Lepus constellation

Lepus, the Hare, is an ancient constellation already listed by Ptolemy. It sits directly beneath Orion’s feet and has long been seen as the hunter’s quarry, with Canis Major following close behind in the sky. Its brightest stars are Arneb, a distant and highly luminous supergiant, and Nihal; together with a few fainter stars they form a small, compact figure. A special sight in a telescope is R Leporis, known as “Hind’s Crimson Star”, a variable carbon star with a strikingly deep red colour. Lepus is also home to the globular cluster M79. From Central Europe the Hare appears low in the south on winter evenings. Simply look below Rigel and Saiph, ideally from a spot with a clear view down to the horizon.