Lepus (constellation)

Lepus

Constellation
List of stars in Lepus
Abbreviation	Lep
Genitive	Leporis
Pronunciation	/ˈliːpəs/, or colloquially /ˈlɛpəs/; genitive /ˈlɛpərɪs/
Symbolism	the Hare
Right ascension	04h 55m 02.2311s– 06h 12m 51.7500s[1]
Declination	−10.8138046°–−27.2787991°[1]
Quadrant	NQ2
Area	290 sq. deg. (51st)
Main stars	8
Bayer/Flamsteed stars	20
Stars with planets	3
Stars brighter than 3.00m	2
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly)	3
Brightest star	α Lep (Arneb) (2.58m)
Messier objects	1
Meteor showers	None
Bordering constellations	Orion Monoceros Canis Major Columba Caelum Eridanus
Visible at latitudes between +63° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of January.

Lepus (/ˈliːpəs/, colloquially /ˈlɛpəs/) is a constellation lying just south of the celestial equator. Its name is Latin for hare. It is located below—immediately south—of Orion (the hunter), and is sometimes represented as a hare being chased by Orion or by Orion's hunting dogs.^[2]

Although the hare does not represent any particular figure in Greek mythology, Lepus was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations.

History and mythology

Lepus as seen in Urania's Mirror (1825)

Lepus is most often represented as a hare being hunted by Orion, whose hunting dogs (Canis Major and Canis Minor) pursue it. The constellation is also associated with the Moon rabbit.^[3]

Four stars of this constellation (α, β, γ, δ Lep) form a quadrilateral and are known as ‘Arsh al-Jawzā', "the Throne of Jawzā'" or Kursiyy al-Jawzā' al-Mu'akhkhar, "the Hindmost Chair of Jawzā'" and al-Nihāl, "the Camels Quenching Their Thirst" in Arabic.

Features

Stars

The constellation Lepus as it can be seen by the naked eye

There are a fair number of bright stars, both single and double, in Lepus. Alpha Leporis, the brightest star of Lepus, is a white supergiant of magnitude 2.6, 1300 light-years from Earth. Its traditional name, Arneb (أرنب ’arnab), means "hare" in Arabic.^[4] Beta Leporis, traditionally known as Nihal (Arabic for "quenching their thirst"),^[4] is a yellow giant of magnitude 2.8, 159 light-years from Earth. Gamma Leporis is a double star divisible in binoculars. The primary is a yellow star of magnitude 3.6, 29 light-years from Earth. The secondary is an orange star of magnitude 6.2. Delta Leporis is a yellow giant of magnitude 3.8, 112 light-years from Earth. Epsilon Leporis is an orange giant of magnitude 3.2,^[5] 227 light-years from Earth. Kappa Leporis is a double star divisible in medium aperture amateur telescopes, 560 light-years from Earth. The primary is a blue-white star of magnitude 4.4 and the secondary is a star of magnitude 7.4.^[3]

There are several variable stars in Lepus. R Leporis is a Mira variable star. It is also called "Hind's Crimson Star" for its striking red color and because it was named for John Russell Hind. It varies in magnitude from a minimum of 9.8 to a maximum of 7.3, with a period of 420 days. R Leporis is at a distance of 1500 light-years. The color intensifies as the star brightens.^[6] It can be as dim as magnitude 12 and as bright as magnitude 5.5.^[3] T Leporis is also a Mira variable observed in detail by ESO's Very Large Telescope Interferometer.^[7] RX Leporis is a semi-regular red giant that has a period of 2 months. It has a minimum magnitude of 7.4 and a maximum magnitude of 5.0.^[8]

Deep-sky objects

There is one Messier object in Lepus, M79. It is a globular cluster of magnitude 8.0, 42,000 light-years from Earth. One of the few globular clusters visible in the Northern Celestial Hemisphere's winter, it is a Shapley class V cluster, which means that it has an intermediate concentration towards its center. It is often described as having a "starfish" shape.

M79 was discovered in 1780 by Pierre Méchain.^[9]

See also

• Lepus (Chinese astronomy)
• List of star names in Lepus

References

Inline citations

Sources referenced

• "Lepus". The Constellations. International Astronomical Union. https://www.iau.org/public/themes/constellations/#lep. 
• Allen, R. H. (1899). Star-names and Their Meanings. New York: G. E. Stechart. 
• Kunitzsch, P.; Smart T. (2006). A Dictionary of Modern Star Names: A Short Guide to 254 Star Names and Their Derivations. Cambridge (USA): Sky Publishing Corp.. 
• Levy, David H. (2005). Deep Sky Objects. Prometheus Books. ISBN 1-59102-361-0. https://archive.org/details/deepskyobjects00davi. 
• Ridpath, Ian; Tirion, Wil (2001), Stars and Planets Guide, Princeton University Press, ISBN 0-691-08913-2 
• Ridpath, Ian & Tirion, Wil (2007). Stars and Planets Guide, Collins, London. ISBN:978-0-00-725120-9. Princeton University Press, Princeton. ISBN:978-0-691-13556-4.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lepus (constellation) (category)

• Hundred metre virtual telescope captures unique detailed colour image — ESO's Organisational Release
• The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Lepus
• Ian Ridpath's Star Tales – Lepus
• Warburg Institute Iconographic Database (medieval and early modern images of Lepus)

Coordinates: 06^h 00^m 00^s, −20° 00′ 00″

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