Star Lore Of All Ages/The Minor Constellations/Leo Minor
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Leo Minor
The Lesser Lion
The Lesser Lion
The Smaller Lion now succeeds; a cohort
Of fifty stars attend his steps.
Of fifty stars attend his steps.
Hevelius introduced this star group in 1690, forming it from eighteen stars situated between the Greater Lion and Bear. He gave it this title as he said it "partook of the same nature" as the neighbouring figures.
The Chinese included the Greater and Lesser Lion in their great figure of the Dragon.
The zodiacal Crab of the zodiac of Denderah is located in this figure, and this part of the sky was thought to have been sacred to the god Ptah.
Argelander assigned twenty-one stars to this group, none brighter than the fourth magnitude.