Month Best Visible
May
Hemisphere Visible
Northern
Coma Berenices contains many galaxies including the northern part of the Virgo cluster. β Comae Berenices is the brightest star in the constellation. The second brightest star in Coma Berenices is α Comae Berenices, also called Diadem. The name represents the gem in Berenice's crown. It is a binary star, with two components of almost equal magnitude.
Coma Berenices means "Berenice's Hair" (in Greek, via Latin), and refers to the legend of Queen Berenice II of Egypt, who sacrificed her long hair to the Goddess Aphrodite so her husband would return safely from a dangerous expedition.
