Leo is one of the
constellations of the
zodiac, lying between
Cancer to the west and
Virgo to the east. Its name is
Latin for
lion, and to the
ancient Greeks represented the
Nemean Lion killed by the mythical Greek hero
Heracles (known to the
ancient Romans as
Hercules) as one of his
twelve labors. Its symbol is . One of the 48 constellations described by the 2nd century astronomer
Ptolemy, Leo remains one of the 88 modern constellations today, and one of the most easily recognizable due to its many bright stars and a distinctive shape that is reminiscent of the crouching lion it depicts. The lion's mane and shoulders also form an
asterism known as "the Sickle," which to modern observers may resemble a backwards "question mark."