Spring officially arrived in the Northern Hemisphere on March 20 at 2:16 p.m. Eastern Time. And high in our evening sky now the most famous stars of spring await exploration.
In the constellation of Leo, the Lion, shines the bluish-white star, Regulus. According to Richard Hinckley Allen, an expert in stellar nomenclature, this star was known in Arabia as Malikiyy -- "the kingly one."
Copernicus is credited with giving the star its present name, a diminutive of Rex, or king, which may also relate to the four so-called "Royal Stars" (with Aldebaran, Antares and Fomalhaut) all about 90 degrees apart on the sky. (The night sky can be divided into four equal quadrants, each making up 90 degrees of the whole.)
As the brightest star in Leo, first magnitude Regulus has been almost universally associated in ancient cultures with the concept of royalty and kingly power. This star lies in the handle of the so-called "Sickle of Leo," a star pattern resembling a large reversed question mark.
able --> Regulus is 77 light-years distant, meaning that the light you see emanating from it tonight started on its journey toward Earth back in 1925. The star's diameter is estimated to be about five times that of the Sun, and its luminosity 160 times greater.
Algeiba, ("the Lions Mane") is in the curve or the blade of the Sickle, and appears as a single star to the naked eye. Yet a telescope of only moderate size will clearly show it is really one of the most beautiful double stars in the sky.
Algeiba should really be observed in twilight or bright moonlight to reveal the contrasting colors -- one star has been said to be greenish, the other a delicate yellow. Other observers, however, have described different hues such as pale yellow and orange; reddish and golden yellow and even pale red and white.
The Sickle, when rising and climbing the sky, as it is doing now, is seen cutting upward.
Eastward from the Sickle there is a right triangle of stars that also belong to Leo. At the eastern point of this triangle you will find Denebola, ("The Lions Tail"). To modern skywatchers the Sickle outlines the majestic head and mane of a great westward-facing lion, with the triangle forming the lions forequarters. He is crouching in the regal pose somewhat resembling the enigmatic Sphinx.
Astronomer Henry Neely, for many years a popular lecturer at New Yorks Hayden Planetarium, would often use his electric pointer to draw attention to these stars and then would exclaim: "Behold! Here is the lion known as Leo. A conception that was familiar to the peoples of many lands long before a certain motion-picture company adopted him as its trademark."
Main Spacewatch Page
Sky calendar, Moon phases, and more backyard astronomy tips and news.
advertisement
