Star Names
The Ostrich Nest (al-udhi)
The Ostrich Nest is part of the Ostriches (an-na’a’im) celestial complex, which includes the Drinking Ostriches (an-na’am al-warid), the Returning Ostriches (an-na’am as-sadir) and the Wasteland (al-balda). The Nest is so named because its stars form a wide arc, which resembles the way that ostriches separate their eggs widely from each other. The Nest is located near the Returning Ostriches, who have already drunk from the river (the Milky Way, where the Drinking Ostriches are) and are now walking away from it to return home to their Nest with its eggs.
The Ostrich Nest (al-udhi) as it appears in the west about 45 minutes before sunrise in late June. Sky simulations made with Stellarium.
Appearance
A grouping of six stars arranged in a wide arc above the Ostriches.
Modern Identification
ξ SGR, yellow star, magnitude 3.5
ο SGR, yellow star, magnitude 3.8
π SGR, white star, magnitude 2.9
43 SGR, white star, magnitude 4.9
ρ SGR, white star, magnitude 3.9
υ SGR, blue-white star, magnitude 4.5
Timing
The six stars of the Ostrich Nest take three days to rise and a week and a half to set. Ibn Qutayba (d. 879 CE) reported that the Ostriches were said to rise on the morning of December 23 and set on the morning of June 23. On account of the precession of the equinoxes, today we can expect to observe the Ostrich Nest setting in mid-July and rising in late January, as seen from the latitude of Tucson. (See How to Observe on the About page for more on this topic.)
Rain Stars
The Ostrich Nest does not figure in the calendar of the rains stars.
Lunar Stations
The Ostrich Nest is not one of the lunar stations.
Related Stars and Celestial Complexes
The Ostrich Nest is part of the Ostriches (an-na’a’im, النعائم) folkloric celestial complex.
Related Blog Posts
Ostriches in the Sweltering Wasteland