The stars traditional name, Alterf, comes from the Arabic a-arf, which means the view (of the lion).. The primary component was once the smaller of the two stars. M66 and NGC 3628 had an encounter in the past, and the gravitational interaction between the two resulted in an exceptionally high central mass concentration in M66, a high molecular to atomic mass ratio, and a resolved noncorotating clump of H I material being removed from one of M66s spiral arms. It is almost finished fusing hydrogen into helium in its core. Every eight years, Venus passes near the star around that time. Regulus, along with five slightly dimmer stars (Zeta Leonis, Mu Leonis, Gamma Leonis, Epsilon Leonis, and Eta Leonis) have collectively been called 'the Sickle', which is an asterism that marks the head of Leo. Some Peruvians also knew these stars as the Mountain Lion, whereas in China it was sometimes seen as a horse, and at other times as part of a dragon. There will be a series of 20 lunar occultations of Regulus from July 26, 2025, to December 27, 2026. Because Regulus can stray within the ecliptic, or the path upon which the sun and planets travel, it is very occasionally eclipsed by one of the planets or an asteroid. Regulus is only slightly fainter than Deneb in the constellation Cygnus and Mimosa in Crux, and it just outshines Adhara in Canis Major, Castor in Gemini, and Shaula in Scorpius. Regulus, designated Alpha Leonis, is a blue-white main-sequence star of magnitude 1.34, 77.5 light-years from Earth. They are located at an angular distance of 177 arc seconds from Regulus A. The pair lie about 177 arc seconds or 4,200 astronomical units away from Regulus A. Regulus B has an apparent magnitude of 8.13 and Regulus C has an apparent magnitude of 13.50. Merak and Dubhe, the outer stars of the Big Dippers bowl, also point in the general direction of the constellation Leo. Regulus - Alpha Leonis - Constellation Guide It contains a nuclear star-forming ring, almost 2000 light-years across, where a large proportion of the galaxys star formation takes place. Meet Regulus, Little King of the Ecliptic - Sky & Telescope This group, named the M96 Group, also includes the bright galaxies Messier 105 and Messier 95, as well as a number of smaller and fainter galaxies. [citation needed], In 747 BCE the Babylonian King Nabu-nasir adopted a calendar derived from the motions of the four stars, one following an eight-year cycle and one a nineteen-year cycle (later adopting the nineteen-year calendar as standard). It can show you might rank high in urban affairs, land management, etc. She was contributing writer for Space.com (opens in new tab) for 10 years before joining full-time, freelancing since 2012. Thank you! [30], Although best seen in the evening in the northern hemisphere's late winter and spring, Regulus appears at some time of night throughout the year except for about a month (depending on ability to compensate for the sun's glare, ideally done so in twilight) on either side of August 2224, when the Sun is too close. When Aldebaran was the star of the spring equinox, Regulus would have been the summer solstice star. It formally applies only to the component Alpha Leonis A, but is informally used for the whole system. 3.324), Adhafera (Zeta Leo, mag. Regulus can also sometimes be occulted by asteroids. It was the most important of the Four Royal Stars of the Persians, which marked the seasons. [citation needed] and are the brightest stars in their constellations and among the 25brightest stars in the night sky. Fixed Star Regulus - Astrology King The star is visible to the unaided eye. The Gamma Leonis system has a combined apparent magnitude of 1.98 and is approximately 130 light years distant from the Sun. Regulus is the brightest object in the constellation Leo and one of the brightest stars in the night sky. Don became interested in astronomy at age 8. [5], The royal stars were used primarily for navigation. This pattern, known as the Sickle, makes up the head and forequarters of Leo the Lion. A supernova was observed in M95 in March 2012. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. In contrast, our sun spins on its axis about once every 27 days. In fact, this image from Hubble frames a perfect spiral specimen: the stunning NGC 2903. Astrophotographer John Chumack sent in a photo of Mars (red), Regulus (blue star) and the waning crescent moon in a triangle over his backyard observatory in Dayton, OH. The BC pair lies at an angular distance of 177 arc-seconds from Regulus A, making them visible in amateur telescopes.[24]. I. I am the author of five books on mythology, including one on sun-goddesses. The stars traditional naames, Ras Elased (Australis), Asad Australis and Algenubi, are derived from the Arabic phrase rs al-asad al-janb, which means the southern star of the lions head., Epsilon Leonis is 288 times more luminous than the Sun, four times as massive, and it has 21 times the solar radius. Regulus Star Facts & Features About The Little King. They are located 100 astronomical units away from each other and have an orbital period of 2,000 years. Most of the stars in the galaxy are old. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Ultraviolet emissions from the galaxys central region suggest that it has a supermassive black hole at its core. The International Occultation Timing Association recorded no observations at all. The star has two known companions nearby,. The star has a relatively high projected rotational velocity, 23 km/s. [31] The star can be viewed the whole night, crossing the sky, in late February. The star is visible at some point in the night year-round, with the exception of the month around August 22-24, when it is too close to the Sun. Messier 65, Messier 66 and NGC 3628 form the famous Leo Triplet galaxy group. The brothers became the seven major stars of the Big Dipper, and the girl became the small star Alcor. Regulus passes through SOHO's LASCO C3 every August. The star is suspected to be a member of the Ursa Major Moving Group, a group of stars that includes most of the brightest stars in Ursa Major that share a common origin and motion through space. It has a visual magnitude varying from 4.4 to 11.3 with a period of 312 days and is classified as a Mira variable. This blog allows me to explore ideas and get reactions and suggestions from readers. [32], For Earth observers, the heliacal rising (pre-sunrise appearance) of Regulus occurs late in the first week of September, or in the second week. I am the child of earth and starry heaven. Petelia Tablet, We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. Oscar Wilde. A constellation is a pattern of stars in a recognisable shape that is supposed to resemble an object, animal or person. And, every month, the moon passes near Regulus. Get breaking space news and the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more! The Chinese knew Regulus as the Fourteenth Star of Xuanyuan, the Yellow Emperor (). Indeed, the lowest mass white dwarfs are usually found in binary systems where they lost a significant fraction of their mass.". Zosma, Delta Leonis, is another rapid rotator in Leo, with a projected rotational velocity of 180 km/s. The three-letter abbreviation, adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1922, is Leo. Regulus Star - Facts & Features About The Little King The brighter of the pair is called Regulus A. Regulus: the Lion's Heart | We Are Star Stuff It rose above the horizon as the sun set, stayed up all night long, and reached its highest point due south (as seen from the Northern Hemisphere) at local midnight. Sorting Astronomical Bodies Quiz - Constellations, Asterisms and Stars It contains 13 named stars. [4] The sun was then surrounded by four bright stars at the beginning of every season. With just 1/3 the mass of the sun, Regulus C is a red dwarf star with a spectral classification of M4V. Regulus B and C are gravitationally bound to each other, and together theyre called Regulus BC. The galaxy was discovered by the French astronomer Pierre Mchain in 1781 and Charles Messier subsequently included it in his catalogue four days later. The companion star has an apparent magnitude of 4.8. The Sickle can be found using the bright stars of the Big Dipper, the most recognizable part of the constellation Ursa Major. Come early July, Regulus will be low to the west an hour after sunset. NGC 3596 is an intermediate spiral galaxy with a visual magnitude of 12.0. Along with Sirius and Orion, Regulus would be one of the star systems from which man originates. Leo Constellation: Stars, Facts, Myth, Location - Constellation Guide By early June, itll be high in the southwest an hour after sunset. They were also believed to govern events in the world. The stars projected rotational velocity is 128 km/s. 61 reviews. It has 11 stars with known planets. NGC 3842 is an elliptical galaxy, notable for having one of the largest black holes known. Science news, great photos, sky alerts. Its a multiple system with at least four component stars. It has an apparent magnitude of 1.35 and is approximately 77 light years distant. Leo contains five Messier objects: Messier 65 (M65, NGC 3623), Messier 66 (M66, NGC 3627), Messier 95 (M95, NGC 3351), Messier 96 (M96, NGC 3368), and Messier 105 (M105, NGC 3379). Denebola, Spica, and Arcturus form the Great Diamond (the Diamond of Virgo) with the fainter Cor Caroli, the brightest star in Canes Venatici (the Hunting Dogs). The name Denebola comes from the Arabic anab al-asad, which means the lions tail.. Wigwam Resort Golf Course. It has an apparent magnitude of 4.044 and is approximately 210 light years distant. The cloak both protected Heracles and made him appear even more fearsome. The star is a very fast spinner, with a projected rotational velocity of 318 km/s at the equator. Other ancient cultures also saw it as a herald of kingly power. Regulus A is the brightest star of the system, having around 288 solar luminosities. [18], The primary of Regulus A has about 3.8 times the Sun's mass. Messier 66 is an intermediate spiral galaxy in Leo. The Persians knew the star as Miyan, the Centre and as Venant, the guardian of the north. Alpha Leonis is the closest bright star to the ecliptic. In Persian astronomy, the sky was divided into four districts and each district was guarded by one of the four bright stars. However, although it looks like one star to the eye, its actually four stars. Zeta Leonis has a visual magnitude of 3.33 and is about 274 light years distant from the solar system. The star is approximately 247 light years distant from Earth. It is between 390 and 490 light years distant from the Sun. Reblogged this on Die Goldene Landschaft.
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