A constellation of the zodiac, representing a lion. The Sun passes through Leo from the second week of August to the third week of September. Leo’s brightest star is Regulus (Alpha Leonis); Beta Leonis is Denebola; Gamma Leonis (Algieba) is a handsome double star. R Leonis is a deep-red Mira Star, ranging from 4th to 11th magnitude with a period of about 10 months. Leo contains two pairs of spiral galaxies visible in small telescopes: M65 and M66, and M95 and M96. Every November the Leonid meteors radiate from near Gamma Leonis. Leo also contains the third-closest star to the Sun, 7.8 l.y. away, an M5 dwarf called Wolf 359, magnitude 13.5.