Showcase galaxies in Leo are associated with two separate clusters: the Leo Spur and Leo Cloud. The Leo Spur is much closer - within 20 Mpc or about 65 million light years. The Leo Cloud is much more distant. Leo Spur and Leo Cloud in 3D Plot 40Mpc - View 1 http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=3244 Leo Spur and Leo Cloud in 3D Plot 40Mpc Rotated 2 http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=3317 40 mega parsec 3D plots. One tick = 4 mega parsecs. After Tully (1988). Color coding - Dark Blue Local Group Red Coma - Sculptor Cloud Green - dark Leo Cloud Green - light Leo Spur Purple Triangulum Spur Teal Virgo Cluster and Southern Extension Yellow - dark Fornax Cluster and Eridanus Cloud Yellow - light Dorado Cloud Black Not coded in this view Of the seven showcase galaxies in Leo (plus NGC3628, the eighth object), six are in the closer Leo Spur. Only Caldwell 40 (NGC3627) is in the more distant Leo Cloud. Finder for Leo Spur and Leo Cloud showcase galaxies http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=3320 Showcase Galaxies in the Leo Spur and Leo Cloud - Leo Spur Caldwell053 NGC3115 M095 NGC3351 M096 NGC3368 M105 NGC3379 - including the Leo Triplet M065 NGC3623 M066 NGC3627 NGC 3628 Leo Cloud Caldwell040 NGC3626 (Not charted here is showcase galaxy Caldwell 53 (NGC3115) - a ninth object in the Leo Spur.) For finding the Leo Triplet during after work weekday practice with binos, start with theta Leo and do a 2 deg south declination slew. Try to find 73 Leo with its small "tail" shown on the chart. This asterism is visible in moderately light polluted skies. In heavy light polluted skies, only 73 Leo will be visible. The Leo Triplet is a 1 degree easterly right ascension slew from 73 Leo. Magnitude 7.3 star SAO99552 is in the middle of triplet. Leo Cloud member Caldwell 40 (NGC3626) is in the triangle formed by the tail of Leo - beta Leo, theta Leo and delta Leo. For weekday practice under light polluted skies, try to locate 86 Leo - a magnitude 5.5 star mid-way on the beta Leo to delta Leo line (SAO99637). Caldwell 40 is a 2.5 deg right-ascension slew from 86 Leo. Caldwell 40 is at the intersection of this right-ascension slew line and a pointer formed by 81 Leo (SAO99601, v5.6), SAO99585 (v7.2) and SAO99577 (v7.0). For computer control slewing, Chort (theta Leo, 70 Leo, SAO99512) and Zosma (delta Leo, 68 Leo, SAO99512) are potential hand-controller syncronization stars with less than 5 degree slews to Caldwell 40. To find M105 (and its nearby NGC3371 and NGC3373), begin with 52 Leo (SAO99282) - magnitude 5.5 star along the Chort (theta Leo) and Regulus (alf Leo) line. A 1.5 deg south celestial declination slew reaches magnitude 7.0 locator star SAO99280. M105 is a short one deg easterly right ascension slew from SAO99280. To find M96 and M95, practice by locating magnitude 5.3 finder star 53 Leo (SAO99305). M95 and M96 are about a 1 deg westerly right acension slew and a 1.5 deg north declination slew from 53 Leo. Also note drawf elliptical galaxy Leo I - shown on the finder chart next to Regulus - that I understand requires exceptionally dark skies to be seen. It is member of the Local Group - along with the Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxies. During the afterwork weekdays, practice finding locater stars and asterism can make it easier to find these supergalactic faint fuzzy galaxies during dark sky weekends. Clear Skies - Kurt P.S. - This ends the spring Relam of the Galaxies Virgo Supercluster tour by showcase galaxies in the Messier and Caldwell catalogues. Overview chart of the Virgo Supercluster galaxy groups Unlabeled http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=3305 Galaxy group labeled http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=3280