The Zodiac Constellation

The Leo Constellation 

Have you ever wondered about the zodiac constellations? The leo constellation just

happens to be one of the largest. The Leo, or Lion constellation, is located in the Northern

Celestial Hemisphere and is one of many constellations that has been acknowledged as the

earliest to be seen. In addition, there are thirteen stars with planets. 

Leo is used to represent the lion, which is associated with the Nemean lion found in

Greek mythology. In the second century, the Greek astronomer Ptolomy inscribed the

constellation. The symbol is ♌︎. This constellation is home to the stars Wolf 359, Regulus, and Denebola. Furthermore, it is home to the galaxies Messier 65, which is an intermediate spiral galaxy that forms the Leo triplet, and Messier 66, the brightest of the Leo triplet. The Leo occupies an area of 947 square degrees. Its location is the second quadrant of the northern hemisphere. Neighboring constellations include Cancer, Lynx, and Virgo. 

There are two meteor showers, the Leonids, which are correlated with the Leo. The

Leonids occur in November and were given this name because of where their radiant lies. They last from November 13 to November 21. They occur due to Earth moving through meteoroids left by a comet. 

In conclusion, the Leo constellation is the twelfth largest constellation whose brightest star is the Regulus. It was seen as an early constellation and depicts a crouching lion. It is often said that Ptolomy is responsible for cataloging it. The Leonids, an annual meteor shower, peaks between November 17-18 and January 1-7. There is still much to learn about this amazing constellation. Keep in mind that there are 11 other zodiac constellations! Or should I say “super stars!”

Photo Credit: Bruce McClure