Constellation Chart

The Lion

The Leo is one of the most recognizable constellations in spring skies, although almost all of them are formed out of faint stars and have complicated shapes. A curve of stars arranged like a mark of "?" being turned over, "The Lion's sickle" that represents Leo's head. One of famous meteor streams, Gamma Leonids, has a radiant point in the sickle, and it's expected that the meteor shower will be observed in November 1999. Alpha Leonis is named "Regulus" meaning of the little king, the star was well known in antiquity as Cor Leonis, the Lion's Heart.

Galaxies In Leo

M65 (NGC3623)

M65 (NGC3623) and M66 (NGC3627) make a splendid pair of spiral galaxies in the same field at Leo's hind legs, between theta and iota Leonis, right and left-hand side ones are M65 and M66 respectively. And about a degree north, you can see one more edge-on galaxy NGC3628 with a dark lane being crossed; the galaxy is dimmer than M65 and M66.

M66 (NGC3627)

You can appreciate this trio as similar scenery to this picture with telescopes. These two galaxies have interaction via gravity, and lie on the empty space approximately 27 million light years away.

M95

The galaxy of M95 positioned between forelegs and hind legs of Leo. M95 is a spiral galaxy with a visual diameter of 5 arc minutes, arms are coiled up around the nucleus. M96 is also a spiral with almost same size as M95, you can detect two undeveloped arms stretching in east-west direction. Both galaxies are lying about 29 millions light years away, forming a small-scaled galactic cluster with neighbored dimmed galaxies.

M96

Noack Solar System

The galaxy of M96 positioned between forelegs and hind legs of Leo. M96 is a spiral galaxy with a visual diameter of 5 arc minutes, M95 is also a spiral with almost same size as M96, you can detect two undeveloped arms stretching in east-west direction. Both galaxies are lying about 29 millions light years away, forming a small-scaled galactic cluster with neighbored dimmed galaxies.

M105

M105 is an elliptical galaxy around the center of Leo. The galaxy is lying about a degree north of M95 and M96, those three Messier's galaxies can be appreciated in low powered field of view. The galaxy is one of principal members of a small galactic cluster formed by some dimmed galaxies around this field. M105 lies at right of three triangled galaxies, and other two galaxies are named NGC3384 (upper) and NGC3389 (left), respectively. M105 has a diameter of about 5 arc minutes and visual magnitude of 10. It's a round shaped elliptical so you cannot resolve clear structures.

NGC2903

NGC2903 is a typical spiral galaxy only 1.5-degree south of lambda Leonis, a tip star of the Lion's sickle, so it's easy to find that by using the star as a pilot. This galaxy has visual magnitude 9.7, which is brighter than any other Messier's objects in the constellation. You can appreciate an elongated multiple-armed spiral with small telescopes. NGC2903 is about 20 million light years away.

NGC3521

This image shows you a spiral galaxy of NGC3521 positioned around the southern edge of Leo. This star field contains no bright guide stars, but you can find it out about 7 degrees southwest from sigma Leo, a tip star of Leo's hind leg. The galaxy has an elliptical shape with a long axis of about 11 arc minutes and 10th magnitude; you can detect the galaxy as a dimmed light only with small telescopes. It's one of easy-to-appreciate galaxies distributed around this field. Although this picture shows no clear spiral structure, bright nucleus and surrounding dimmed light has been captured. The distance from us is estimated about 23 millions light years, and the galaxy belongs to a Leo galactic cluster same as M65, M66, etc.

Leo I

I'd like to introduce you a bit rare celestial object in Leo. This picture shows you a celestial field just north of alpha Leonis, Regulus. There is an extremely faint elongated galaxy Leo I (Leo-one) just 20 arc minutes north of Regulus. Though Leo I has a size of about 10 arc minutes, is very faint magnitude around 11. It's absolutely impossible to detect it with naked eyes in spite of using fairly large scopes. Please pay your attention around an intersection area of white lines. It's just the figure of the galaxy that the round and bright area. Leo I is a member of the local group of galaxies includes our Galaxy and the Andromeda Galaxy and so on. The galaxy was discovered in 1950's in an astronomical photograph.

NGC 3370

Amid a backdrop of far-off galaxies, the majestic dusty spiral NGC 3370 looms in the foreground in this NASA Hubble Space Telescope image. Recent observations taken with the Advanced Camera for Surveys show intricate spiral arm structure spotted with hot areas of new star formation. But this galaxy is more than just a pretty face. Nearly 10 years earlier, NGC 3370, located in the constellation Leo, hosted a bright exploding star.

First Cosmic Ray

"These subjects are motivated by their will and have lots of energy and drive. But this very active force needs creative outlets otherwise it may degenerate into lust or violence. Basically egocentric and often showy, such subjects are very original, but their natural instinct to rush things sometimes leads to a lack of care. They are stern and sometimes severe, but also fair-minded, paternal, gentle, loving, kind and capable of compassion. Such subjects need to be the dominant partner and, although independent, occasionally need someone to react upon. They tend to have sudden and stunning effects on others, and their will-power is strong enough to force those around them to do what they demand without question.

NGC 3607

NGC 3607 and NGC 3608 are almost twins in appearance except for the fact that NGC 3607 is much brighter of the two. Both are small and round and both have bright centers with NGC 3607 having a very bright nucleus.

Just south of NGC 3607 I noted what looked like a fuzzy spot. After checking my software I discovered that a 13th mag. galaxy, NGC 3605 lies in about that position. Whether I saw this faint galaxy or just a faint field star I dont know.

NGC 3190

NGC 3190. This galaxy is spiral galaxy whose arms are tightly wound around the disk. From our perspective, we view this galaxy 8 degrees from edge-on. Finally NGC 3187 on the right is both dim and striking in shape as a spiral galaxy.

NGC3628

NGC3628 with a dark lane being crossed; the galaxy is dimmer than M65 and M66. You can appreciate this trio as similar scenery to this picture with telescopes.

Wolf 359

A very cool, main sequence red dwarf (M5.8Ve), Wolf 359 is our Sun's dimmest stellar neighbor within 10 ly, with less than 2/100,000th of Sol's luminosity. If our Sun, Sol, were replaced by Wolf 359, then an observer on Earth would need a telescope to see its round shape clearly, and daylight would be very dim with only ten times the brightness of full moonlight with Sol. On the other hand, Wolf 359 is a Flare Star (that has been designated with the variable star name CN Leonis) and so can brighten dramatically from time to time.

NGC 3239

The large galaxy near the top of the picture is NGC 3239. This galaxy is part of the Arp catalogue of disturbed galaxies (Arp 263). There are a handful of 15th magnitude galaxies in the image as well as countless others in the background.

NGC 2964

This pair resides in northern Leo. The 5.4 magnitude star, 20 Leonis Minoris, blazes about 4 degrees due east of the pair. 7.3 magnitude HD 84004 marks the area just 22' due north. My sketch, based on an 82X view in the 10-inch Starfinder, shows both galaxies near the center of the field. NGC 2964 covers a 1'.5x1'.0 area and is elongated east-west. This Sb/Sc-type galaxy has a visual magnitude of 11.3.

NGC 3020

The galaxy NGC 3020 is a spiral galaxy in leo R.A: 09 50 06.6 DEC+12 48 50.

NGC3041

The galaxy NGC3041 is a spiral galaxy in leo R.A: 09 53 07.1 DEC+16 40 48.

Planetary Destinations In Leo

In the writings by Alice A. Bailey she mention's that there are seven solar systems each with ten planets in each one of the seven major constellations, the seven being Aquarius, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Scorpio, Libra, Virgo, and leo. Aquarius is the original point of the first cosmic ray. it is that one of those seven solar system mentioned by Alice A. Bailey in her writings and it is here were the first ray is emitted. The name given for this ray is Divine Flames, Divine Lives.

HD 88133 (G5 IV)

Parent Star: HD 88133 (G5 IV) in the constellation of Leo is located at a distance of 242.99 Light Years from our Solar system Co-ordinates of Right Ascension: 10 10 07.6754 & Declination: +18 11 12.736. The apparent Magnitude of the star is 8. The Inner Edge of Habitability Zone is 0.87 AU & the Outer Edge of Habitability Zone: 2.72 AU and the estimated stellar lifespan of the star is 5787 million years. Orbiting around star HD 88133 is planet HD 88133 b the planet is believed to be a Cloudy Hot Jupiter and its exitence has been confirmed. The planets appearance is Silicate clouds over dark sodium haze and the planet is possioned out side of the Habitablility Zone at Mean Orbital Distance of 0.047 AU. Estimated radius of the planet is 0.22 Jupiters. The planet Orbits around the star 3.41 ± 0.001 Days and was discovered by FISCHER D., LAUGHLIN G., BUTLER P., MARCY G. et al in 2004.

GJ 436 (M2.5 V)

Parent Star: GJ 436 (M2.5 V) in the constellation of Leo is located at a distance of 30 Light Years from our Solar system. Co-ordinates of Right Ascension: 11 42 11.0941 & Declination: +26 42 23.652 . The apparent Magnitude of the star is 10.68. The Inner Edge of Habitability Zone is 0.08 AU & the Outer Edge of Habitability Zone: 0.27 AU and the estimated stellar lifespan of the star is 145093 million years. Orbiting around star GJ 436 is planet GJ 436 b the planet is believed to be a Clarified Neptunian and its exitence has been confirmed. The planets appearance is Blue and cloudless and the planet is possioned out side of the Habitability Zone at Mean Orbital Distance of 0.027 AU. Estimated radius of the planet is 0.067 ± 0.007 Jupiters . The planet Orbits around the star 2.6441 ± 0.0005 Days and was discovered by BUTLER P., VOGT S., MARCY G., FISCHER D., WRIGHT J., HENRY G., LAUGHLIN G. & LISSAUER J. in 2004.

CX Leo (HR 4101)

Parent Star: CX Leo (HR 4101) (AOpSicr) in the constellation of Leo is located at a distance of 4,856,200km from our Solar system Co-ordinates of Right Ascension: 10 27 38.9 & Declination: + 9 45 45. The apparent Magnitude of the star is 6.04. The Inner Edge of Habitability Zone is -.-- AU & the Outer Edge of Habitability Zone: -.-- AU. Orbiting around star CX Leo (HR 4101) is planet Leota A the planet is believed to be a sulfurous cloud jovian, eccentric planet and its exitence has been discovered through interstellar travel. The planets appearance is believed to be Sulfur stained clouds of water or H2SO4 and the planet is possioned at out side of the Habitability Zone at Mean Orbital Distance of -.-- AU. And was discovered by Darryn 732 in 2005.

HD 89307 (GO V)

Parent Star: HD 89307 (GO V) in the constellation of Leo is located at a distance of 107.63 light years from our Solar system. Co-ordinates of Right Ascension: 10 18 21 & Declination: + 12 37 15. The apparent Magnitude of the star is 7.06. The Inner Edge of Habitability Zone is 0.57 AU & the Outer Edge of Habitability Zone: 1.78 AU. Orbiting around star HD 89307 is planet HD 89307 b the planet is believed to be a Ammonia Cloud Jovian, Eccentric and its exitence has been confirmed. The planets appearance is White ammonia and water ice clouds, brown hydrocarbon stains and the planet is possioned out side of the Habitability Zone at Mean Orbital Distance of 4.15 AU. Estimated mass of the planet is 2.73 Jupiters . The planet Orbits around the star 3090 Days and was discovered by Marcy et al. in 2005.

HD 99492 (K2 V)

Parent Star: HD 99492 (K2 V) in the constellation of Leo is located at a distance of 58.7 Light Years from our Solar system. Co-ordinates of Right Ascension: 11 26 46.2771 & Declination: +03 00 22.781. The apparent Magnitude of the star is 7.75. The Inner Edge of Habitability Zone is 0.29 AU & the Outer Edge of Habitability Zone: 0.9 AU. Orbiting around star HD 99492 is planet HD 99492 b the planet is believed to be a clarified jovian and its exitence has been confirmed. The planets appearance is Blue and cloudless and the planet is possioned out side of the Habitability Zone at Mean Orbital Distance of 0.119 AU. Estimated mass of the planet is 0.122 Jupiters. The planet Orbits around the star 17.038 ± 0.00536 Days and was discovered by Marcy et al. in 2005.