![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.popastro.com\/variablestar\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2019\/02\/R_Leo_2018.png\")
<\/p>\nR Leonis, in the constellation of Leo the lion, reaches maximum this month.<\/p>\n
R Leonis, a long-period variable, easily found near the bright star Regulus will reach maximum brightness this month. Like all long period variables, R Leonis is a red giant star and the variations in brightness are due to pulsations in the star’s outer layers.<\/p>\n
R Leonis has an extreme range of 4.8 – 11.0, but a more usual range is 5.4 – 10.5. The exact behaviour of the star is never the same from one cycle of variation to the next. R Leonis is currently visible in binoculars and it will be interesting to see just how bright it becomes over the next few weeks.<\/p>\n
Below is a light curve produced by Tracie Haywood showing the behaviour of R Leonis last year.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
R Leonis, in the constellation of Leo the lion, reaches maximum this month. R Leonis, a long-period variable, easily found near the bright star Regulus will reach maximum brightness this month. Like all long period variables, R Leonis is aRead more<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-variable-stars"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t