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Constellation of Leo

Leo
Constellation
Leo
Abbreviation Leo
Genitive Leonis
Pronunciation /ˈl/, genitive /lˈnɪs/
Symbolism the Lion
Right ascension 11
Declination +15
Quadrant NQ2
Area 947 sq. deg. (12th)
Main stars 9, 15
Bayer/Flamsteed
stars
92
Stars with planets 13
Stars brighter than 3.00m 5
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) 5
Brightest star Regulus (α Leo) (1.35m)
Messier objects 5
Meteor showers Leonids
Bordering
constellations
Ursa Major
Leo Minor
Lynx (corner)
Cancer
Hydra
Sextans
Crater
Virgo
Coma Berenices
Visible at latitudes between +90° and −65°.
Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of April.

Leo /ˈl/ is one of the constellations of the zodiac, lying between Cancer the crab to the west and Virgo the maiden to the east. Its name is Latin for lion, and to the ancient Greeks represented the Nemean Lion killed by the mythical Greek hero Heracles (known to the ancient Romans as Hercules) as one of his twelve labors. Its symbol is Leo.svg (Unicode ♌). One of the 48 constellations described by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy, Leo remains one of the 88 modern constellations today, and one of the most easily recognizable due to its many bright stars and a distinctive shape that is reminiscent of the crouching lion it depicts. The lion's mane and shoulders also form an asterism known as "The Sickle," which to modern observers may resemble a backwards "question mark."

Leo contains many bright stars, many of which were individually identified by the ancients. There are four stars of first or second magnitude, which render this constellation especially prominent:

The other named stars in Leo are Mu Leonis, Rasalas (an abbreviation of "Al Ras al Asad al Shamaliyy", meaning "The Lion's Head Toward the South"); and Theta Leonis, Chertan or Coxa ("hip").


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Wikipedia

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