Leaving Cancer, the sun enters Leo, a large, well-marked constellation
known to many persons by the conspicuous figure in it of a sickle. At
the end of the handle of the Sickle is Regulus, one of the bright
first-magnitude stars. A little more than fifteen degrees east of the
Sickle the rest of the constellation is marked by a large triangle
formed by three rather bright stars. Both of these figures are
well marked and easily seen, making Leo one of the easiest of the
constellations to find. The sun crosses it in a southeasterly direction
which leads straight across Regulus. The star is often occulted by the
moon, and by the sun also, though that we cannot see on account of the
blinding light of the sun.
Leo is visible nearly eight months in the year. It is in the eastern
sky early in the evening in the winter, and shines all night from late
in December until April. In May and June it is traveling westerly,
but high up in the sky. In July it is in the western sky in the
evening. The sun passes through it from August 7th to September 14th.
Regulus is a white star, and twinkles violently, so that it is easily
distinguished from any planet that is passing near it. In the other
part of the constellation the path of the planets runs about ten
degrees below the triangle.