What is the constellation Leo?
The lion (Leo) is a zodiac constellation that the Sun passes through from August 10 to September 16. It is located between the weak luminosity constellation of Cancer in the west and Virgo in the east. This constellation contains many bright stars, such as Regulus (α Leonis), the heart of the Lion, and Denebola (β Leonis), the tail.
Leo main stars
Regulus (α Leonis)
The brightest star in the constellation Leo is called Regulus (α Leonis), which means «the Little King» in Latin (also known as Coro Leonis, the «Heart of the Lion»). With a magnitude of 1.36, it is the 21st brightest star in the sky.
Regulus It is a main sequence star, 4 times wider and more massive than the Sun. Being a white star, it is much hotter than the latter and 130 times brighter.
It has a small companion, 4,200 astronomical units distant, which is its own double.
Regulus It is located almost in the plane of the ecliptic. It has an ovoid shape, probably due to the importance of the centrifugal force, since it rotates at a significant rotation speed (period = 16 h).
Denebola (β Leonis)
Denebola (β Leonis) It is the 2nd star of the constellation (its name means The lion’s tail in Arabic. It is a white star with a diameter and mass almost twice that of the Sun, relatively close to the Solar System (36 light-years).
This star is a variable star of the δ Scuti class and its magnitude oscillates slightly around magnitude 2.14.
Other stars
Many less luminous stars Leo have received names, we can speak of Algieba (γ 1 Leo), Zosma (δ Leo), Ras Elased Australis (ε Leo), Adhafera (ζ Leo), chortí or Coxa (θ Leo), Al Minliar al Asad (κ Leo) , Alterf (λ Leo), Ras Elased Borealis (μ Leo) and Subra (ο Leo).
The stars α, η, γ, ζ, μ and ε Leonis constitute the asterism called The Sickle.
Wolf 359 It is a red dwarf, 50,000 times less luminous than the Sun. It is the 6th closest star to our solar system, the 4th if the Alpha Centauri system is considered as a single object). Distant 7.78 light years, its absolute magnitude is only 16.55, making it the least bright object known in the vicinity of the solar system.
Leo Deep Sky Objects
Leo contains many bright galaxies of which two pairs M65 and M66 between ι and θ Leonis, and M95 and M96 9° east of Regulus, are the most famous representatives. M65 and M66 are two spiral galaxies 27 million light years away that appear to be linked by gravitational force. M95 and M96 are two galaxies 29 million light years away that constitute a cluster with many more less bright galaxies.
Leo constellation history
Like all the constellations of the Zodiac, Leo has a very ancient origin. Mentioned by Ptolemy in the Almagest he was made to correspond to Greek mythology with the Nemean lion killed by Hercules in the first of his twelve labours. The neighboring constellation of Berenice’s hair was considered a simple asterism of Leo before being considered an independent constellation.
Astrological symbol for Leo
Leo is the fifth sign of the zodiac which is occupied by the Sun between approximately July 23 and August 22 and depending on the year. It is ruled by the Sun itself and its natural colors are gold, orange and red. The stones with which it is identified are amber, diamond and ruby. It is classified as a sign of the fire element and of fixed quality. The lion personality archetype manifests key concepts such as pride, vanity, magnanimity, creativity, among others, in addition to the fact that it tends to develop a regal, privileged behavior, and loves being the center of attention.
It is very compatible with the other fire signs (Aries and Sagittarius) and with the air signs except, with nuances, with Aquarius to be its opposite at the same time that it develops a strong incompatibility with Taurus and Scorpio. This chart of compatibilities and incompatibilities does not reflect an individual profile or individual reading as interpreted within astrology, but rather gives general guidance and reference to compatibility as dictated by variables such as qualities and elements in the zodiac.