Leo Minor is a small and faint constellation in the northern celestial hemisphere. Its name is Latin for "the smaller lion", in contrast to Leo, the larger lion. It lies between the larger and more recognizable Ursa Major to the north and Leo to the south. Leo Minor was not regarded as a separate constellation by classical astronomers; it was designated by Johannes Hevelius in 1687.
Leo Minor as seen by the naked eye
Leo Minor above the head of Leo, as depicted in Urania's Mirror, a set of constellation cards published in London c. 1825
Spiral galaxy NGC 3021 which lies about 100 million light-years away.
Leo is one of the constellations of the zodiac, between Cancer the crab to the west and Virgo the maiden to the east. It is located in the Northern celestial hemisphere. Its name is Latin for lion, and to the ancient Greeks represented the Nemean Lion killed by the mythical Greek hero Heracles as one of his twelve labors. Its old astronomical symbol is (♌︎). One of the 48 constellations described by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy, Leo remains one of the 88 modern constellations today, and one of the most easily recognizable due to its many bright stars and a distinctive shape that is reminiscent of the crouching lion it depicts.
The constellation Leo as it can be seen by the naked eye (the bright object in the center of the picture is the planet Jupiter in March 2004).
Leo, with Leo Minor above, as depicted in Urania's Mirror, a set of constellation cards published in London c.1825
Messier 66
The notable gravitational lens known as the Cosmic Horseshoe
