Regulus is April's Star

This April, look for the star Regulus. Regulus is the lucida or brightest star of Leo the Lion. It’s the 25th brightest star in the heavens and its 77 light years away. This means if you were born in 1939, Regulus is your birthday star this year. The word Regulus is Latin for, “Little King” and it gets this name because the star represents the heart of Leo the Lion. Regulus is a heavy star at 3-1/2 times heavier and larger than out sun. Because of its extra mass, the star is consuming its supply of hydrogen faster than the sun. This rapid consumption of hydrogen results in a star that’s 240 times brighter than our sun. This is why we can easily see the star from a distance of 77 light years away. Compare this to our sun. If viewed from Regulus, our sun would be so dim that we couldn’t see it without the aid of a telescope.

The constellation of Leo the Lion passes overhead at 9:00 PM in early April and at 8:00 PM in late April. When you look up at Leo, you’ll first notice its backwards question mark of stars. The question mark, or Sickle of Leo, consists of six stars that’s opened towards the west. The sickle’s bottom star is Regulus. The question mark represents the back of the head and neck of Leo, with Leo’s head looking to the west. Behind the Sickle of Leo is his hind quarters, which is represented by three stars forming a triangle pointing toward the east.