Leo Minor (The Lesser Lion) Constellation
Leo Minor (pronounced ˈliːoʊ ˈmaɪnər) is the Latin name of a constellation situated north of the celestial equator. As such, it is more easily visible from the northern hemisphere.
In English language this constellation is also known as "The Lesser lion" while in astronomical texts and literature this constellation is often abbreviated as "LMi" (according to the standard of the International Astronomical Union - IAU) or as "LMin" (according to a naming convention used by NASA).
The Latin genitive of the constellation name is "Leonis Minoris" (pronounced liːˈoʊnɪs mɪˈnɒrɪs) and it is used to identify some of the brightest stars in this constellation based on the Bayer or Flamsteed star naming convention. For instance: α Leonis Minoris (the brightest star of Leo Minor based on the Bayer catalog); or 23 Leonis Minoris (the 23th star in the constellation of Leo Minor based on the Flamsteed catalog).
Sky Chart of Leo Minor Constellation
Here we provide a simplified sky chart of the Leo Minor constellation. Alternatively it is possible to locate Leo Minor in the night sky using our Online Interactive Planetarium.

Visibility of Leo Minor Constellation
Location: Greenwich, UK
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London
Today's Leo Minor rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, UK are the following (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
The rise and set times provided here are just directional indications and they refer to a point approximately placed at the center of the constellation. In case of very large constellations these times can have little relevance.
Bright Stars in Leo Minor Constellation
The table below lists the top 20 brightest stars in the Leo Minor constellation. See also the complete list of 36 stars brighter than magnitude 6.5 (approximate) in the constellation of Leo Minor. Click on each star to see more details about it.
HR Number(*) | Star designation | Proper name | Visual magnitude | Color | Notes | |
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HR4247 | 46 Leonis Minoris | Praecipua | 3.83 | ⬤ | Variable; |
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HR4100 | β Leonis Minoris | 4.21 | ⬤ | Double; | |
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HR3974 | 21 Leonis Minoris | 4.48 | ⬤ | Variable; | |
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HR3800 | 10 Leonis Minoris | 4.55 | ⬤ | Variable; | |
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HR4166 | 37 Leonis Minoris | 4.71 | ⬤ | ||
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HR4090 | 30 Leonis Minoris | 4.74 | ⬤ | ||
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HR4192 | 41 Leonis Minoris | 5.08 | ⬤ | ||
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HR3928 | 19 Leonis Minoris | 5.14 | ⬤ | ||
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HR4203 | 42 Leonis Minoris | 5.24 | ⬤ | Double; | |
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HR4024 | 23 Leonis Minoris | 5.35 | ⬤ | ||
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HR3951 | 20 Leonis Minoris | 5.36 | ⬤ | Double; | |
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HR3769 | 8 Leonis Minoris | 5.37 | ⬤ | Variable; | |
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HR3815 | 11 Leonis Minoris | 5.41 | ⬤ | Variable; Double; | |
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HR4081 | 28 Leonis Minoris | 5.5 | ⬤ | ||
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HR4189 | 40 Leonis Minoris | 5.51 | ⬤ | Multiple; | |
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HR4137 | 34 Leonis Minoris | 5.58 | ⬤ | ||
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HR4113 | 32 Leonis Minoris | 5.77 | ⬤ | ||
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HR3993 | 5.85 | ⬤ | Variable; | ||
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HR4168 | 38 Leonis Minoris | 5.85 | ⬤ | ||
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HR3764 | 7 Leonis Minoris | 5.85 | ⬤ | Multiple; | |
...go to the complete list of 36 bright stars in the constellation of Leo Minor |
(*) HR stands for Harvard Revised Bright Star Catalogue, which is also known as the Yale Catalogue of Bright Stars.
Deep Sky Objects in Leo Minor Constellation
The table below lists the 20 brightest deep sky objects in the Leo Minor constellation. See also the complete list of 111 deep sky objects in the constellation of Leo Minor. The list includes objects from the Messier, New General Catalogue (NGC) and Index Catalogue (IC).