leo

Leo is a term with several related meanings in culture and science. It is a masculine given name of Latin origin meaning “lion,” used in various languages as a stand-alone name or a shortened form of Leonard, Leon, or Leopold. Notable bearers include the 19th-century Russian author Leo Tolstoy and contemporary actor Leo DiCaprio. The name has widespread use in Europe and the Americas.

In astronomy and astrology, Leo refers to both a zodiac sign and a constellation. In Western astrology, Leo is a fire sign, considered fixed in modality and traditionally associated with the Sun as its ruling planet. It covers a period roughly from July 23 to August 22, during which the Sun is thought to illuminate traits such as confidence, warmth, and leadership. As with astrology generally, these associations are cultural beliefs rather than scientific conclusions.

The constellation Leo is one of the zodiacal constellations and represents a lion. It is prominent in the northern sky in spring and contains several bright stars, including Regulus (Alpha Leonis) and Denebola (Beta Leonis). The Sickle, an asterism formed by a backward question mark of stars, is a recognizable feature. Leo hosts a number of notable deep-sky objects, including galaxies such as M65, M66, M95, M96, and M105, as well as the Leo Triplet group (M65, M66, and NGC 3628) and the dwarf spheroidal galaxies Leo I and Leo II, which orbit the Milky Way.