Leo Announces Spring

摘要

Ancient stargazers chose four bright "royal" stars to rule the four quarters of the heavens. Ruddy Antares shines in the summertime pattern of the Scorpion, whitish Fomalhaut is in the autumn constellation of the Southern Fish, orange Aldebaran glows in the V-shaped head of winter's Taurus, and in spring, bluish Regulus is at the heart of Leo, the Lion. This month, Leo can be seen at dusk, well up in the southeastern sky. Leo is one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac, the celestial belt that traces the ecliptic—the annual apparent path of the Sun across the sky. Six stars in Leo form a large sickle. At the end of the handle is the brightest star, Regulus, the Prince.