Leo constellation
Latin Leo, genitive Leonis, abbreviation Leo
North up, east to the left, as you see the sky. The lines are a common figure; the stars are from the catalogue.
The myth
The Nemean lion, whose hide no weapon could pierce: Heracles' first labour. Head and mane form a backwards question mark, the Sickle, with Regulus, 'the little king', at its foot. One of the few zodiac constellations that actually looks like its name.
When can Leo be seen?
It stands highest around 10 pm in March. It can be seen from everywhere north of 61°S, and it never sets north of 78°N.
The brightest stars
| Star | Designation | Magnitude | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulus | α Leo | 1.35 | bluish |
| Denebola | β Leo | 2.14 | white |
| Zosma | δ Leo | 2.56 | white |
| Algieba | γ1 Leo | 2.61 | orange |
| Algenubi | ε Leo | 2.98 | yellow |
| Chertan | θ Leo | 3.34 | bluish |
| Adhafera | ζ Leo | 3.44 | yellowish white |
| Subra | ο Leo | 3.52 | yellowish white |
The smaller the number, the brighter: below 1 are the brightest stars of the sky, 4 is hard to see under a city sky. Greek letters after Johann Bayer (1603).
Constellation and zodiac sign
The constellation Leo and the zodiac sign of the same name are not the same. The signs divide the Sun's path into twelve equal parts of 30 degrees, counted from the vernal equinox; the constellations differ in size, and because the Earth's axis slowly wobbles, they now lie almost one sign further on.
Meteors
The Leonids radiate from Leo: when they fall and how to see them.