Leo
Discover amazing facts about Leo, the lion constellation that dominates spring skies and actually looks like the king of beasts
Leo the Lion really does look like a crouching lion with a distinctive backward question mark forming the mane
Leo the Lion is one of the few constellations that actually looks like what it's supposed to represent! This majestic spring constellation really does resemble a great lion crouching in the sky. Leo is made up of two main parts: the lion's head and flowing mane, which form a distinctive backward question mark called "the Sickle," and the lion's hindquarters, which form a triangle of stars. The bright star Regulus marks the lion's heart and is one of the four "Royal Stars" that ancient astronomers considered the most important stars in the sky.
Leo dominates the spring evening sky and is best seen from March through May. The constellation represents the legendary Nemean Lion from Greek mythology - a fierce beast with golden fur that couldn't be pierced by weapons. According to the myth, the hero Hercules defeated this lion as his first of twelve great labors and then wore its skin as armor. Leo is also one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac, which means the Sun appears to travel through Leo during late July and August each year.
