The Fixed Stars

Matar

Eta Pegasi, Al Matar, Sadalmatar

From the Arabic sa'd al-matar, the lucky star of the rain. It stands at about 1° Aries (tropical).

The fortunate rain, one of the 'sa'd' lucky stars strung along the horse's leg.

Matar is Eta Pegasi, a yellow giant marking the bend of the horse's near foreleg. Its name is a shortening of the Arabic sa'd al-matar, the lucky star of the rain, one of a family of 'sa'd' or fortune-names the old Arab astronomers scattered across this quarter of the sky. The name carries the sense of rain that comes as blessing rather than danger. The star belongs to the lucky-star series by name rather than by any developed planetary delineation, and the tradition gives it little beyond its fortunate meaning.

One of the Arabic 'sa'd' lucky-star names; carries a name-meaning of good fortune but little formal planetary lore.