Lepus constellation
Latin Lepus, genitive Leporis, abbreviation Lep
North up, east to the left, as you see the sky. The lines are a common figure; the stars are from the catalogue.
The myth
The hare at the feet of the hunter Orion, chased by his dogs. A small constellation low in the winter sky of the north.
When can Lepus be seen?
It stands highest around 10 pm in January. It can be seen from everywhere south of 63°N, and it never sets south of 77°S.
The brightest stars
| Star | Designation | Magnitude | Colour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arneb | α Lep | 2.58 | white |
| Nihal | β Lep | 2.84 | yellow |
| – | ε Lep | 3.19 | reddish |
| – | μ Lep | 3.31 | bluish |
| – | ζ Lep | 3.55 | white |
| Kursi al Jabbar | γ Lep | 3.60 | yellowish white |
| – | η Lep | 3.71 | yellowish white |
| Arsh al Jauzah | δ Lep | 3.81 | yellow |
The smaller the number, the brighter: below 1 are the brightest stars of the sky, 4 is hard to see under a city sky. Greek letters after Johann Bayer (1603).