Algieba (Gamma Leonis)
Gamma Leonis
Photo credit: Rainer Anton
The third brightest star in the constellation Leo.
ALGIEBA (Gamma Leonis). Double stars dot the sky, many the favorites of amateurs and observatory nights, some like those that make Mizar in Ursa Major plain white, others like Albireo exhibiting beautiful contrasts.
The position of Algieba lies on the mane of Leo, as the Lion is traditionally visualized.
The binary gamma Leo, called Algieba (the lion's mane), is a magnificent pair, which compenents consists of a orange-red giant of 2.6 mag brightness and a yellow giant with 3.8 mag.
Algieba Gamma Leonis
Algol Beta Persei
Algorab Delta Corvi
Alhajoth Alpha Aurigae
Alhena Gamma Geminorum
Alioth Epsilon Ursae Majoris
Alkaid Eta Ursae Majoris
Al Kurud Theta Columbae
Al Kalb al Rai Rho-2 Cephei
Alkalurops Mu Bootis ...
[4809]-[4815] gamma Leonis, also known as Algieba ("forehead"), is a binary star that consists of a K-class giant and a G-type giant. It appears as a bright double star with orange-red and greenish-yellow components.
Adhafera (ζLeo), Denebola (β Leo), Algieba (γ1 Leo), Al Minliar al Asad (κ Leo), Alterf (λ Leo), Chort (Chertan, θ Leo), Ras Elased Australis (Algenubi, ε Leo), Ras Elased Borealis (Raslas, μ Leo), ...
ALGIEBA (Gamma 1 Leo)
Zosma (Delta Leo)
Ras Elased Australis (Epsilon Leo)
Adhafera (Zeta Leo)
Chort (Theta Leo)
Al Minliar al Asad (Kappa Leo)
Alterf (Lambda Leo)
Ras Elased Borealis (Mu Leo)
Subra (Omicron Leo) ...
* (41/γ1 Leo) 2.01 Algieba [Al Gieba, Algeiba] :*: al-jabha[h] The forehead:*: (or much less likely from Arabicized Latin juba The mane)
* (68/δ Leo) 2.56 Zosma [Zozma, Zozca, Zosca, Zubra] or Duhr [Dhur] ...
Named stars: Alpha Leo (Regulus), Beta Leo (Denebola), Gamma Leo (Algieba), Delta Leo (Duhr), Epsilon Leo (Ras Elased Australis), Zeta Leo (Aldhafera), Mu Leo (Ras Elased Borealis), Omicron Leo (Subra) ...
Gamma Leonis is called Algieba, from the Arabic meaning ‘the forehead'; this seems puzzling, since according to Ptolemy it lies in the lion's neck, but the Arabs saw here a very much larger lion than the one visualized by the Greeks.
The second-brightest star (Beta Leo) is Denebola (meaning "tail of the lion"), and the third-brightest star (Gamma 1 Leo) is Algieba (meaning "forehead"). The spiral galaxies M65, M66, M95, M96, and the elliptical galaxy M105 are nearby.
 See also: Star, Constellation, Sun, Leo, Sky
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