Constellation | |
Abbreviation | Lep |
---|---|
Genitive | Leporis |
Pronunciation | /ˈliːpəs/, or colloquially /ˈlɛpəs/; genitive /ˈlɛpərɪs/ |
Symbolism | the Hare |
Right ascension | 04h 55m 02.2311s–06h 12m 51.7500s[1] |
Declination | −10.8138046°–−27.2787991°[1] |
Quadrant | NQ2 |
Area | 290 sq. deg. (51st) |
Main stars | 8 |
Bayer/Flamsteed stars | 20 |
Stars with planets | 3 |
Stars brighter than 3.00m | 2 |
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 3 |
Brightest star | α Lep (Arneb) (2.58m) |
Messier objects | 1 |
Meteor showers | None |
Bordering constellations | Orion Monoceros Canis Major Columba Caelum Eridanus |
Visible at latitudes between +63° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of January. |
Lepus is a constellation lying just south of the celestial equator. Its name is Latin for hare. It is located below—immediately south—of Orion (the hunter), and is sometimes represented as a hare being chased by Orion or by Orion's hunting dogs.[2]
Although the hare does not represent any particular figure in Greek mythology, Lepus was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations.