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Stars and Sticks| Abbreviation | Leo |
|---|---|
| Meaning | Lion |
| Pronunciation Guide is based on “Pronouncing Astronomical Names,” published in 1943 by the American Astronomical Society. | LEE-oh |
| Genitive The genitive is the Latin possessive form used in star names. For example, Alpha Orionis means “the Alpha of Orion.” | lee-OH-nis |
| Best Month | April |
| Visibility | Global |
| Origin | AncientThese figures are rooted in the classical Greek and Mesopotamian traditions cataloged by Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD. |
| Author | PtolemyPtolemy, a 2nd-century Greco-Egyptian astronomer, cataloged the 48 classical constellations in his landmark work, the Almagest. These form the core of the 88 modern constellations recognized today. |
| Type | constellation |
| Difficulty | Easiest |
| Description | The Lion is one of the most recognizable constellations, its bright 'sickle' of stars forming a distinctive backward question mark outlining the lion's mane and head. In Greek myth it is the Nemean Lion whose hide was impenetrable to all weapons — Hercules finally strangled it bare-handed and wore its golden skin as armor. Leo has been associated with a lion across many cultures for over 6,000 years. The brightest star, Regulus, sits almost exactly on the ecliptic and marks the 'heart' of the lion — a blue-white star 79 light-years away and one of the fastest rotating stars known, spinning so rapidly that it bulges significantly at its equator and is 32% wider there than at its poles. |
| Asterism | The Sickle: A backwards question mark shape representing the head and mane. |
| Meteor Shower | Leonids |
| Peak Month | November |
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Monthly sky charts courtesy of What's Out Tonight? — Copyright ©2026 Ken Graun. Star charts are optimized for mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Click a chart to view or download the PDF. For guidance on using the chart, or to purchase a planisphere and astronomy books, visit kenpress.com.
Images: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/E. Slawik · IAU and Sky & Telescope · Stellarium — Full credits →
