46 Leonis Minoris
star
46 Leonis Minoris (abbreviated 46 LMi), also named Praecipua , is the brightest star in the constellation of Leo Minor. It is of spectral class K0+III-IV and of magnitude 3.83. It is a red clump giant. Based upon parallax measurements, its distance from the Sun is approximately 99.1 light-years. It is a suspected variable with an amplitude of about 0.05 magnitudes.
Nomenclature
46 Leonis Minoris is the star's Flamsteed designation. It is sometimes designated "o LMi" (not "ο LMi"), from Bode's catalogue of 1801. It was presumably intended to be designated α, as Francis Baily decided to letter each star brighter than magnitude 4.5, but the designation was missing from his catalogue, even though the dimmer β was included.
It bore the traditional proper name Praecipua, derived from the Latin for "the Chief (Star of Leo Minor)". The name may originally have referred to 37 Leonis Minoris, and later mistakenly transferred to this star.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “46 Leonis Minoris” is star. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Leonis, Minoris and star, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “star” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Dec 20, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q235926. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1801.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “46 Leonis Minoris”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow 46 Leonis Minoris primary sources, 46 Leonis Minoris archive and Leonis research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “46 Leonis Minoris”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “46 Leonis Minoris” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.