Leo Minor

"The Lesser Lion"

By IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine (Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg) [CC-BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Abbreviation: LMi
Genitive: Leonis Minoris
Constellation family: Ursa Major
Nearest constellations: Cancer, Leo, Lynx, and Ursa Minor
Right ascension: 10.30h
Declination: 35.16°
Visible between latitudes: +90° and -45°
Square degrees: 232
Luminary: Praecipua (46 Leo Minoris)
Named stars: Praecipua
Notable deep sky objects: NGC 3003, NGC 3344, Hanny's Object

About

By Alexander Jamieson (United States Naval Observatory Library) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Leo Minor is a small constellation in the Northern Hemisphere that is best seen in April.

Leo Minor was first introduced as a constellation by Johannes Hevelius in 1690. Leo Minor is relatively dim compared to the other lion constellation in the sky, Leo, and has no alpha star. Instead, 46 Leonis Minoris is Leo Minor's brightest star and it is called Praecipua, which means "principal star".

Leo Minor is occasionally referred to as "The Lion Cub" and "The Smaller Lion" as well as being called "The Lesser Lion."

Mythology

There is no mythology associated with this constellation.

Gallery of objects in Leo

NGC 3344 (spiral galaxy):

By ESA/Hubble & NASA [CC-BY-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

NGC 3021 (spiral galaxy):

By NASA, ESA, and A. Riess (STScI/JHU) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons