An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

An ancient → constellation (right ascension about 17h, declination 30° north), one of the largest in the sky, which is located between → Lyra and → Corona Borealis. It is traditionally depicted as the hero Hercules in a kneeling position. There are no very bright stars in Hercules, the brightest one is → Rasalgethi, a variable → red supergiant of magnitude about 3.5. Abbreviation: Her; Genitive: Herculis.
See also: → Hercules cluster.

Etymology (EN): L. Hercules, from Gk. Heracles “glory of Hera,” the most popular hero of Gk. mythology, son of Zeus and the woman Alcmena, who the god seduced in the shape of her husband Amphitryon, king of Thebes.

Etymology (PE): Herâkles, as above; Herkul, from Fr. Hercule, as above; Arabicized name of the constellation:

(الجاثی، الجاثی علی‌رکبتیه) “the kneeling one,” râqes (راقص) “the dancing one.”
Bar zânu nešasté “the kneeling one,” Pers. descriptive rendering of the Gk. mythological figure, by the famous 11-th century astronomer Biruni.