Leo, the lion:
One of the most ancient constellations in the night sky, and one
of the most recognizable. The stars that make up this constellation
easily form the outline of a lion. According to legend, Leo is the
fierce Nemean lion that originated on the moon. The lion could not
by killed by weapons, and as such terrorized the city of Nemea in
ancient Greece. As one of his Twelve Labors, Hercules defeated the
lion by strangling the beast with his bare hands. Zeus then returned
the lion to space by placing his image among the stars. Leo is easily
found by locating a group of stars that form the shape of a backward
question mark and a small triangle of stars. Leo is located to the
south of the Big Dipper.
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