Image: Wikimedia Commons

Leo

Zodiac constellation passing through the celestial equator

Astronomical objectconstellation zodiacal constellationQ8853

Also known as Leonis · Leo (constellation)

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · Read full article · Text CC BY-SA 4.0

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 traditional 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.

Overview

All data

57 statements · 9% with external sources · numbers in brackets are citations

Notation: ♌
Short name: Leo
Named after: lion
Humbaba
Nemean lion
Area: 947 square degree
Shares border with: Ursa Major
Leo Minor
Lynx
Cancer
Hydra
Sextans
Crater
Virgo
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Coma Berenices
Official name: Leo
1
Sources
1.iau.org/public/themes/constellations/#n4
View statement on Wikidata ↗
Members / parts: Right Wall of the Supreme Palace Enclosure
Seats of the Five Emperors
Crown Prince
Retinue
Emperor's Bodyguard
Mingtang
Astronomical Observatory
Junior Officers
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Long Wall

On other databases

28 identifiers linking Leo across the web's reference databases

Data quality

statements

externally sourced

Source last edited September 27, 2026. AIDB refreshes this page daily.

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AIDB. (2026). Leo (Q8853). Retrieved from https://aidb.si/e/leo-Q8853