Denebola

Its story

Denebola is «the lion's tail» in Arabic, the point where Leo closes its silhouette in the spring sky and where ancient observers placed the end of the celestial beast. At just 36 light-years, it is a relatively close neighbour of the Sun: white, young and surrounded by a dust disc reminiscent of forming planetary systems still settling into orbits. Its light reaches us almost fresh, recent compared with that of the distant giants sharing the same firmament.