Weekly Quiz 31 July 2025 - Constellations

Stargazing & Storytelling: Constellations ft. Leo the Lion 🦁

Have you ever looked up at the night sky and spotted a shape among the stars that looked almost like a mythological creature, a hero, or maybe a kitchen utensil? (Hello, Big Dipper!) If so, congrats—you’ve been constellation-spotting! Although technically the big dipper is an asterism, part of the Ursa Major (Big Bear) constellation.

Constellations are basically nature’s ancient connect-the-dots. They're patterns formed by stars that people have grouped together over thousands of years, often weaving stories and legends around them. Long before GPS or even compasses, ancient civilizations used the stars to navigate, mark seasons, and share myths across generations. Some of these star patterns have stuck around for millennia, becoming part of what we now call the 88 official constellations recognized by astronomers today.

But here's the thing—constellations aren’t actual "things" in space. The stars that form them can be light-years apart and not even remotely related to one another. It’s just how they appear from our perspective here on Earth.
Now, let’s roar into one of the coolest constellations of them all: Leo the Lion. 🦁

Leo: The Ancient Celestial Lion

This big cat has been prowling the heavens for thousands of years. In fact, archaeological evidence suggests that the Mesopotamians recognized a lion-shaped constellation very similar to Leo as far back as 4000 BC! That’s over 6,000 years ago. Imagine someone sitting under a starlit sky in ancient Summer, looking up and seeing the same lion you can see tonight.

Leo’s mythology is just as rich. In Greek lore, Leo is associated with the Nemean Lion, a fearsome beast slain by the hero Heracles (Hercules) as the first of his twelve labors. The gods honored the lion by placing it in the sky.

So how do you find Leo?

Look for its most recognizable feature: the head of the lion, which forms a shape often called "the Sickle." It kind of looks like a backward question mark (?). This part of the constellation outlines Leo’s majestic mane and includes its brightest star. If you can find the Big Dipper you should be able to spot the nearby brightest star in Leo.

Best time to spot Leo?

Late winter to spring in the Northern Hemisphere, especially around March to May.

Quiz Time!

𝗤. Which is the brightest star in the Constellation of Leo?
a) Hadar
b) Mimosa
c) Regulus
d) Vega

Take your best guess, and let me know what you think!

The first 10 correct answers sent to support@underluckystars.com will get a FREE Digital Star Map

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