Become an expert stargazer—in one week
National Geographic's Wonder Lessons will teach you how to navigate the stars, spot cloud types, recognize common trees, and identify different kinds of rocks. Today, we're learning about the constellation of Leo.
Leo the lion is most visible during the spring, after sunset, for Northern Hemisphere stargazers.
It boasts a rear triangle for its tail and a backward question mark, known as the Sickle asterism, which creates its mane and head. The Sickle is bright enough to spot even through light pollution. Its most luminous star, Regulus, marks both the lion’s heart and the Sickle’s base.
Bonus: For the last day of our stargazing lesson, use Leo to find another star cluster. After you find the lion, take a peek about 22 degrees, or around the width of two fists, from Regulus in the direction of Gemini. Here, you’ll spot the Beehive Cluster, another spectacular collection of around a thousand stars. It appears as a smudge of light to the naked eye, but it becomes mesmerizing through a pair of binoculars—particularly in areas with less light pollution.
Practice finding Leo and then head outside to see if you can use Leo to find a star cluster.
By following a line from the Big Dipper’s basin, you will land at Leo, where the brightest star in the Sickle, Regulus, marks its base.
Want to experience more wonder? National Geographic's Wonder List features playful prompts and activities that turn everyday moments into wonder-filled discoveries—for families, anywhere, every day. Join us next week when learn how to identify different types of clouds, and find all of April's lessons here.
Sources: Tycho Catalog Skymap, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio
Interactive by: JoElla Carman
