Regulus is the closest bright celebrity toward ecliptic, lying about 0
Leo , the brand new Lion, is the fifth indication of the fresh astrological zodiac that will be that of one’s few whose profile throughout the nights sky undoubtedly is similar to the animal it is supposed to show : a Westward-facing crouched lion. The brand new Lion’s lead and you will ‘mane’ is a keen asterism of their half a dozen Westernmost famous people commonly called the Sickle regarding Leo , that’s formed such as for example a good backward matter-mark [ ] . At the base of your concern-mark is Leo is the reason smartest star, Regulus ( Leo), establishing the positioning of your animal’s center (brand new star’s option name is Cor Leonis, new Lion’s cardiovascular system). Regulus is actually a double superstar whoever number 1 part (Regulus Good) are magnitude +step one.cuatro, with a mag. +seven.6 partner (Regulus B) sleeping specific 177″ (step three arcminutes) to help you the Northern-western. Regulus is another illustration of a simultaneous celebrity program ; Regulus A has a very intimate orbiting mate (maybe not apparent as a result of amateur telescopes) even though the their fainter spouse (Regulus B) was itself twice, both of these famous people (BC) orbiting the main after most of the 130,000 decades or more.
Astronomers possess figured Regulus revolves faster than the Sunshine , which have a good rotation age of only sixteen circumstances; was indeed it to spin only 10% less, it might break apart. So it high rotation price have deformed Regulus toward a keen ellipsoidal shape.
Heracles attacking the fresh Nemean Lion in the First Work, due to the fact represented to the a loft black colored figure shoulder amphora regarding ancient Greece, old california . 510 – 500 BC ( Image: Swarthmore College, Philadelphia )
On Babylonians it wantmatures inloggen may keeps portrayed the brand new lion that has been will represented on the cylinder seals next to Ishtar, their goddess regarding love
5 amount regarding it. You to consequence of that is your celebrity is actually on a regular basis passed by the Moon and you may worlds, and additionally they either ticket before they, resulting in it so you’re able to blink away having a time (an event called an enthusiastic occultation). That the name Regulus and keyword ‘Regal’ is equivalent isn’t any coincidence; Regulus is actually a beneficial Latin name meaning ‘Little King’; they derives from the Babylonian phrase ‘lugal’ meaning ‘king’. Title shows an ancient trust your superstar managed the facts of your own air. It had been provided its current term regarding the 16th millennium because of the the fresh famous Shine astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus.
Even in the event Leo ‘s sources are normally thought to sit on the myths of old Greece, in which the constellation try called ‘Le n’, that is certainly definitely older, and probably one of many oldest zodiac constellations. The latest Egyptians referred to Regulus since ‘Lion’s Head’ within their a number of ‘hour-stars’ that happen to be used to draw the road of Moonlight . The newest star Zosma ( Leo otherwise Delta Leonis, magazine. +2.6) is simultaneously known as ‘His Tail’. Around 3200 BC Leo marked summer time solstice updates, supplying the constellation a specific value amongst the Mesopotamians, whoever art works apparently portrayed lions, bulls and you may scorpions in mythological contexts. Leo is actually labeled as ‘The Lion’ in numerous most other societies, also Arabic, Persian, Babylonian, Turkish and you will Hebrew. The fresh Arabs knew they of the title ‘Asad’, the fresh new Persians by the title ‘Ser’ and also the Babylonians entitled they ‘ur.gu.la’ (‘Lion’ otherwise ‘Great Dog’), certainly its you are zodiac constellations. On the MUL.APIN tablets it’s found as Latarak, the new Babylonian lion-went protector-goodness. It’s likely, but not, one to about old Middle east the fresh new constellation of your Lion is actually much bigger than the that we understand today. For example, the brand new Persian astronomer Al-Sufi, inside the Publication of Fixed Superstars (964 Offer), portrayed it as the latest Bedouin Arabs got known they for some centuries: stretching regarding Spica ( Virgo ) completely around the to Castor ( Gemini ).