✧ Great Diamond

  The Great Diamond is an asterism in Coma Berenices.

                           ⢀•⡄
                         ⢀⡴⠋ ⠙⣆
                       ⢀⡴⠋    ⠈⢧⡀
                     ⢀⡴⠋        ⠳⡄
                    ●⠋           ⠙⣆
                    ⠘⡆            ⢨•
                     ⢹⡀          ⣰⠋
                      ⣇        ⢀⡼⠁
                      ⠸⡄      ⣠⠏
                       ⢳     ⡴⠃
                       ⠈⡇  ⢠⠞⠁
                        ⢹⡀⣰⠋
                         •⠁

  Type            Asterism
  Constellation   Coma Berenices
  Stars           4

  More information about Great Diamond

  The Great Diamond is made up of Arcturus, Spica and Denebola, with Cor
  Caroli added at the northern point, and it makes a kite-shaped figure
  about fifty degrees across, also known as the Diamond of Virgo. Inside
  it, towards the Denebola end, lies the Virgo cluster, a swarm of over a
  thousand galaxies bound together by gravity about 55 million light years
  away, none of them visible without a telescope. The name Cor Caroli is
  Latin for "the heart of Charles". It was given in the 1600s in honour of
  an English king, which makes it one of the very few stars in the sky
  named after a real person rather than a god or a description.

  Etymology
  From        English
  Reading     the Great Diamond
  Literally   the great diamond

  The evolution of Great Diamond over time

  -50,000 years
  
                            Arcturus ●⠤⢄⣀
                                     ⠈⡆  ⠉⠑⠒⠤⢄⣀
                                      ⠸⡄       ⠉⠑⠒⠤⢄⣀   Cor Caroli
                                       ⠹⡀            ⠉•⡀
                                        ⢳              ⠹⡄
                                         ⢣              ⠈⢦⡀
                                         ⠈⣆               ⠳⡀
                                          ⠘⡄               ⠘⢆
                                           ⠸⡀               ⠈⢢⡀
                                            ⢳⡀                ⠑⡄
                                             ⢣               ⢀⡞• Denebola
                                             ⠈⣆             ⢀⠎
                                              ⠘⡆           ⣠⠃
                                               ⠸⡀         ⡰⠃
                                                ⢳⡀       ⡜⠁
                                                 ⢣     ⢀⠎
                                                 ⠈⢇   ⢠⠏
                                                  ⠈⡆ ⡠⠃
                                                   ⠸⡴⠁
                                                    • Spica
  
  now
  
  
                                                  ⣠⡀ Cor Caroli
                                                ⣠⠚ •⢆
                                              ⡠⠊     ⠳⡀
                                            ⡠⠊        ⠑⣄
                                         ⢀⡰⠊           ⠈⠣⡀
                                        ⡠⠊               ⠙⢄
                             Arcturus ●⠊                  ⠈⠣⡀
                                       ⢧                    ⠙⢄
                                       ⠈⡆                   ⡠⠋• Denebola
                                        ⠸⡄                ⣠⠎
                                         ⢱              ⣀⠞
                                          ⢧           ⢀⠔⠁
                                          ⠈⣆        ⢀⡔⠃
                                           ⠘⡄      ⡰⠊
                                            ⢱⡀   ⣠⠊
                                             ⢣ ⣀⠞
                                             ⠈•⠁
                                                Spica
  
  
  +50,000 years
  
  
                                    Cor Caroli •⡀
                                              ⢠⠃⠘⢆
                                              ⡸   ⠳⡀
                                             ⢠⠇    ⠘⢆
                                             ⡸       ⠳⡀
                                             ⡇        ⠘⢆
                                            ⢸           ⠳⡀
                                            ⡇            ⠘⢆
                                           ⢸⠁              ⢳⡀
                                           ⡏             ⣠⠔⠁• Denebola
                                          ⢰⠁          ⢀⡠⠊
                                          ⡜         ⣠⠔⠉
                                         ⢠⠃      ⢀⡠⠚
                                         ⡜     ⣠⠔⠉
                                        ⢀⠇  ⢀⡠⠚
                               Arcturus ● ⢠⠔⠉
                                        ⡮⠞⠁
                                        • Spica
  

  Over 50,000 years either way the longest side of this figure changes by 11%, and the furthest
  any of its stars travels is 29.5 degrees. Proper motion only: this is the shape changing, not
  the sky turning or the pole moving.

  curl 'skymap.sh/Great%20Diamond/evolution.gif'

  where it is tonight:  skymap.sh/Great Diamond