Abbreviation:

Lep

English name:

Hare

Coordinates

see Stellar data

Particulars:

• Variable star R Lep
• Double star gamma Lep
• Triple star Herschel 3752
• Open star cluster NGC 2017
• Globular cluster M79

General:

A quite interesting constellation of the southern hemisphere. Lepus, the Hare, is just south of Orion.

Stars and other objects

R Lep is a long-period variable of a deep red colour (spectraltype C6IIe; brightness 7.71 mag average). It is also known es Hind's Crimson Star. The brightness varies from 6th mag to 10|th mag about every 430 days.
The double star gamma Lep is a duo of a yellow and a red star with 4th mag and 6th mag, respectively. Its an attractive pair for binoculars.
Herschel 3752 is a nice triple star visible in small telescopes.
The open star cluster NGC 2017 is a bit small for the name star cluster. Binoculars and small telescopes reveal five stars building a multiple star system. The brightness of the stars range from 6th mag to 10th mag. Two of the stars are close binaries, but to split the components a telscope with an aperture of at least 150 mm is needed. So the total number of stars of this group is seven.
The globular cluster M79 is quite compact and a good object for small telescopes. It lies close to Herschel 3752. Detailed information about this cluster can be found in the Messier database (see link).

Mythological Background:

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