Sky & Telescope - March 2025 - 57

ALAN DYER
WIDER VIEW This
2.8°-wide field not only
shows the Leo Galaxy
Trio, but also the attractive
arc of stars situated
to the south and west of
the galaxies. The warmhued
pair of stars at the
southern end of the arc
is an uncataloged binary
the author has dubbed
the Rusty Double. The
small galaxy just right
of the arc is 10.9-magnitude
NGC 3593. It
shows easily in photos
but was beyond the
range of the author's
backyard scopes.
to 4.0-magnitude Sigma (σ) Leonis,
then veered southeastward about 3½°
to 5.1-magnitude Tau (τ) Leonis. A
yellow-orange star, Tau is accompanied
by a 7.5-magnitude dot 89.2″ southward.
Shifting 20′ west-northwest of
Tau brings us to a nice set comprising
6.6-magnitude 83 Leonis with its
7.5-magnitude attendant 28.6″ southeast
of it. Together with their companions,
Tau and 83 Leonis make a lowpower
double-double in any telescope.
Indeed, my tripod-mounted 10×50
binoculars resolved the Tau twosome
and (barely!) 83 Leonis.
My binoculars revealed something
else: Tau and 83 Leonis, plus three
other 6th- and 7th-magnitude stars, are
arranged in a 1¼-degree-long crescent,
slanted steeply southeastward. The
northernmost point of the shallow
curve is established by 6.4-magnitude
80 Leonis, while the southeastern end
is anchored by a 7.3-magnitude star
glimmering about 8′ southeast of Tau.
The quintuple crescent was conspicuous
in the binocs - and my scopes, too.
Discovering an asterism is always fun,
the modest treasure here being the five
main components of the eye-catching
arc, plus the 7.5-magnitude companions
of Tau and 83 Leonis.
Risin' Lion
As March opens, Leo rises in the east at
nightfall. Our area of interest isn't well
placed until late evening, but I hope
you'll set up a scope before bedtime.
Just be aware that this year the waxing
Moon climbs high toward the end
of the first week of the month. You'll
get another chance near the end of
March when Leo's rear-end region will
be somewhat better placed, roughly
halfway up the southeastern sky and
with no moonlight to compromise your
view. Evening scoping is best in the second
half of April when the Lion reigns
supreme, high in the south.
A Lion's Share
Object
Type
M65
M66
NGC 3628
Σ1536
τ Leonis
83 Leonis
Galaxy
Galaxy
Galaxy
Double star
Double star
Double star
Doubtless you'll agree that the
galactic Trio in Leo is the greatest challenge
in my tour. But if your south sky
is superior to mine (and I hope it is),
you should be able to pick up the tough
telescopic triptych. Remember to use
low magnification and aim carefully.
The sight of three large galaxies - each
an island universe - in a single eyepiece
field can be deeply satisfying.
Despite your sky, give the Trio a try!
¢Longtime Contributing Editor KEN
HEWITT-WHITE has never seen a real
lion, but he and his wife have a trio of
relatively tame cats.
Mag(v)
9.3
8.9
9.5
4.1, 6.7
5.1, 7.5
6.6, 7.5
Size/Sep
9.8′ × 2.9′
9.1′ × 4.1′
13.1′ × 3.1′
2.3″
89.2″
28.6″
RA
11h 18.9m
11h 20.3m
11h 20.3m
11h 23.9m
11h 27.9m
11h 26.8m
Dec.
+13° 05′
+12° 59′
+13° 35′
+10° 32′
+02° 51′
+03° 01′
Angular sizes and separations are from recent catalogs. Visually, an object's size is often smaller than
the cataloged value and varies according to the aperture and magnification of the viewing instrument.
Right ascension and declination are for equinox 2000.0.
sk yand tele scope .o r g * MARCH 2025 57
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Sky & Telescope - March 2025

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