Leo, The Lion
With April comes warmer springtime evenings, and a great opportunity to spot one of the most recognizable constellations in the night sky: Leo, the Lion. Leo is not only comprised of fairly bright stars, it also actually resembles a stick-figure lion, unlike many constellations who bear little if any resemblance to their namesake.
Find Leo high in the south-eastern sky in early evening from mid latitudes. Regulus marks the front of the lion, and Denebola the tail, with a convenient asterism nicknamed the ‘Sickle’ (resembling a mirror-image question mark (“?”) shape) formed at the head running down to Regulus. The accompanying chart includes everything you need to find Leo.
Fundraiser update: We’re well on our way with $475 out of $3,500 raised so far - thanks to everyone who’s contributed! If you'd like to help spread the word about our "Community Telescopes" fundraiser, you can visit the GoFundMe link here:
Join Standley Lake Stargazing for “Science & Cinema: Interstellar (Part 2)” Wed. April 7 @ 6:00 PM (Mountain Time) for a discussion of the science portrayed in Christopher Nolan’s space epic! Email register@standleylakestargazing.com to sign up. (Reminder - no program March 31!)
Stay well, and clear skies!