Leo - The Lion

Learn about the constellation Leo - The Lion, location, facts, mythology, meteor showers and deep space objects.

Leo is a constellation of the zodiac which lies between dim Cancer to the west and Virgo to the east and is one of the largest constellations in the sky.

Location: Northern Spring 11h RA 15° Dec

This constellation contains many bright stars, such as Regulus (α Leonis), the lion's heart; Denebola (β Leonis); and Algieba (γ1 Leonis). Many other fainter stars have been named as well, such as Zosma (δ), Chort (θ), Al Minliar al Asad (ĸ), Alterf (λ), and Subra (ο).

Leo contains many bright galaxies, of which Messier 65, Messier 66, Messier 95, and Messier 96 are the most famous.

Mythology

In Greek mythology, it was identified as the Nemean Lion (and may have been a source of the tale) which was killed by Hercules during one of his twelve labours, and subsequently put into the sky.

Deep Space Objects

The constellation contains many bright galaxies; M65 (spiral galaxy), M66 (intermediate spiral galaxy), M95 (barred spiral galaxy), M96 (intermediate spiral galaxy), M105 (elliptical galaxy), and NGC 3628 (unbarred spiral galaxy) are the most famous, the first two being part of the Leo Triplet, a small group of galaxies about 35 million light-years away.

NGC 3628, also known as the Hamburger Galaxy or Sarah's Galaxy, is an unbarred spiral galaxy about 35 million light-years away. It was discovered by William Herschel in 1784.

The Leonids occur in November, peaking on November 14-15, and have a radiant close to Gamma Leonis. Its parent body is Comet Tempel-Tuttle, which causes significant outbursts every 35 years. The January Leonids are minor shower that peaks between January 1 and 7.

In this table, the observation month represents the month in which the object reaches its highest point in the sky. It can also be viewed a few months before and after depending on your location. Direction is the compass direction in which the object is located, with Z meaning Zenith or overhead.