Löwe
Lion (Leonis)
Leo, the Lion, is one of the oldest recognized constellations and a prominent fixture of the spring night sky. Its distinctive pattern actually resembles a crouching lion, with a sickle-shaped asterism forming its head and mane. The bright star Regulus marks the lion's heart and lies almost exactly on the ecliptic. Leo is home to numerous galaxies, including several accessible to amateur astronomers.
📜 Mythologie
Leo represents the Nemean Lion, a fearsome beast with an impenetrable golden hide that no weapon could pierce. Killing this lion was the first of the twelve labors assigned to Hercules. After discovering that his weapons were useless, Hercules tracked the lion to its cave, blocked one entrance, and strangled it with his bare hands. He then used the lion's own claws to skin it and wore the hide as armor. Zeus placed the lion among the stars to honor the great battle.
💡 Fakten
- ✦Regulus means 'little king' or 'prince' and was associated with royalty by many ancient civilizations
- ✦The Leonid meteor shower, one of the most spectacular annual meteor showers, radiates from Leo each November
- ✦The Leo Triplet (M65, M66, NGC 3628) is a famous group of interacting galaxies visible in amateur telescopes