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Regulus
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Illustration of the Leo constellation outlined with white dots and lines, superimposed on a stylized blue lion silhouette against a starry night sky.
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View of the Andromeda Galaxy (Messier 31, M31).
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The orbits of the planets and other elements of the solar system, including asteroids, Kuiper belt, Oort cloud, comet
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Ursa major constellation illustration art. (Big Dipper) stars, space, night sky)
Stars: Explosions in Space
1 July 2002: The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite reveals a massive solar eruption more than 30 times the Earth's diameter. The eruption formed when a loop of a magnetic field over the surface of the Sun trapped hot gas.
Brightest Star in the Solar System
Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer. In 1543 he published, forward proof of a Heliocentric (sun centered) universe. Coloured stipple engraving published London 1802. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi.
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Also called:
Alpha Leonis
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Regulus

star
Also known as: Alpha Leonis
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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•History

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Stargazing: Look for moon, Mars and Jupiter conjunction • Oct. 27, 2026, 4:00 AM ET (The Colorado Springs Gazette)

Regulus, brightest star in the zodiacal constellation Leo and one of the brightest in the entire sky, having an apparent visual magnitude of about 1.35. It is 77 light-years from Earth. The name Regulus, derived from a Latin word for king, reflects an ancient belief in the astrological importance of the star.

(List of Brightest Stars as Seen from Earth)

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