Lepus, the Hare, is an ancient constellation crouching at the feet of Orion, a compact winter figure whose stars lie at very different distances.
At a glance
| stars in the figure | 11 |
|---|---|
| nearest star of the figure | Gamma Leporis, 29.1 light-years (8.93 pc) |
| farthest star of the figure | Arneb, 2,220 light-years (680 pc) |
| depth | the farthest is 76 × farther than the nearest |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Lepus
Lepus is one of the constellations catalogued by Ptolemy. It is the hare hunted by Orion, or fleeing his dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor, and it lies just below the hunter’s feet, south of Rigel. The figure is a neat, compact group of moderately bright stars that is easy to find once Orion is up.
Arneb, its brightest star, is a luminous yellow-white supergiant, faint in our sky only because it is so far away. Nihal, beside it, is a yellow giant. Lepus also holds Hind’s Crimson Star, one of the reddest stars in the sky, a cool carbon star that varies in brightness. Lepus is best seen on winter evenings in the north, summer evenings in the south.
What you see in the piece
Lepus is one of the deepest figures of its kind. Gamma Leporis is a close neighbour while Arneb lies very much farther off, so flown out to, the hare’s ears and body come apart into stars with nothing in common but their direction.
Questions
What is the brightest star in Lepus?
Arneb, a distant yellow-white supergiant, 2,220 light-years (680 pc) away and the farthest star of the figure.
How deep is the figure of Lepus?
Its nearest star is Gamma Leporis, 29.1 light-years (8.93 pc) away, so Arneb is 76 × farther than the nearest.