From my Tidbits postings….
Here’s something else that was written a few years ago:
“ In a few years Regulus’s position moves into the zodiacal sign Virgo!
This also means that about 4300 years ago, in 2320 BCE, Regulus would have been the star conjunct the Sun at the Summer Solstice. (Multiply 72 degrees a year by 60 degrees from 0 Cancer to Regulus’s current position.) This star would be extremely important in timekeeping for the various nascent civilizations of that time.”
http://www.astrologyinstitute.com/Fixed_star_lessons/lesson_two.htm
Which relates to this,
“John Anthony West and Robert Bauvel believe the Sphinx was carved at this time when it looked exactly at the star Regulus in the Leo constellation at the vernal equinox. Egyptologists place the age of the Sphinx at 2,500 BC, but geologists believe its age to be between 10,000 to 15,000 years old. Footnote 3.”
http://home.swbell.net/naomiben/age_aquarius.htm
Calculating that it has been in Leo for 2160 years, it entered Leo around 148 BCE. Another source states 156 BCE. One author says that it enters Virgo on November 29 2011 but I am not sure one can determine this with such specific accuracy.
1) According to Solar Fire, the tropical longitudes of Regulus are as follows:
6 Jan 2011, 05:23:41 UT, 29Leo59
6 Jan 2011, 05:24:42 UT, 0Vir0
BUT THIS IS CHALLENGED BELOW
2) It depends on which theory of precession you adhere. The rate of precession slighly differs according to these theories, http://www.tenspheres.com/researches/precession.htm
(see graph 1.1 for a more visual explanation). But if you don’t bother for a minute or two then the differences don’t really matter .
By the way the ingress Alcyone (the brightest star of the Pleiades) in Gemini unfortunately hasn’t been noticed. This took place somewhere in july 2000 when I was touring South-England by bicycle during 6 months. Wonderful time, I look forward to next Alcyone in Gemini ingress.
From Tom, the moderator: Regulus shouldn’t be too hard to accurately locate since it is right on the ecliptic. What might be interesting to note in a talk is that Regulus is the last of the so-called four Royal Stars of Persia to enter a mutable sign. The other three, Antares, Aldebaran and Fomalhaut have already done so. Throughout all of Western Astrology’s history, they’ve been in fixed signs (until relatively recently). Although these things tend to manifest very slowly, you might wish to take a look at that.
remember that Mark once said that the concept of the ‘Four Royal stars’ was based upon a (19th century) misconception and no historical fact but I don’t remember the thread nor the arguments. Perhaps Mark can elucidate please. You had a link to an article Mark, if I remember well.
The view of signs shifting over stars is more correct. But in ‘tropical language’ we just speak similar to the people who say that the Sun rises and sets. It takes less words to say it . However note that the stars have ‘proper motion’ too. Alcyone and Regulus are now in square aspect but won’t be anymore in 100,000 years or so. Actually nothing is fixed ‘out there’ in space.
FROM EDDY who quots my favorite mathematician, Meeus: I did a calculation from my astronomy annual with the rate of precession formulae on Regulus’ ingress and found 2012 and 88 days/ ca. 29 March.
Position Regulus in 2000 was 149.829° in a Jean Meeus’ book (equals 29°49’44.4’‘ Leo. so 0°10’15.6’‘ to go and some 0°0’50.29’‘ per year gives 12 years. LYNN: I will go with anything Meeus
I’m afraid Solar Fire program contains an error because Astrojin’s data for the ingress are too far off. Perhaps you can provide more data (e.g for several century dates 1600, 1900 and also on Alcyone or other stars) for comparison.
Another detail of difference is the yearly ‘abberation of light’ (0°0’21’‘) back and forth and the parallax, however the latter is neglectible. The former too, if you don’t mind for some arc seconds.