A Night of Celestial Capture: Regulus (Leo)

Before me, among the bright constellations, was my star object: HIP 49669 Regulus, the royalty of Leo. Regulus is not simply a star; it is a symbol, a guide for many who seek their way in the vastness of the universe. This star is one of the brightest in the constellation Leo and one of the most fascinating in the night sky.

Its name comes from the Latin word regulus, meaning "little king" or "little prince." In ancient times, it was called Cor Leonis ("heart of the Lion"), and the Babylonians considered it one of the four royal stars of the sky, along with Aldebaran, Antares, and Fomalhaut.

Regulus is not a single star, but a quadruple star system composed of two binary pairs. The primary star, Regulus A, is a very hot, blue-white, B7 V-type star, about 360 times the luminosity of the Sun, located approximately 79 light-years from Earth.

The most striking feature of Regulus A is its extraordinary rotation speed: it completes a rotation in just 15.9 hours (compared to the Sun's approximately 25 days), which significantly flattens it at the poles. It is estimated that if it rotated just 16% faster, it would disintegrate due to centrifugal force.

In Western astrology, Regulus has been associated for millennia with royalty, power, and honor. Aristotle and Ptolemy mentioned it extensively.