Star lore
Coma Berenices
Direct answer
Coma Berenices is a northern constellation representing Berenice's Hair and containing a broad naked-eye star cluster and many galaxies.
Coma Berenices is a spring constellation marked by a loose cluster of faint stars.
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At a glance
- Found in
- Constellations & Star Lore
- Related
- Circinus, Columba, Corona Australis, Corona Borealis
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The story behind Coma Berenices
The hair was known as an asterism in antiquity and became a separate constellation on early modern European maps.
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Why Coma Berenices matters
Coma Berenices looks outward through the north galactic pole, giving observers relatively clear views toward the Coma and Virgo galaxy fields.
How to read Coma Berenices
Find the hazy Coma Star Cluster between Leo's tail and the end of the Big Dipper handle.
Coma Berenices in practice: an example
Binoculars turn the naked-eye haze of Melotte 111 into a wide scatter of individual stars.
Where readings of Coma Berenices go wrong
The nearby Coma Star Cluster and the vastly more distant Coma Galaxy Cluster are entirely different systems.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- International Astronomical Union: The Constellations - Official names, abbreviations, and boundaries for the 88 modern constellations.
- NASA Space Place: What Are Constellations? - NASA introduction to constellation regions, patterns, visibility, and seasonal sky changes.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Constellations & Star Lore
- Last updated
- 2026-09-26
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Common questions
What is Coma Berenices?
Coma Berenices is a northern constellation representing Berenice's Hair and containing a broad naked-eye star cluster and many galaxies.
What do people get wrong about Coma Berenices?
The nearby Coma Star Cluster and the vastly more distant Coma Galaxy Cluster are entirely different systems.
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