Today we will tell you about one of the most observed stars in the spring sky of the Northern Hemisphere and the third most apparent brightness in the constellation Leo. We will talk about Denebola or Beta Leo.

Part of the well-known asterisms of the Vernal Triangle and the Virgo Diamond along with Arcturus and the Heart of Charles, Denebola is very clearly visible in the night sky with the naked eye, which makes it one of the most beloved and observed stars by amateur astronomers not only in the Northern Hemisphere, but also in the Southern Hemisphere , excluding Antarctic latitudes.

The Arabs called Denebola Deneb-el-Azad or Deneb-al-Asad (Deneb Eleced, Deneb-el-Asad), which translates as the tail of a lion. A little later, the star was also called Sarfa, which means “turning”: with its rising the heat went away, and with its setting the cold. In some places in the Arab world at that time the name Dafira was also common, which in translation corresponds to the Tassel at the end of the Lion’s tail.

For Chinese astronomers, Denebola was part of the five-star asterism Woo Ti Tsi, which is translated as the Throne of the Twelve Emperors.

IN medieval Europe Denebola has long been considered a bad star and was a harbinger of misfortune and shame.

In the “Uranometry” of the German astronomer Johann Bayer, published in 1603, the star was designated as Beta Leo, which corresponds to the second indicator in terms of apparent brightness in the constellation, but today it is known that Denebola is inferior in this indicator not only to Algiebe . In 1725, the English astronomer John Flamsteed in his catalog indicated the magnitude of right ascension this star as 94 Leo, and his compatriot Richard Proctor, a century and a half later in 1871, in his atlas indicated Denebola as Deneb Aleet, which became, as many experts believe, a derivative for the modern official name.

From the point of view physical characteristics Denebola continues on at the moment remain a single main sequence of spectral class A, which is distant from Earth, according to the latest updated data, by approximately 36 light years.

The radius and mass of Denebola exceed similar solar parameters by approximately 73 and 75%, respectively. At the same time, the surface temperature of the star is significantly higher than the corresponding indicator, amounting to more than 8,600 degrees Kelvin. The luminosity index is about 14 times higher than the sun's.

It is also worth adding about the rather high speed of rotation of the star around its axis, amounting to about 125 kilometers per second, which allows the star to make full turn in just over 15 and a half hours.

In addition, Denebola is also a variable star of the Delta Cephei type, slightly changing its brightness with a period of 2 to 3 hours.

The star is likely part of the open star cluster IC 2391, also known as the Omicron Veli cluster, which also includes stars such as Alpha Pictoris and Beta Canes Venatici.

At the moment, no planets or other similar objects have been identified in the vicinity of Denebola. However, observations in the infrared spectrum indicate the presence of two cool circumstellar fragmentation disks. The innermost disk extends from the central star from 16 to 45 million kilometers, while the inner boundary of the outer one begins at approximately 13 astronomical units. Its width is estimated differently, but its most likely value is 6.2 astronomical units.

Considering that the star is still relatively young, and its age ranges from 100 to 380 million years, the probable planets are, apparently, still at the stage of formation, all in the same fragmentation disks. At the same time, Denebola should still hurry up with the reproduction of such objects, since its lifespan on the main sequence is not as significant as, say, .

In the section on Denebola's question - THE MOST bright star solar system? given by the author Eurovision the best answer is The brightest star in the solar system is the Sun.

Reply from CLAYMORE[guru]
If we are talking about our solar system, then I agree with Oleg Ershov. There is only one star in our system - the SUN, unless of course this is the second name - Denebola.

Reply from Dims[guru]
Yes, the answer above was correct - in our solar system there is only one star and it is the brightest - the Sun.
If you meant which is the brightest star visible in the sky at night from Earth, then this is Sirius (aka Alpha Big Dog) .

Reply from dry up[guru]
If we mean specifically in the solar system, then Oleg Ershov is absolutely right - this is the Sun. Moreover, in solar system The sun is generally the only star.
If we mean from those visible from the Earth - Oleg Ershov is right again (and everyone else too) - the Sun.
If you mean those visible from the Earth, but not the Sun, then you’re right [email protected]- this is Sirius.
If you mean “What is Denebola?”, then this is the second brightest star in Leo (second after Regulus). In astronomical parlance it is called Beta Leo. And translated from Arabic "Denebol" as "Lion's Tail"
P.S. Please close your questions (you don’t care, but we need it), otherwise if there are a lot of unclosed ones (now there’s only one and that old one), then no one will want to answer you.

The arrangement of bright stars really resembles a reclining lion, whose head and chest represent the famous “Sickle” asterism, similar to a mirrored question mark.

The “dot” at the bottom of this sign is the bright blue-white star Regulus (α Leo), which in Latin means “king”. Sometimes it is also called “Heart of the Lion” (Cor Leonis). The luminosity of Regulus is 160 times higher than the Sun, and its high apparent magnitude (1.36 magnitude) is explained by its relative proximity to us (85 holy years). Among the stars of the first magnitude, Regulus is located closest to the ecliptic, so it is often covered by the Moon.

At the back of the beast’s figure is the star Denebola (β Leo), translated from Arabic as “lion’s tail.” It has a magnitude of 2.14 magnitude and is only 43 light away. year.

At the base of the “lion’s head” is the golden-yellow Algieba (γ Leo), which means “lion’s mane.” It is a close visual binary of magnitude 2.0.

R Leo is one of the brightest long-period variables, varying in magnitude from 5th to 10th magnitude. The very faint red dwarf Wolf 359 (visible magnitude 13.45) is the third among the closest stars (distance 7.80 light years); its luminosity is 100,000 times less than the Sun. If this star took the place of our Sun, then at noon on Earth it would be little lighter than it is now at the full moon.

Among the distant objects in this constellation, the spiral galaxies M 65, M 66, M 95 and M 96, as well as the elliptical galaxy M 105, lying near the last two spirals, are interesting. Their apparent brightness ranges from magnitude 8.4 to 10.4.

Asterism "Sickle"

The Crescent asterism consists of six stars of the constellation - α (Regulus), η, γ (Algieba), ζ, μ and ε (Algenubi). The shape resembles a sickle or a mirrored question mark.

Observation

As a rule, the Sun is in the constellation from August 10 to September 15. Best conditions for observations in February and March.

In the constellation Leo lies the radiant of the Leonid meteor shower, formed from the disintegration of comet Tempel-Tuttle and observed in mid-November.

Story

The constellation was known to the Sumerians 5,000 years ago. Included in the catalog starry sky"Almagest". Classic myth associates the Lion with the slain Nemean monster. One of the earliest mentions of the constellation in Russian is in a manuscript of the 11th century, published by A. Budilovich under the title “XIII Words of Gregory the Theologian in the Old Slavic Translation...”.

Leo (zodiac sign)

Leo is the fifth sign of the zodiac, corresponding to the ecliptic sector from 120° to 150°, counting from the point spring equinox; The permanent sign of the trine is Fire.

In Western astrology, it is believed that the Sun is in the sign of Leo from approximately July 23 to August 23 or 22, in Vedic astrology - from August 15 to September 15. The sign of Leo should not be confused with the constellation Leo, in which the Sun is located from August 10 to September 15.

The Leo character ♌ (may not be displayed in some browsers) is Unicode decimal number 9804 or hexadecimal number 264C and can be entered into HTML code as ♌ or ♌.

click on the image to enlarge it

Lat. Name	Leo (gen.: Leonis)
Reduction	Leo
Symbol
Right ascension	from 9 h 15 m to 11 h 52 m
Declension	from -6° 00’ to +33° 30’
Square	947 sq. degrees (12th place)
Brightest stars (value< 3 m)	Regulus (α Leo) - 1.36m Algieba (γ Leo) - 2.01m Denebola (β Leo) - 2.14m Zosma (δ Leo) - 2.56 Algenubi (ε Leo) - 2.97m
Meteor showers
Neighboring constellations	Little Leo Lynx (angle)
The constellation is visible at latitudes from +84° to -56°. Best time for observation - February, March.

Constellation Leo from the Atlas "Uranographia" by John Hevelius (1690)

Constellation Leo from the Atlas "Uranographia" by J. E. Bode (Berlin 1801)

click on the image to enlarge it

Constellation Leo from the Atlas "Urania's Mirror" (London, 1825)

Mythology

Nemean lion of the first labor of Hercules. Briefly, right?

However, perhaps he was placed in heaven by Zeus simply as the king of beasts. But this is kind of a boring version.

The constellation Leo has been known to people since ancient times. The name was given to it by the Egyptians in ancient times. They associated it not with legends or mythology, but with recurring seasonal phenomena.

IN Ancient Egypt When at night in March and April, high above the horizon, almost at the very zenith, the stars of the Leo constellation began to shine, a period of terrible heat began. Even the fertile Nile Valley dried up, the soil cracked due to the unbearable heat. At this time, at night, the terrible roar of lions was heard, wandering through the desert in search of prey. Nobody dared to go there. The desert turned into a kingdom of lions. This was repeated from year to year, and therefore the ancient Egyptians named the part of the starry sky that they saw at that time after Leo. So the king of beasts, Leo, appeared in the starry sky.

According to legend, great kings were supposed to be born under the sign of this constellation. Therefore, the brightest star in the constellation Leo was named Regulus (from the Latin rex - king).

Greek mythology connects the constellation Leo with the monstrous Nemean Lion and with one of the labors of Hercules.

Having defeated the titans, Zeus overthrew them into gloomy Tartarus. At the huge gates of Tartarus, the hundred-armed Hekaton-Heirs vigilantly guarded the terrible enemies. The Titans have forever lost their power over the world. But Zeus’s struggle for power over Heaven and Earth did not end there. He still had to defeat the last enemy - Typhon, who inspired terror in everyone and was the cause of many disasters on Earth.

When Gaia (Earth) learned how cruelly Zeus treated her children - the Titans, she married the gloomy Tartarus and gave birth to the terrible hundred-headed monster Typhon - a creature with a hundred dragon heads, continuously spewing flames in all directions. As soon as Typhon rose from bowels of the earth, the whole Earth shook from its weight. The deafening roar of angry bulls and lions, barking dogs and terrifying snake hiss spread far across the Earth, and the flames emitted by the dragon's heads burned everything around. Horror gripped people and animals, and even the gods were afraid. The earth was burning, and everything was melting from the hellish heat. Violent flames swirled around Typhon. Only Zeus was not afraid. He boldly opposed Typhon, showered him with lightning and deafened him with peals of thunder. Earth and Sky merged into a continuous fire, it seemed that even the air was burning. Zeus' lightning turned everything into ashes. Zeus incinerated all one hundred heads of Typhon, and he collapsed to the Earth like a huge rock. Such heat emanated from his body that everything around him melted, and the Earth itself almost turned into a river of fire. Wasting no time, Zeus grabbed the huge body of Typhon and threw him into the depths of the gloomy Tartarus, which gave birth to this monster. Typhon remained there forever. But even in Tartarus, Typhon also threatens the gods and strikes terror into people, causing terrible hurricanes that sweep away everything in its path. The fire of Typhon passes through the thickness of the mountains, and then rivers of fire flow along their slopes. But the worst thing happened when Typhon married Echidna. They gave birth to terrible monsters - the two-headed dog Ortho, the three-headed dog Kerberus with a snake tail, the Lernaean Hydra, the Nemean Lion, etc. Some monsters rose to Earth and caused terrible disasters and terrible suffering to people.

Typhon and Echidna (half-woman, half-snake) left their brainchild - a huge lion - in the mountains, not far from the city of Nemea (hence its name - the Nemean Lion). With a terrible roar, he rampaged around the city and devastated everything around. Horror gripped people and animals when they heard this roar. The people did not dare to leave their homes, hunger set in, and illness began. Weeping and wailing were heard in Nemea. No one could save people from the unbearable disaster that all of Greece was talking about.

King Eurystheus instructed Hercules to kill the Nemean lion and bring his corpse to Mycenae.

Hercules immediately set off. In Nemea he saw a devastated, scorched land. All living things hid in their homes. No one could even tell him where the terrible lion’s den was located.

The whole day Hercules wandered along the wooded slopes of the mountains, but nowhere could he find the monstrous lion. The sun was already setting and it was getting dark. And then the terrifying roar of the lion reached Hercules, who woke up and was waiting complete darkness to start hunting...

In several giant leaps, Hercules reached the lion's den, which was a huge cave with two exits. In front of one of the exits, Hercules piled up huge stones, and he hid at the second exit and prepared a bow and arrows. A little time passed, and a giant lion appeared from the cave with a roar. Hercules showered him with arrows, but none of them even wounded the monster - the arrows bounced off the lion, whose skin was harder than iron. Hercules did not know that the Nemean Lion was invulnerable to weapons. When Hercules saw that the arrows were bouncing off the lion, he threw away his bow and attacked the lion with a club. One powerful blow Hercules hit him on the head, stunned him, then grabbed him by the neck with his powerful hands and squeezed him so hard that he strangled the lion.

Having hoisted a huge beast onto his shoulders, Hercules went to Nemea. There he made a sacrifice to Zeus and established the Nemean Games in memory of his first feat, during which wars stopped throughout Greece and universal peace reigned.

Hercules carried the lion to Mycenae. When Eurystheus saw the monster, he was so afraid of the strength and power of Hercules that he forbade him to approach Mycenae, and ordered evidence of the fulfillment of his further orders to be shown at the city walls.

The great thunderer Zeus turned the Nemean Lion into a constellation and left it shining in the sky to remind people of the feat of his son Hercules, who saved people from this terrible disaster.

Denebola(Denebola) , Deneb Eleced (Denebel-Asad), Deneb al-Asad - beta Leo, position 21°37′ Virgo.

Character type Saturn-Venus (according to Ptolemy; there are variants Saturn-Mars and, modern, Uranus-Mercury); indicates misfortunes and blows of fate, can bring honors and wealth, but ultimately leads to dishonor. Gives intelligence and quick judgment. If a star rises at the moment of birth, this is a sign happy fate, in which, however, there will be many disturbing moments due to its own recklessness. “Denebola” and its variants go back to the Arabic names of the stars that were inscribed on the grids of medieval astrolabes (Arab. danab al-asad"Lion's tail") (A.Yu.Saplin)

"Honors. Unwanted connections. Grief. Happiness turns into despair. Vengefulness. Mental illnesses. Diseases. Natural disasters. Disasters."

Reference: Blue star on Leo's tail. From Al-Danabu-Asad, which means "lion's tail", or, according to Balinger - "Judge", "Coming Master". It is often abbreviated as Deneb, and appears under this name in most astrological works, although in fact this name refers to a completely different star.

Influence: According to Ptolemy, it has the nature of Saturn and Venus; Wilson and Pierce talk about Saturn, Venus and Mercury, Simonite about Uranus, and Al-Vidas about Mercury, Uranus and Mars. Depending on the position in the chart and aspects with other planets, it promises either progress or collapse. Sometimes it indicates successful undertakings that may end in shame, dishonor, or failure. Anxiety and haste in assessments lead to the fact that a person does not enjoy the benefits he receives for long. The good aspects, however, will not hinder progressive reform activities. Gives the ability to quickly assess a situation, despair, repentance, shame, misfortune due to natural disasters, a happy state of mind turning into anger; those born under the influence of this star are noble, courageous, restrained, generous, and involved in the affairs of other people. May indicate disturbances in the immune or endocrine systems.

If rising: wealth, high rank and good fortune, accompanied by many dangers and fear of one's own recklessness, prosperity that does not last long, troubles and illness.

In connection:

With the Sun: allows you, by developing your talents, to achieve high honors in your chosen field of activity. Glory, high rank along with dangers, public disgrace, in the end - ruin; infectious or acute inflammatory disease, fever, suicide. All worries and troubles are associated with imprudence. Wealth, luck and other benefits are possible, but in the absence of proper control you will not have to use them for a long time.

With the Moon: portends great honors and high position in connection with social work. You should not associate with questionable people and you should stay away from controversial issues- in politics, in society, in the family, since in connection with them unpleasant and intractable situations may arise. You must learn not to reveal your intentions prematurely. Glory, coming from the common people, in the end - disfavor, ruin, serious illness some vital organ of the body, blindness or damage to the eyes, adversity, loss due to servants, quarrels in the house, temporary separation from a married partner. Mental disorders and hysteria are possible. If Saturn or Mars are conjunct at the same time - death penalty.

With Mercury: speaks of observation, the ability to quickly make decisions, and determination. Trying to solve other people's problems or take part in their fate, you may be drawn into the affairs of losers or people who, in your opinion, are unfairly accused and offended. The decisions you make are most often correct, but sometimes seem controversial. It is possible that acquaintances and friends will create problems for you that will temporarily confuse you, especially if you are very uncompromising. Inner restlessness and stress can lead to mental illness. Many losses due to sales agents, servants, literary works or correspondence; bad earnings; loss of a family member due to a dangerous infectious disease.

With Venus: indicates that you have a very strong opinion regarding other people and objects. In marriage, you either try to re-educate your partner, or take care of him like a child. Sudden losses are possible, the cause of which is improper upbringing in the family, a bad environment or some event in early age which became the cause of neurosis. Stormy passions, a person goes astray early, ruin due to love attachments.

With Mars: creates determination and calmness. You are a straightforward, energetic, sensible person, but sometimes you tend to justify your own shortcomings. If active action is necessary, you can create problems for yourself by being excessively picky, picky, and sometimes vindictive and bitter. This deprives you of popularity, but even understanding the reason for this, you are not inclined to change your behavior.

With Jupiter: allows you to be proud of your family, your ancestors and your achievements, no matter how great they are. There is a possibility that your life will be full of disappointments, followed by regret and despair. Pride, hypocrisy, treachery, troubles abroad or due to the fault of relatives, secret enemies, possible arrest or death penalty.

With Saturn: tendency to criticize everything and complain incessantly, many enemies, losses due to servants or due to theft, unhappy life, sadness in the house, wife depressed, and children mentally defective or deformed.

With Uranus: may indicate mental illness, most often incurable. Susceptibility to attacks, idiocy, madness, sometimes violence, impudence and perversity; perhaps a person will commit murder in a fit of anger; placement in a mental hospital, often suicide.

With Neptune: stubbornness, insight, intelligence, sarcasm, speech filled with bitterness, quarrels at home, adversity or illness in childhood, death in mature age due to everyday adversity or as a result of a debilitating illness.

On Asc, especially when conjunct Mercury gives a scandalous personality with a penchant for public speaking.

Astrometeorology:

Sunrise: cloudy. With Mercury: sudden change in weather - becomes windy and humid. (A. Aich)

Denebola (Aki-Mana). Gives good beginnings ending in dishonor and shame. Influence: Saturn, Venus, Mercury. (P. Globa)

Opinions of predecessors

Ptolemy states that the stars in Leo's tail are similar to Saturn and Venus. Robson associates this star with quick judgment, leading to despair and regret, but also with nobility, courage and self-control. Ebertin says that in mundan charts this star indicates great catastrophes, and in natal charts- to exciting events that can be positive or negative. Rigor repeats Robson's opinion almost word for word.

Denebola: concept

Denebola appears to take on the symbolism of the Nemean Lion, for just as the Nemean Lion probably symbolized the goddess worship still practiced in the countryside, this star indicates some movement "out of step" or inconsistency with the mainstream of thought. to a life that goes beyond the conventional.

On George Eliot's birthday, the star Denebola culminated as the Sun rose. She was a nineteenth-century English novelist who used a male pseudonym for her work and went against all the customs of her time by living for many years with married man. For Leonardo da Vinci, this star set when Mercury rose. Leonardo da Vinci invented flying machines four centuries before the Wright brothers, and he is known in history (Denebola appears in his chart) as a man whose ideas (Mercury) were far ahead of his time. Another example is Toulouse-Lautrec, famous French artist nineteenth century, in which the star Denebola rose when Mars culminated. In this case, the energy of the star was expressed at the beginning of life Toulouse-Lautrec via Mars. As a child, he suffered two accidents that resulted in a fracture of his left and right femur. These accidents left him crippled, so he devoted his life to art and became famous for his observations of Parisian society. Because of his childhood traumas, he played the role of an outside observer, peering into the rich and colorful people of his time.

Denebola in the natal chart

Denebola adds an element of out-of-step movement and an unusual vision of the world. This can bring good results, leading to great success, but usually this success is on the verge of all foundations and foundations and is not consistent with the main point of view. Or it can be very negative, meaning that you will not take into account the opinions of the collective and will be prone to dictatorship. More simply, you may find that your opinion differs from other people's, which causes frustration. It will be helpful for you to recognize this and listen to other opinions, not to necessarily change your views, but simply to understand other points of view.

Denebola as a heliacal rising star at birth

As one of the Ptolemaic stars, Denebola can be used both as a visible and as a cosmic rising star. In this position, she emphasizes that you will see the world differently from others, and you may be advised to listen to other people, especially if your ideas may bother them. However, this star can also speak to the ability to discover something new or invent because you see the world through an unusual lens. (Brady B.)

Let's look at the constellation Leo in space. It occupies quite a large part of the sky. It can be observed on the territory of our country at midnight at the end of winter - beginning of spring with the naked eye.

What is known about the constellation Leo

There are a total of 122 stars in the constellation Leo, about seventy of which can be seen. It is surrounded by the constellations Leo Minor, Lynx, Chalice, Cancer, Hydra and Sextant and Virgo.

The largest stars in the constellation are Regulus, Denebola, Algeba. Regulus is a white-blue star, interesting for its size and the fact that it is often blocked (obscured) by the Moon.

Denebola is the largest star in the constellation, located closest to the earth. It is located at the tip of the lion's tail. Algebe is the golden-yellow star at the base of the lion's head.

Wolf – red weak dwarf star, located close to the Earth, its luminosity is one hundred thousand times lower than the sun. You can fly to it in just 7.8 years.

Of the distant objects, elliptical and spiral galaxies are interesting. They can be seen with a small telescope.

The myth of the constellation Leo

The first mentions of the constellation date back to the times of the ancient Sumerians. The constellation Leo got its name thanks to the ancient Egyptians, who noticed when the constellation appeared in the sky interesting phenomenon. At this time of year, the Nile River dried up and hungry lions prowled the desert at night, filling the surrounding area with menacing roars.

Perhaps for this reason, the constellation is depicted in the form of a lion with a stream of water flowing from its mouth. According to the second version, the constellation received its name because in order to fill the dry bed of the Nile, it was necessary to open floodgates in the shape of a lion’s head. Water flowed out of the mouth, as in the images of the constellation symbol.

The constellation was known in ancient times; the first mention of it was found 5 thousand years ago among the ancient Sumerians. The ancient Egyptians also knew about it. They were the ones who gave him that name. According to popular belief, the Egyptians named the constellation based not on legends, but on seasonal phenomena.

The fact is that at the time when the constellation is at its zenith, in March-April, the hot season was approaching, the Nile was drying up and at night the roars of lions were heard, animals rushing about in search of food. At this time no one dared to go into the desert, where formidable animals reigned.

The phenomenon was repeated every year and the Egyptians named after Leo that part of the sky and the stars that they observed at that time.

In ancient times, the calendar was maintained with the help of the star Regulus, which is where the word regulate came from.

How to find the constellation Leo in space

Leo is not at all difficult to detect by the bright star Regulus. The brightest stars of the constellation form an irregular elongated trapezoid. To the east of Leo you can see the constellation Virgo. Ladle Ursa Major located north of Leo. In February–March, the constellation can be seen in good weather throughout the country.

The constellation characterizes wisdom, strength and courage. Astrologers consider Leo to be a royal sign. In fact, people born between July 23 and August 23 have a royal disposition, pride, nobility and the ability to lead people. The constellation belongs to the fire element. It is ruled by the Sun.

Leo is a zodiac constellation. This constellation is best observed at the highest point above the horizon. on clear nights at the end of winter - beginning of spring. The constellation's neighbors are Leo Minor, Cancer, Sextant, Chalice and Virgo. The stars of the sign are about seventy and can be observed with the naked eye on clear and moonless nights. But mostly these are dim, faint stars. Of these, the brightest are Regulus and Denebola.

Stars of the constellation Leo

In the constellation Leo, Regulus is a whitish-blue star, the largest in size. Denebola is the second largest. The brightest stars are mentally connected by lines and form a geometric characteristic figure of a lion, reminiscent of a significantly elongated irregular hexagon. If you show a little imagination, in the resulting figure you can guess the lion’s mane, consisting of faint stars scattered around Regulus. If you look at the lion's body, you can see a clearly defined right paw. Denebola can be seen at the very tip of a long, curled lion's tail.

The constellation Leo is distinguished by many double and variable stars, as well as galaxies, but all of them can only be seen through special powerful telescopes. Among all the constellations, the constellation Leo is considered quite large and ranks 12th in size. In Russia, the constellation is best visible in February-March.

In addition to the famous brightest Regulus and Denebola, Leo stars such as Zosma, Algibea and Algenubi stand out in brightness.

According to legend, kings were supposed to be born under this constellation, so the brightest star Regulus received its name from Latin word, meaning king. The star is three times larger than the sun and 160 times its luminosity.

Denebola translated from Arabic means the tail of the Lion, at the tip of which it is located. At the base of the head is another bright star, the yellow-golden Algieba. Its name translates as lion's mane.