Leo Minor
Leonis Minoris · LMi
Leo Minor is a small, faint constellation between Ursa Major and Leo. It contains no bright stars and few notable deep-sky objects. Its brightest star, Praecipua (46 Leonis Minoris), is an orange giant of magnitude 3.8.
Location in the Sky
When to Observe
Leo Minor is best observed during April. It is located in the NQ2 quadrant and is primarily visible from the northern hemisphere. The constellation contains 3 main stars forming its asterism, with 20 Bayer/Flamsteed designated stars in total. Its brightest star is Praecipua.
Mythology & History
Leo Minor was introduced by Johannes Hevelius in 1687 to fill the gap between Ursa Major and Leo. It is unusual among constellations in that it has no Alpha star; Hevelius did not assign Greek letter designations. Francis Baily later added 46 LMi for the brightest star.