Custom Classroom Resources will not
be available after August 1st, 2008.
If you would like to access resources you have
created for future use, you will need to save them
to your local computer.
Leo and Hydra
Spring is here, and that means Leo "the lion" is returning to his regal position high in the sky. As March begins, observers find Leo rising in the east, but by the end of the month, the lion, with its bright star Regulus (Latin for "king"), will be high in the southern sky. Regulus is located very near the ecliptic, so it can sometimes be found near-or behind-the moon.
At mid-month, the head of Hydra, "the water snake" will be visible in the south midway between the horizon and the zenith-about 45 degrees. Hydra is the longest constellation-its body stretches all the way from Cancer in the north to Centaurus in the south-which means only part of it is visible to observers in the northern hemisphere.
The open star cluster M48 will be visible in Hydra in the southern sky. Locate Sirius in Canis Major and Regulus in Leo, and M48 will be between them.
A Pair of Galaxies
M65 and M66-a pair of spiral galaxies-are visible in Leo about one-third of the way between Denebola (the lion's tail) and Regulus. In good seeing conditions these two can be located with binoculars or a small telescope as fuzzy patches with a slightly oblong oval shape. Both objects are estimated to be 50,000 - 60,000 light years across!
Spring is here, and that means Leo "the lion" is returning to his regal position high in the sky. As March begins, observers find Leo rising in the east, but by the end of the month, the lion, with its bright star Regulus (Latin for "king"), will be high in the southern sky. Regulus is located very near the ecliptic, so it can sometimes be found near-or behind-the moon.
