Leo (constellation)

Leo
Constellation
Leo
AbbreviationLeo
GenitiveLeonis
Pronunciation/ˈl/, genitive /lˈnɪs/
Symbolismthe Lion
Right ascension11h
Declination+15°
QuadrantNQ2
Area947 sq. deg. (12th)
Main stars9, 15
Bayer/Flamsteed
stars
92
Stars with planets13
Stars brighter than 3.00m5
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly)5
Brightest starRegulus (α Leo) (1.35m)
Messier objects5
Meteor showersLeonids
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, between Cancer the crab to the west and Virgo the maiden to the east. It is located in the Northern celestial hemisphere. Its name is Latin for lion, and to the ancient Greeks represented the Nemean Lion killed by the mythical Greek hero Heracles as one of his twelve labors. Its old astronomical symbol is (♌︎). 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.