSN)<ref name="WGSN">{{cite web | url=https://www.iau.org/science/scientific_bodies/working_groups/280/ | title=IAU Working Group on Star Names (WGSN)|access-date=22 May 2016}}</ref> to catalog and standardize proper names for stars. The WGSN's first bulletin of July 2016<ref name="WGSN1">{{cite web | url=http://www.pas.rochester.edu/~emamajek/WGSN/WGSN_bulletin1.pdf | title=Bulletin of the IAU Working Group on Star Names, No. 1 |access-date=28 July 2016}}</ref> included a table of the first two batches of names approved by the WGSN; which included ''Procyon'' for the star α Canis Minoris A.

The two dog stars are referred to in the most ancient literature and were venerated by the [[Babylonians]] and the Egyptians, In Babylonian mythology, Procyon was known as Nangar (the Carpenter), an aspect of [[Marduk]], involved in constructing and organizing the celestial sky.<ref name="kelley11">{{cite book|author=Kelley, David H.|author2=Milone, Eugene F.|author3=Aveni, A. F. |title=Exploring Ancient Skies: A Survey of Ancient and Cultural Astronomy|publisher=Springer|location=New York City|date=2011|pages=217|isbn=978-1441976239|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ILBuYcGASxcC&pg=PA217}}</ref>

The constellations in [[Slavic Macedonians|Macedonian]] folklore represented agricultural items and animals, reflecting their village way of life. To them, Procyon and Sirius were ''Volci'' "the wolves", circling hungrily around Orion which depicted a plough with oxen.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Macedonian Folk Constellations |author=Cenev, Gjore |journal=Publications of the Astronomical Observatory of Belgrade|volume= 85|pages=97–109|bibcode=2008POBeo..85...97C|year=2008 }}</ref>

Rarer names are the Latin translation of Procyon, ''Antecanis'', and the [[Arabic]]-derived names ''Al&nbsp;Shira'' and ''Elgomaisa''. Medieval [[astrolabe]]s of England and Western Europe used a variant of this, ''Algomeiza/Algomeyza''.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Gingerich | first1 = O.| doi = 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1987.tb37197.x | title = Zoomorphic Astrolabes and the Introduction of Arabic Star Names into Europe | journal = Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences | volume = 500 | issue = 1| pages = 89–104 | year = 1987 |bibcode = 1987NYASA.500...89G | s2cid = 84102853}}</ref> ''Al&nbsp;Shira'' derives from {{lang|ar|الشعرى الشامية}} ''{{Transliteration|ar|aš-ši‘ra aš-šamiyah}}'', "the Syrian sign" (the other sign being Sirius; "Syria" is supposedly a reference to its northern location relative to Sirius); ''Elgomaisa'' derives from {{lang|ar|الغميصاء}} ''{{Transliteration|ar|al-ghumaisa’}}'' "the bleary-eyed (woman)", in contrast to {{lang|ar|العبور}} "the teary-eyed (woman)", which is Sirius. (See [[Gomeisa]].)

In Chinese, {{lang|zh|南河}} ({{lang|zh-Latn|Nán Hé}}), meaning ''[[Well (Chinese constellation)|South River]]'', refers to an [[Asterism (astronomy)|asterism]] consisting of Procyon, [[ε Canis Minoris]] and [[β Canis Minoris]].<ref>{{in lang|zh}} ''中國星座神話'', written by 陳久金. Published by 台灣書房出版有限公司, 2005, {{ISBN|978-986-7332-25-7}}.</ref> Consequently, Procyon itself is known as {{lang|zh|南河三}} ({{lang|zh-Latn|Nán Hé sān}}, ''the Third Star of South River'').<ref>{{in lang|zh}} [http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Space/Research/StarName/c_research_chinengstars_e_g.htm 香港太空館 – 研究資源 – 亮星中英對照表] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110130063007/http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Space/Research/StarName/c_research_chinengstars_e_g.htm |date=30 January 2011}}, Hong Kong Space Museum. Accessed on line 23 November 2010.</ref> It is part of the [[Vermilion Bird]].

The Hawaiians see Procyon as part of an asterism ''Ke ka o Makali'i'' ("the canoe [[bailer]] of Makali'i") that helps them navigate at sea.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hawaiian Star Lines|url=http://archive.hokulea.com/ike/hookele/hawaiian_star_lines.html#ke_ka_o_makalii|access-date=2020-10-21|website=archive.hokulea.com}}</ref> In [[Hawaiian language]], this star is called ''Puana'' ("blossom"), which is a new Hawaiian name based on the [[Māori language|Māori]] name ''Puangahori''. It forms this asterism ''(Ke ka o Makali'i)'' with the Pleiades (Makali'i), Auriga, Orion, [[Capella]], Sirius, [[Castor (star)|Castor]] and [[Pollux (star)|Pollux]].<ref name=brosch>{{Cite book | last=Brosch | first=Noah | title=Sirius Matters | date=2008 | publisher=Springer | isbn=978-1-4020-8318-1 | page= 46 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ricStR4SE-UC&pg=PA46}}</ref> In Tahitian lore, Procyon was one of the pillars propping up the sky, known as ''Anâ-tahu'a-vahine-o-toa-te-manava'' ("star-the-priestess-of-brave-heart"), the pillar for elocution.<ref name=henry1907>{{cite journal|last=Henry|first=Teuira |author-link=Teuira Henry |date=1907|title=Tahitian Astronomy: Birth of Heavenly Bodies|journal=The Journal of the Polynesian Society |volume=16|issue=2|pages=101–04|jstor=20700813}}</ref> Māori astronomers know the star as ''Puangahori'' ("False Puanga") which distinguishes it from its pair ''Puanga'' or ''Puanga-rua'' ("Blossom-cluster") which refers to a star of great importance to [[Māori culture]] and calendar, known by its western name Rigel.<ref name="Best22">{{cite book|last=Best|first=Elsdon|title=Astronomical Knowledge of the Maori: Genuine and Empirical|publisher=Dominion Museum|location=Wellington, New Zealand|date=1922|page=33|url=http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-BesAstro-t1-body-d1-d6-d4.html}}</ref>

Procyon appears on the [[flag of Brazil]], symbolizing the state of [[Amazonas (Brazilian state)|Amazonas]].<ref name=fotw/>
The [[Kalapalo]] people of [[Mato Grosso]] state in Brazil call Procyon and [[Canopus]] ''Kofongo'' ("Duck"), with Castor and Pollux representing his hands. The asterism's appearance signified the coming of the [[rainy season]] and increase in food staple [[manioc]], used at feasts to feed guests.<ref name="basso87">{{cite book|last=Basso|first=Ellen B. |title=In Favor of Deceit: A Study of Tricksters in an Amazonian Society|publisher=University of Arizona Press|location=Tucson, Arizona|date=1987|pages=[https://archive.org/details/infavorofdeceits0000bass/page/360 360]|isbn=978-0-8165-1022-1|url=https://archive.org/details/infavorofdeceits0000bass|url-access=registration}}</ref>

Known as ''Sikuliarsiujuittuq'' to the [[Inuit astronomy|Inuit]], Procyon was quite significant in their astronomy and mythology. Its eponymous name means "the one who never goes onto the newly formed [[sea ice]]", and refers to a man who stole food from his village's hunters because he was too obese to hunt on ice. He was killed by the other hunters who convinced him to go on the sea ice. Procyon received this designation because it typically appears red (though sometimes slightly greenish) as it rises during the Arctic winter; this red color was associated with Sikuliarsiujuittuq's bloody end.<ref>{{cite book |title = The Arctic sky: Inuit astronomy, star lore, and legend |url = https://archive.org/details/arcticskyinuitas0000macd |url-access = registration |last = MacDonald |first = John |publisher = Royal Ontario Museum/Nunavut Research Institute|location=Toronto, Ontario/Iqaluit, NWT |date = 1998 |isbn = 9780888544278|pages=[https://archive.org/details/arcticskyinuitas0000macd/page/72 72], 231–33}}</ref>