Find it in the sky
The Sickle, a backwards question mark for its mane, with bright Regulus at its foot.
Zodiac
Leo
First stop on the zodiac: a sickle-shaped mane.
Best in April, around 9 p.m.No. 12 of the 88 constellations by areaBrightest star Regulus (magnitude 1.35)9 stars in this guide
The drawings on these maps are the game’s, and don’t show exact positions in the sky.
Legend
The first of Heracles’ twelve labours is the Nemean lion. No weapon can pierce its hide, so he overcomes it with his bare hands, and Zeus sets the lion in the sky.
Sign
23 July to 22 August. In the real sky the Sun passes in front of Leo from about 10 August to 16 September.
Its stars
Magnitude says how bright a star looks from here: the smaller the number, the brighter the star.
Regulus
Alpha Leonis
- Type
- Blue-white star
- Distance
- about 79 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 1.35
- Name
- “Little king” (Latin)
The bright star closest to the Sun’s path: the Sun passes it every 23 August. It spins so fast its equator bulges.
Al Jabhah
Eta Leonis
- Type
- White supergiant
- Distance
- about 1,270 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 3.48
- Name
- “Forehead” (Arabic)
It looks faint because it is 16 times farther than Regulus; it is really a far brighter supergiant.
Algieba
Gamma Leonis
- Type
- Orange giant
- Distance
- about 130 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 2.01
- Name
- “Forehead” (Arabic; though it sits in the mane)
A small telescope splits it into an orange and a yellow giant that circle each other every 500 years.
Adhafera
Zeta Leonis
- Type
- Yellow-white giant
- Distance
- about 270 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 3.43
- Name
- “The curl” (Arabic; in the lion’s mane)
A star of the Sickle that draws the lion’s head, a backwards question mark.
Rasalas
Mu Leonis
- Type
- Orange giant
- Distance
- about 124 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 3.88
- Name
- “The lion’s head” (Arabic)
An orange giant; a planet was found circling it in 2014.
Algenubi
Epsilon Leonis
- Type
- Yellow bright giant
- Distance
- about 250 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 2.98
- Name
- “The southern one” (Arabic; of the lion’s head)
One end of the Sickle: a yellow giant hundreds of times brighter than the Sun.
Zosma
Delta Leonis
- Type
- White star
- Distance
- about 58 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 2.56
- Name
- “Girdle” (Greek)
The lion’s hip: a fast-spinning white star twice the Sun’s mass.
Chertan
Theta Leonis
- Type
- White star
- Distance
- about 165 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 3.33
- Name
- “Two little ribs” (Arabic)
The lion’s hind leg; it makes a triangle with Zosma and Denebola.
Denebola
Beta Leonis
- Type
- White star
- Distance
- about 36 light years
- Brightness
- magnitude 2.13
- Name
- “The lion’s tail” (Arabic)
With Arcturus and Spica it makes the Spring Triangle; a disc of dust circles it.
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Sources: constellation areas follow the International Astronomical Union (IAU) boundaries; star values come from Wikipedia’s articles, based on Hipparcos and Gaia; the Sun’s dates come from EarthSky. Distances are rounded.