Regulus: how to find it and when to see it
Regulus ranks 21st of the 74 bright stars on our list, at magnitude 1.36, in the constellation Leo.
You can see it from anywhere north of 78° S, and it's highest in the evening sky in April.
Regulus at a glance
- Constellation
- Leo
- Magnitude
- 1.36
- Rank on our list
- 21 of 74
- Hemisphere
- Northern
- Right ascension
- 10 h 8 min
- Declination
- 12.0° north
- Visible from
- north of 78° S
- Never sets
- north of 78° N
- Best evening
- 8 April
- Name from
- Latin
Where Regulus is in the sky
Regulus sits 12.0° north of the celestial equator, the line in the sky directly above Earth's equator, so it's in the northern half of the sky. Its right ascension is 10 h 8 min.
Right ascension works like longitude on the sky. It's counted in hours, and about one hour of it turns past you each hour of the night.
When and where to see Regulus
From the northern hemisphere
From 40° N, the latitude of New York, Madrid and Beijing, Regulus rises in the east, climbs to 62° above the horizon in the south and sets in the west.
It's in the evening sky from January to June, and it's highest in the evening around 8 April, in spring.
From the southern hemisphere
From 34° S, the latitude of Sydney, Cape Town and Buenos Aires, Regulus rises in the east, climbs to 44° above the horizon in the north and sets in the west.
It's in the evening sky from February to June, and it's highest in the evening around 8 April, in autumn.
How high Regulus climbs from each latitude
The evening is about 9 pm local time, or 10 pm in summer time, and later when the sky is still too bright. A star counts as in the evening sky when it's at least 10° above the horizon.
| Latitude | Visibility | Highest point | Evening sky |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60° N | Rises and sets | 42° in the south | Jan to May |
| 50° N | Rises and sets | 52° in the south | Jan to Jun |
| 40° N | Rises and sets | 62° in the south | Jan to Jun |
| 30° N | Rises and sets | 72° in the south | Jan to Jun |
| 20° N | Rises and sets | 82° in the south | Jan to Jun |
| Equator | Rises and sets | 78° in the north | Feb to Jun |
| 20° S | Rises and sets | 58° in the north | Feb to Jun |
| 34° S | Rises and sets | 44° in the north | Feb to Jun |
| 45° S | Rises and sets | 33° in the north | Feb to May |
What the name Regulus means
Regulus is Latin for little king. It marks the heart of Leo, the Lion.
Keep the sky of a night that matters
Our star maps show the stars above any place, at the minute you choose, with the constellation lines drawn in. If Regulus was above the horizon that night, it's on your map, and we print it on museum-grade paper.
Questions about Regulus
Regulus is in Leo. It sits 12.0° north of the celestial equator, at a right ascension of 10 h 8 min.
Regulus is highest in the evening sky around 8 April. That's spring in the northern hemisphere and autumn in the southern hemisphere.
Yes, from anywhere north of 78° S. From 34° S, it climbs to 44° above the horizon in the north.
Regulus has a magnitude of 1.36, which ranks it 21st of the 74 bright stars on our list. Sirius looks about 13 times brighter.
Regulus is Latin for little king. It marks the heart of Leo, the Lion.