Arneb is the brightest star of Lepus, a distant yellow-white supergiant whose name is simply the Arabic word for the hare.
At a glance
| type | yellow-white supergiant (class F) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 2,220 light-years (680 pc) |
| its light left it | 2,220 years ago |
| luminosity | 38,000 × the Sun |
| radius | 122 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 7,300 K |
| constellation | Lepus (Hare) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Arneb
Arneb is a supergiant: a massive star that has left its main life and swollen enormously, its surface now a yellow-white a little hotter than the Sun’s. Its brightness to the eye hides its distance; it lies far beyond most stars visible nearby in the sky.
Lepus, the Hare, crouches below Orion’s feet, and Arneb is its brightest star. The name is Arabic for hare, so the star carries the constellation’s own name.
What you see in the piece
Arneb looks like a neighbour of Nihal and Rigel from Earth; in the piece it lies far behind both, and flying towards the Hare leaves it hanging alone in the distance.
Questions
What does Arneb mean?
Arneb is Arabic for the hare, the meaning of the constellation Lepus.
How far away is Arneb?
Arneb is 2,220 light-years (680 pc) from the Sun.