There are currently 12 stars in the catalog of the International Astronomical Union whose names begin with the letter r.
Rigel and Regulus, part of the Orion, and Leo constellation respectively are some of the most recognizable stars on the night sky.
The following table lists them all. Here’s the nomenclature for the columns to the right:
Name: The proper or colloquial name for the star.
Constellation: The group of stars the star belongs to.
Bayern Designation: The ordered name for the star in the Bayern catalog of stars.
Designation: The ‘scientific’ name for the star in the IAU catalog. This is the name astronomers generally use.
Approval Date: The date the proper name was officially approved for the IAU catalog. Most names have been used for a much longer time though.
| Name | Constellation | Bayern Designation | Designation | Approval Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ran | Eridanus | ε Eridani | HR 1084 | 2015-12-15 |
| Rasalas | Leo | μ Leonis | HR 3905 | 2016-09-12 |
| Rasalgethi | Hercules | α1 Herculis Aa | HR 6406 | 2016-06-30 |
| Rasalhague | Ophiuchus | α Ophiuchi A | HR 6556 | 2016-07-20 |
| Rastaban | Draco | β Draconis A | HR 6536 | 2016-08-21 |
| Regulus | Leo | α Leonis A | HR 3982 | 2016-06-30 |
| Revati | Pisces | ζ Piscium A | HR 361 | 2017-06-30 |
| Rigel | Orion | β Orionis A | HR 1713 | 2016-06-30 |
| Rigil Kentaurus | Centaurus | α Centauri A | HR 5459 | 2016-11-06 |
| Rotanev | Delphinus | β Delphini A | HR 7882 | 2016-09-12 |
| Ruchbah | Cassiopeia | δ Cassiopeiae Aa | HR 403 | 2016-08-21 |
| Rukbat | Sagittarius | α Sagittarii | HR 7348 | 2016-07-20 |
This list does not include some of the proposed star names that are proposed every year, but still haven’t been fully approved and made official.
Find more star names that start with the letter: