Just above Leo’s back is another leonine star pattern: Leo Minor the Little Lion, also called the Lion Cub.
Leo Minor lies between the Sickle of Leo and the Big Dipper. Credit: Alison Klesman (via TheSkyX)
The smaller constellation Leo Minor lies to the upper right (north) of Leo in the west this evening. Leo Minor appears crouched above its larger counterpart, sandwiched between Leo and Ursa Major. The easiest way to find it is to search the space between two famous asterisms: the Sickle of Leo and the Big Dipper.
From magnitude 2.3 Merak, the star that marks the lower righthand corner of the Big Dipper’s cup, draw an imaginary line all the way to Regulus, Leo’s brightest star and the base of the Sickle’s handle. Leo Minor is halfway along that line.
The Lion Cub doesn’t have an alpha star — instead, its brightest star is magnitude 3.8 46 Leonis Minoris. It does, however, have a beta star, which shines at magnitude 4.2.
Take a look at our star chart and compare it to the sky. Do you think this gaggle of faint stars looks like a lion cub?
Sunrise: 5:33 A.M.
Sunset: 8:24 P.M.
Moonrise: 12:19 P.M.
Moonset: 1:17 A.M.
Moon Phase: Waxing crescent (46%)
*Times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset are given in local time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 12 P.M. local time from the same location.
For a look ahead at more upcoming sky events, check out our full Sky This Week column.
