As the 6 Nations Rugby Tournament gets into full swing, what could be more patriotic than tracking down a magnificent, roaring lion in the night sky?

On the next clear night (don't laugh!) - look to the north east at around 11pm and you'll see the Big Dipper there, balanced on the tip of its handle, looking like a huge starry question mark in the sky.

Look to the lower right of the Dipper, over to the south east, and you'll notice what looks like a smaller, back to front question mark of stars, or you might see a fish hook. This is the head of Leo, The Lion.

The bright star at the bottom of the fish hook is ‘Regulus,’ the 21st brightest star in the sky and almost 80 light years away.

A triangular wedge of slightly fainter stars to the Lion's head makes up its hind quarters, and gives the constellation a quite distinctive Sphinx-like shape.

Don't forget to look for little Mercury low in the west after sunset this week. It won't be there much longer...