Alpha Leonis is now called Regulus, as named by Copernicus. Previously it was known as Sharru, "King", and before that it went by the auspicious name of 'Guardian of the Heavens'. The Romans called it Cor Leonis, the Lion's Heart.

Regulus is easily found, as it is one of the brighter stars of the early spring. The blue-white star is seemingly isolated, but it has a deep yellow companion -- a dwarf -- quite faint at 7.9 visual magnitude, and quite wide with a separation of 177". Large telescopes will show that this dwarf has its own companion, a very faint thirteenth-magnitude dwarf.

Since Regulus is found so close to the ecliptic, it is one of the few bright stars occasionally occulted (briefly blocked out) by the moon.