What is Regulus? Characteristics and features of the star

What is Regulus? The brightest star in the constellation of Leo. About her features and location on the horizon, we'll talk further.

The constellation of Leo

In the northern hemisphere of the sky, between Cancer and Virgo, is the zodiacal constellation of Leo. This is one of the most ancient open constellations. People of Ancient India and Mesopotamia knew about it, and from all languages the name was deciphered as "The Lion".

The form of the constellation really reminds the king of beasts. His head, neck and chest, curved in a semicircle, constitute the asterism "Sickle." The brightest star in the constellation of Leo is Regulus. Next in brightness come Algieba, Denebola, Zosma, Algenubi. The composition of the constellation includes a red dwarf Wolf 359 with a weak glow, a double cataclysmic variable star.

Within the Lion there are many interesting objects. In mid-November, one can see Leonid's meteor showers formed after the split of Tempel's comet Tuttle. In the constellation there are many luminous galaxies, for example M66, NGC 3628, and also a gas cloud with orbits of dwarf galaxies, which was called the Lion Ring.

What is Regulus?

The star of Regulus is an alpha in the constellation of Leo. Located at the bottom of the constellation, just where the asterism "Serp" ends or an inverted question mark ends. It is the brightest star of the zodiacal constellation and one of the brightest in the sky. Regul is on the 21st place in the list of the brightest objects.

Regulus is a star located close to the ecliptic. As a result, every August through it lies the path of the Sun, and from our eyes it is covered by the Moon. In the spring sky, she, together with Spika in the constellation Virgo and Arcturus in the constellation Bootes, stands out prominently among the other luminaries.

The mass of the star Regulus exceeds solar approximately 3.5 times. It was formed relatively recently and according to astronomical standards it is considered quite young. From the solar system, the star is removed by 77.5 light years (one light year is 9.4605 petameters). It is 141 times brighter than our Sun and four times larger than its diameter.

Star components

The regulus is a multiple. This means that it consists of several stars. In this case, there are four. First and foremost is Regulus A, that's what they mean when talking about the Leo Alpha. This star is characterized by extremely fast rotation with a period of 15.9 hours. Due to this the star has an oblate shape, and its poles are five times hotter than the equator.

Regulus A is a white-bluish star that enters the dual system. Gravity connects it with another star - Regulus D, which in this system acts as a satellite. Regul D is a white dwarf, the period of its rotation lasts 40 days.

The star has an incredibly small mass, which is 0.3 times the mass of the Sun. It was opened only in 2008, due to the thin spectroscopic observations. The dwarf is not visible in the telescope, since it is blocked by the main star.

At a distance of 100 astronomical units there are Regulus B and C. They are a binary system with a period of orbital rotation of about 2000 years. Regul B is the orange star of the main sequence, Regulus C is a red dwarf.

Name and Symbolism

What is Regulus, knew even the ancient Persians. According to their numerous legends, the star was one of the four guardians of the sky along with Aldebaran (constellation of Taurus), Fomalhaut (South Fish) and Antares (Scorpio). The Persians called Regulus the guard of the North, associating it with the powerful ruler Feridun. This star marked the point of the summer solstice.

The Latin name regulus means "prince" or "king". The same interpretation of the name existed among the Arabs and among the ancient Greeks. In particular, Ptolemy called the star "Basilisk", which translates as "king" or "lord". Regulus is the main and brightest star in the constellation, therefore it is often referred to as the "Heart of the Lion".

Many meanings of the luminary are given by astrologers, assuring that stars in the zodiacal constellations have a direct impact on the fate of people. It has long been believed that the people protected by Regulus have extraordinary strength of mind, success and ambition. They are notorious leaders, endowed with generosity and nobility.

How to recognize Regulus?

Now that you've learned what Regulus is, you can try to find it in the sky. Find a star is easier if you can recognize the constellation of Leo. Regulus is the extreme right-hand star in the trapezoid (Leo body) of four bright stars. In the asterism of the reversed question mark, it is the final point on the bottom.

This is the most extreme and lower star of the Lion. The constellation appears in the sky since January. Then it can be seen late at night. In February, it can be seen right after sunset. However, it is best to watch it from March to April. At this time, the constellation is located in the southern part of the sky.

In the spring, Regulus is one of the brightest stars, casting a blue and white light. The star rotates in a perpendicular position to the viewing angle. Therefore, from the Earth, we observe it from the side of the rib.