Lepus - The Hare

Lepus, the hare, is a small but prominent constellation. It lies south of Orion, the hunter, who was fond of hunting rabbits. Lepus is running just out of the reach of Orion's dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor. It lies just below the bright star Rigel. It is best seen from December through March.

History and Mythology

This ancient constellation is a hare or rabbit, and it is associated with the Moon in mythology. The Rabbit was Orion's favorite prey, and so Lepus lies below Orion's feet in the sky. The hare also symbolizes speed, for which the Greek god Hermes is known.

In Japan, the markings on the moon's face are known as the jeweled hare. Ancient poets thought that because hares are afraid of eagles, Lepus was placed on the opposite side of the sky from Aquila, the Eagle; so one constellation rises as the other sets. In contrast, the Arabs saw Lepus as four camels drinking from a river.

Notable Objects

The brightest star in Lepus is Alpha Leoporis, also named Arneb, from Arabic, meaning "hare." It is a white supergiant star with a magnitude of 2.5. It is about 1,300 light-years away.

R Leporis, sometimes called Hind's Crimson Star, is a remarkable variable star in Lepus, near the western edge of the constellation. It is a rare carbon star with a very cool surface temperature, and very red in appearance. Its magnitude varies from 5.5 to 10.5. At it brightest, R Leporis is coppery red in color. Other red stars such as Betelgeuse and Antares seem pale in color by comparison.

M 79 is a 8th magnitude globular cluster near the southern edge of Lepus. This globular cluster is about 40,000 light-years away. IC 1418 is an 11th magnitude planetary nebula along Lepus's northern boundary. It has an 11th magnitude central star.