✧ Sickle The Sickle is an asterism in Leo. ⣀⣠·⣄ ⢀⣠⠤⠖⠋⠁ ⠈• ·⠚⠉ ⡇ ⢸⠁ •⡀ ⠳⡄ ⠙⣆ ⠈· ⡇ ⡇ ⡇ • Type Asterism Constellation Leo Stars 6 More information about Sickle The Sickle is a curve of six stars shaped like a backwards question mark, and it makes the head and mane of Leo, the lion. Regulus is the dot at the foot of that question mark. It sits almost exactly on the ecliptic, the line the Sun, Moon and planets all follow across the sky, so the Moon passes close to it several times a year and the planets do so every so often. Every November the Leonid meteors appear to stream out of a point inside the Sickle. They are dust shed by the comet Tempel-Tuttle, which comes back round every 33 years, and when the Earth crosses the trail shortly after the comet has passed the shower can turn into a storm of thousands an hour. Etymology From English Reading the Sickle Literally a curved reaping blade The evolution of Sickle over time -50,000 years Rasalas ⡠·⣄ ⢀⡔⠁ ⠉⠢⣄ ⢀⠞ ⠙⠢⢄ ⡠⠃ ⠙⠲⢄ Adhafera ·⠧⣀ • Ras Elased Australis ⠈⠙⠢⢄⡀ ⠈⠒• Algieba ⢠⠃ ⡼ ⢠⠇ ⡸ ⢀⠇ ⣸ ⢀⠖· ⡰⠃ ⢀⠞ ⡴⠃ ⢠⠎ ⢀⠔⠁ • Regulus now ⢀⡀ Rasalas ⢀⡠⠔⠊⠉·⢄ ⣀⠤⠒⠉⠁ ⠳⡀ ⢀⣠⠴⠚⠉ ⠘• Ras Elased Australis ⢀· Adhafera ⡼ ⢀⠇ ⡸ • Algieba ⠑⢆ ⠑⢄ ⠑⣄ · ⢸ ⡎ ⡇ ⡇ ⡇ • Regulus +50,000 years ⣀⣀⡠⠤⠴⡲· Rasalas ⢀⣀⣀⠤⠤⠔⠒⠚⠉⠉ ⣰⠃ ⣀⡤⠤⠔⠒⠚⠉⠉ • Ras Elased Australis ⢀⠖· Adhafera ⢀⠔⠁ ⢀⠔⠁ ⢀⠴⠁ ⡴⠉ ⡤⠋ ⠰⠮⣀⣀⣀⡀ Algieba • ⠈⠉⠉⠉⠒⠒⠒⠲⠤⠤⠤⢄⣀⣀⡀ ⠈·⡀ ⠑⡄ ⠘⢆ ⢣⡀ ⠑⡄ ⠈⢦ • Regulus Over 50,000 years either way the longest side of this figure changes by 47%, and the furthest any of its stars travels is 4.9 degrees. Adhafera and Algieba drift the opposite way to the other 4, which travel together. Proper motion only: this is the shape changing, not the sky turning or the pole moving. curl 'skymap.sh/Sickle/evolution.gif' where it is tonight: skymap.sh/Sickle