Starwatch: Leo the lion dominates the northern hemisphere
Recognised since antiquity, the constellation has a rich mythological tradition
The northern hemisphere’s spring evenings are dominated by the unmistakable outline of Leo, one of the few constellations that resembles the creature it represents, the lion.
Leo is most easily identified by its distinctive “backwards” question mark, referred to by astronomers as the “sickle” asterism and representing the head of the lion.