The traditional name of 'Alphecca' comes from the Arabic 'al-na'ir al-fakkah', which means 'the bright star of the broken ring'. In more recent times, it was also known as 'Gemma', which in Latin means 'gem' or 'jewel', whose possible etymological origin may be related to the term 'bud' (unopened flower, leaves of the floral crown). In China it was known as 貫 索 四 'Guàn Suǒ sì', which means 'the fourth star of coiled thong'.
Alphecca is a white main sequence dwarf star of spectral type A0 V, with a surface temperature of 9700 K. It has a rotation speed of 139 km/s.
It is a system formed by 2 components.
Photometric observations were carried out in the years June 1986, May 2003 and October 2002.
Position in relation to the ecliptic:
- Longitude: 222.6º (12º34' Scorpio; golden aspect 137º30', 0º04' orb)
- Latitude: 44.3º (14º19' Taurus; semisquare 45º, 0º41' orb).
Position in relation to the celestial equator:
- Right ascension: 233.7º (23º40' 8th House; (hepta)vigintile 126º [=biquintile 144º > 0º Cancer], 0º20' orb)
- Declination: 26.7º (26º43' 1st House)
Alphecca is a star that reminds the quality of the planets Uranus and Pluto, and also the centaur Amycus. The symbolic image 'ring' refers to a situation or circular process that ends and starts again, repeating indefinitely ('limit cycle attractor' in the theory of dynamic systems). Therefore, the symbolic image 'broken ring' refers to interruption of this kind of endless processes; It is equivalent to the classic theme of the fairy tales of 'breaking the curse'.
Alphecca is related to the amazing experience of achieving what had been tried so many times.
"Spirit" (2002)
Meg Ryan, actress of the movie "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993) and "You've Got Mail" (1998), has Alphecca in Scorpio (10th Moon-Node House), in conjunction with Venus-Neptune-Mercury; in sextile with Pluto in Virgo (12th Moon-Node House); and in semisextile/quincunx with the Crossing Axis of Age Progressions (Signs Horoscope) in the signs Gemini/Sagittarius.
Jennifer Connelly, actress of the movie "Labyrinth" (1986), has Alphecca in Scorpio (4th Moon-Node House) in conjunction with Venus; and in sextile with Mercury in Capricorn (2nd Moon-Node House).
