Why didn't Johann Bayer give a name to the Sun like 'Alpha-Prime'?

Why should he? The Sun is not part of a fixed constellation. It is also well known by its traditional name, so why would you want to rename it? Science does not waste time renaming the obvious. Bayer provided alternate names for bright stars based on a unified system, rather than the collection of ancient, multi-cultural names that some stars had acquired.


Copyright 1997 Dr. Sten Odenwald
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