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Credit & Copyright: Chris Cook
(CookPhoto.com)
Explanation:
The star near the top is so bright that it is sometimes hard to
notice the galaxy toward the bottom.
Pictured above, both the star,
Regulus, and the galaxy,
Leo I,
can be found within one degree of each other toward the constellation of the Lion
(Leo).
Regulus is part of a multiple star system, with a close companion
double star
visible to the lower left of the young main sequence star.
Leo I is a
dwarf spheroidal galaxy in the
Local Group of galaxies dominated by our
Milky Way Galaxy and
M31.
Leo I is thought to be the most distant of
the several known small satellite galaxies orbiting our
Milky Way Galaxy.
Regulus is located about 75 light years away, in contrast to Leo 1 which is located about 800,000 light
years away.
Discovery + Outreach:
Graduate student research position open for APOD
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NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: regulus - Leo - dwarf galaxy
Publications with words: regulus - Leo - dwarf galaxy
See also: