Star profile

Rho Leonis

Hot blue star

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

What is Rho Leonis

Rho Leonis is one of the hidden gems in the Lion's mane, a blue type B supergiant whose light has travelled from a distance so vast that catalogues assign it figures more typical of the galactic heart. Its rarity lies in belonging to the family of fiercely hot, ephemeral stars that will illuminate the firmament for only a few tens of millions of years before collapsing as supernovae, leaving behind clouds of gas enriched with the elements present in every living thing.

Where it is and when to see it

Rho Leonis lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is February, when it culminates around midnight.

From London it culminates about 48° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 59° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 47° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere north of 81° S.

It ranks no. 10 in brightness among the 80 stars of Leo in our catalogue. To find it, start from Regulus, the brightest: it lies about 7° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 330,000 years ago.

Find it on the sky map

It opens in your browser. Free, no account, nothing to install.

Leave your signature on Rho Leonis

Your name and a message go up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.

Without a lock, someone else can replace your signature. How the lock works

We'll ask for an email to confirm it's you, no password.

Write my signature

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 Rho Leonis

Constellation: Leo
Apparent magnitude: 3.84
Distance: 326200.0 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 158.203° · Dec 9.307°
Catalogue: HIP 51624 · HD 91316

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