Sky Watch 2 : 24th April - Finding Leo the Lion

Remember the Plough appears as a number 7 in the sky. I said in the first Sky Watch that if you take the top 2 stars and follow them, the first bright star you come to is the pole star. So face that star and you are facing north. This week, go out around 22.00 when it is dark and you can try to see the constellation Leo (my favourite as you could imagine a lion resting - in the view below I’ve included a lion I photographed on the Serengeti as it links to the stars quite well).

This week, I want you to take the same 2 stars of the Plough and find the pole star and turn round and face south. Instead of going towards the pole star, go the opposite way - about the same distance. I have turned the Plough in the drawing to make it easier to follow (as you will see it looking south):-

  LEO - the lion

The reverse question mark (The Sickle) is the head region

The triangle makes the body