A group of six stars running northward from Regulus, the brighteststar in Leo, which lies close to the Ecliptic. These prominent stars are unrelated to one another, and lie at quite different distances from the Sun. Regulus itself is the closest of the six stars at a distance of 79 light years, while the most distant, Eta Leonis, is a supergiant some twenty times farther from the Solar System.
An unmistakable asterism in the constellation of Leo. Its six brightstars represent the head and mane of the Lion, forming a distinct sickle shape like a reversed question mark.
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