Star profile

Regulus

Alpha Leonis · Leo

Hot blue star

3D likeness based on its real data · class B · ~15,000 K

What is Regulus

Regulus —Latin for 'the little king'— marks the heart of the Lion and presides over the ecliptic, where Sun, Moon and planets graze her path. At 79 light-years, this blue-white star spins so quickly on its axis that it has flattened into a visible ellipsoid even to modern instruments. Persian and Arab astronomers called her «Qalb al-Asad», the lion's heart, long before Copernicus granted her an imperial title.

Where it is and when to see it

Regulus lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is one of the brightest stars in the sky: visible even from a city. Its best month of the year is February, when it culminates around midnight.

From London it culminates about 50° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 61° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 44° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 78° S.

It is the brightest of the 80 stars of Leo in our catalogue, which makes it the best starting point for finding your way around the constellation.

The light you see today left it about 79 years ago.

Find it on the sky map

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A public signature from a real person. The chosen name is a symbolic denomination within Stelvia, with no official standing or IAU recognition: the sky is not for sale and belongs to no one.

Astronomical data for Regulus

Constellation: Leo
Apparent magnitude: 1.36
Distance: 79.3 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 152.093° · Dec 11.967°
Catalogue: HIP 49669 · HD 87901

A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.

Other stars in Leo

Leo has 80 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 80 stars in Leo