Astronomy is just like any other human endeavor. It can stir up controversy, hurt feelings – and feuds. One of its most famous feuds involved some of the giants of science – Isaac Newton, who formulated laws of gravity and motion, and Edmond Halley, the namesake of Comet Halley.

Newton and Halley were colleagues of John Flamsteed, Britain’s first astronomer royal and the founder of the Royal Observatory.

Flamsteed had compiled a catalog of more than 2,000 stars. It included precise positions of the stars along with other details. He showed the catalog to Halley and Newton. They were impressed, and they wanted to use its findings in their own research. So they encouraged Flamsteed to publish the catalog.

But Flamsteed refused. Halley and Newton then went behind his back. With the support of the Royal Society, they published 400 copes of it, in 1712.

Flamsteed was furious. He bought up all the copies he could find – and burned them. And he waged a feud against Halley and Newton for the rest of his life. The catalog wasn’t officially published until six years after his death.

The first version included new designations for the stars – a number followed by the name of the constellation. One of those designations is 32 Leonis. The star is better known as Regulus – the brightest star of Leo. And it’s especially easy to spot tonight. It’s above the Moon as they climb into good view, around 9 or 9:30.

Script by Damond Benningfield