Leo Minor is one of seven constellations introduced by the famous Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius (1611-1687). In his catalogue of 1564 stars, Prodromus Astronomiae, he included the seven new constellations: Canes Venatici, Lacerta, Leo Minor, Lynx, Scutum, Sextans, and Vulpecula. One must have quite an imagination to see a lion cub in the small grouping of stars squeezed between Leo and Ursa Major, yet like its much larger namesake, the constellation of Leo Minor is rich with galaxies.

NGC 3344

This is the brightest galaxy in the constellation with a magnitude of 11.
It is also tilted 90 degrees to us, so that we can see the entire spiral structure face on,
which makes it a fine sight in a small to medium size telescope.

NGC 3432

At magnitude 12, NGC 3432 is viewed nearly edge on, making it dim, and difficult to see in a small scope.

NGC 3003

At magnitude 12.1, NGC 3003 is even dimmer.
It is also viewed nearly edge on, and a challenge for a small scope.

NGC 3395 & NGC 3396

These two galaxies are almost impossible to see in anything but a large telescope,
but they are worth mentioning because they constitute a rare pair of colliding galaxies.

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