Regulus ‘s the closest bright star to the ecliptic, sleeping regarding 0
Leo , brand new Lion, is the fifth sign of the fresh new astrological zodiac and that is one to of pair whose shape regarding evening air undoubtedly is comparable to your pet it is meant to portray : a good Westward-up against crouched lion. The fresh Lion’s head and you will ‘mane’ was an enthusiastic asterism of its half a dozen Westernmost famous people aren’t called the Sickle off Leo , that is formed like a good backward matter-mark [ ] . At the base of the question-draw was Leo is the reason brightest celebrity, Regulus ( Leo), establishing the position of animal’s center (the star’s choice name’s Cor Leonis, this new Lion’s center). Regulus is actually a two fold superstar whoever first parts (Regulus A) was magnitude +1.4, having a magazine. +7.6 partner (Regulus B) lying some 177″ (3 arcminutes) to help you the North-western. Regulus is another exemplory instance of a multiple superstar system ; Regulus A bring an incredibly close orbiting lover (maybe not visible thanks to inexperienced telescopes) whilst the its fainter mate (Regulus B) is itself double, these a-listers (BC) orbiting the primary after all 130,100 age or more.
Astronomers features concluded that Regulus spins a lot faster versus Sunrays , with good rotation ages of only sixteen period; was basically it to help you twist only ten% smaller, it might falter. That it high rotation rates possess misshapen Regulus toward an enthusiastic ellipsoidal contour.
Heracles assaulting the new Nemean Lion in the First Labour, due to the fact depicted on a loft black profile shoulder amphora regarding ancient Greece, old ca . 510 – five-hundred BC ( Image: Swarthmore College, Philadelphia )
Toward Babylonians it may features depicted the fresh new lion which had been usually portrayed to your cylinder seals close to Ishtar, their goddess out of like
5 values out of they. You to results of this is certainly the superstar is on a regular basis passed by the Moon and you may globes, and so they often citation in front of it, causing they in order to blink out to possess a period of time (a conference called a keen occultation). The truth that the name Regulus in addition to word ‘Regal’ is comparable is no happenstance; Regulus try an excellent Latin label meaning ‘Little King’; it derives about Babylonian term ‘lugal’ definition ‘king’. The name shows an old trust that celebrity regulated the new affairs of your heavens. It had been offered the newest name in 
the sixteenth 100 years by the the famous Gloss astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus.
Even in the event Leo ‘s the reason root are normally considered to lay in the mythology regarding ancient Greece, the spot where the constellation are called ‘Le n’, that is definitely quite elderly, and most likely one of many oldest zodiac constellations. The fresh new Egyptians labeled Regulus given that ‘Lion’s Head’ within their range of ‘hour-stars’ which were always mark the way of the Moon . The latest star Zosma ( Leo or Delta Leonis, magazine. +2.6) is actually as well labeled as ‘His Tail’. To 3200 BC Leo marked summer time solstice updates, supplying the constellation a certain value within Mesopotamians, whoever art works frequently depicted lions, bulls and you will scorpions during the mythological contexts. Leo are labeled as ‘The Lion’ in numerous almost every other societies, including Arabic, Persian, Babylonian, Turkish and you may Hebrew. The Arabs understood it of the identity ‘Asad’, the latest Persians from the identity ‘Ser’ and also the Babylonians entitled it ‘ur.gu.la’ (‘Lion’ or ‘Great Dog’), certainly the you are zodiac constellations. About MUL.APIN tablets it’s revealed since Latarak, new Babylonian lion-oriented protector-god. Chances are, however, you to regarding the ancient Middle east the brand new constellation of one’s Lion try much larger as compared to one i recognise today. Instance, new Persian astronomer Al-Sufi, in his Book regarding Fixed A-listers (964 Advertisement), represented it this new Bedouin Arabs had identified they for some centuries: extending of Spica ( Virgo ) right across the to help you Castor ( Gemini ).