Leo

English name Lion

Major
stars alpha Leonis Regulus magn. 1,3 RA: 10h 08m 22.35s Dec: +11° 58' 02.0"
beta Leonis Denebola magn. 2,2 RA: 11h 49m 03.66s Dec: +14° 34' 19.6"
gamma Leonis Algieba magn. 2,6 RA: 10h 19m 58.30s Dec: +19° 50' 30.2"
delta Leonis Zosma magn. 2,6 RA: 11h 14m 06.48s Dec: +20° 31' 25.5"
delta Leonis magn. 3,1 RA: 09h 45m 51.08s Dec: +23° 46' 27.2"
theta Leonis Chertan magn. 3,4 RA: 11h 14m 14.41s Dec: +15° 25' 46.6"

Description Constellation of the zodiac, through which the Sun transits from the middle of August to the middle of September. It is situated to the south of Ursa Maior.
Alpha Leonis, Regulus (that is "little king"), is a white-blue star 85 light-years away, with a light emission about one hundred and fifty times more intense than that of the Sun. But the most interesting star of the constellation is without doubt Algieba, a double composed by two orange giants of magnitude 2,3 and 3,5, which rotate round each other with a period of about 600 years, at a distance of 170 light-years from us.
M65 Leo has a big number of galaxies: they all, however, are too weak for small instruments. The brightest galaxies are M65 (here on the left) and M66, two spiral galaxies of ninth magnitude; more weak are M95, a barred spiral galaxy, and M96, a spiral galaxy.

Mythology
and history The constellation represents the lion that lived in a cavern near the city of Nemea, next to Corinth. It was a fierce and invulnerable beast, since its skin couldn't be transfixed by any weapon. During his first labour, Hercules confronted and killed it by suffocating it with the strength of his arms: then the hero used the beast's claws to detach its skin, that he used as garment.

English name	Lion

Major stars	alpha Leonis	Regulus	magn. 1,3	RA: 10h 08m 22.35s	Dec: +11° 58' 02.0"
	beta Leonis	Denebola	magn. 2,2	RA: 11h 49m 03.66s	Dec: +14° 34' 19.6"
	gamma Leonis	Algieba	magn. 2,6	RA: 10h 19m 58.30s	Dec: +19° 50' 30.2"
	delta Leonis	Zosma	magn. 2,6	RA: 11h 14m 06.48s	Dec: +20° 31' 25.5"
	delta Leonis		magn. 3,1	RA: 09h 45m 51.08s	Dec: +23° 46' 27.2"
	theta Leonis	Chertan	magn. 3,4	RA: 11h 14m 14.41s	Dec: +15° 25' 46.6"

Description	Constellation of the zodiac, through which the Sun transits from the middle of August to the middle of September. It is situated to the south of Ursa Maior. Alpha Leonis, Regulus (that is "little king"), is a white-blue star 85 light-years away, with a light emission about one hundred and fifty times more intense than that of the Sun. But the most interesting star of the constellation is without doubt Algieba, a double composed by two orange giants of magnitude 2,3 and 3,5, which rotate round each other with a period of about 600 years, at a distance of 170 light-years from us. Leo has a big number of galaxies: they all, however, are too weak for small instruments. The brightest galaxies are M65 (here on the left) and M66, two spiral galaxies of ninth magnitude; more weak are M95, a barred spiral galaxy, and M96, a spiral galaxy.

Mythology and history	The constellation represents the lion that lived in a cavern near the city of Nemea, next to Corinth. It was a fierce and invulnerable beast, since its skin couldn't be transfixed by any weapon. During his first labour, Hercules confronted and killed it by suffocating it with the strength of his arms: then the hero used the beast's claws to detach its skin, that he used as garment.

Leo

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