Arietis

Arietis is the Latin genitive form of Aries, used in astronomical nomenclature to indicate stars that belong to the Aries constellation. In star designations, Arietis follows a Greek letter to form names such as Alpha Arietis, Beta Arietis, and Gamma Arietis, signifying the brightest stars within the constellation.

The Latin term Arietis literally means “of the Ram,” reflecting Aries’ name in Latin. This genitive form is part of the traditional Bayer designation system, in which prominent stars are labeled with a Greek letter and the genitive name of the constellation. Thus, Alpha Arietis denotes the brightest star in Aries, with other stars similarly labeled (for example, Beta Arietis, Gamma Arietis).

Aries is one of the twelve zodiac constellations and lies along the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the sky. It contains several notable stars, of which theAlpha Arietis designation is most familiar in historical and modern star catalogs. The Arietis designations help astronomers identify and locate these stars within the broader context of the zodiac.

In addition to its use in stellar naming, Arietis appears in scholarly and catalog contexts as the genitive form corresponding to Aries. It is not a separate celestial object, but a linguistic and classificatory element used to organize and reference the stars within the Aries constellation.

See also: Aries, Alpha Arietis, Beta Arietis, Gamma Arietis.