Regulus
Regulus is a modern star name adopted by the International Astronomical Union in the IAU-Catalog of Star Names (IAU-CSN). Its origin is Latin. It is the name of HIP49669 (α Leo, HR 3982) in constellation Leo.
Etymology and History
The name is a Latin translation of the ancient Greek name for this star: βασιλίσκος, "the (little) King" or "the Kingly One", which is a translation of the Sumerian name of the star: LUGAL (The King). The Romans, following the Greeks, called the star stella regia, "the Royal Star". Later, the Medieval Latin Almagest, translating from the Arabic (where in one version the original Greek diminutive had been lost), had rex, "the King". The form "Regulus" (again, the [little] King") first appears in 1522, obviously formed by some Renaissance scholar after the Greek diminutive name.
Mythology
IAU Working Group on Star Names
The name was adopted by the IAU WGSN on 2016/06/30.
Weblinks
- Website of the IAU WGSN: https://exopla.net/
Reference
- References (general)
- MUL.APIN I i 9 (Hunger and Steele 2019). Kunitzsch, Paul; Smart, Tim (2006). A Dictionary of Modern star Names: A Short Guide to 254 Star Names and Their Derivations (2nd rev. ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Sky Pub.
