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Stars and Sticks| Abbreviation | Lep |
|---|---|
| Meaning | Hare |
| Pronunciation Guide is based on “Pronouncing Astronomical Names,” published in 1943 by the American Astronomical Society. | LEEP-us |
| Genitive The genitive is the Latin possessive form used in star names. For example, Alpha Orionis means “the Alpha of Orion.” | LEP-or-is |
| Best Month | January |
| Visibility | Global |
| Origin | AncientThese figures are rooted in the classical Greek and Mesopotamian traditions cataloged by Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD. |
| Author | PtolemyPtolemy, a 2nd-century Greco-Egyptian astronomer, cataloged the 48 classical constellations in his landmark work, the Almagest. These form the core of the 88 modern constellations recognized today. |
| Type | constellation |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Description | The Hare crouches beneath the great hunter Orion's feet, forever cowering in the shadow of its pursuer while Orion's two hunting dogs press in from the sides. The constellation contains one of the sky's most colorful stars — R Leporis, nicknamed 'Hind's Crimson Star' after its discoverer, an exceptionally red long-period variable carbon star whose deep ruby color is visible in binoculars. It varies between magnitude 5.5 and 11.7 over a 432-day cycle and is about 1,350 light-years away. The globular cluster M79 also lies within its borders, unusual for being located far from the Milky Way's core where globular clusters typically concentrate. |
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Images: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/E. Slawik · IAU and Sky & Telescope · Stellarium — Full credits →
