Lepus - The Hare

Learn about the constellation Lepus - The Hare, location, facts, mythology, meteor showers and deep space objects.

Lepus was one of Ptolemy's 48 constellations and counts also among the 88 modern constellations. This constellation should not be confused with Lupus.

Location: Northern Winter 6h RA -20° Dec

Lying just south of Orion, the constellation is sometimes represented as a hare being chased by Orion or by Orion's hunting dogs.

Mythology

Lepus is an old constellation, it doesn't have much mythology that came with it. The only important mythology is that Lepus, the hare, was put in the stars for the Great Hunter, Orion or his dogs (Canis Major and Canis Minor) to chase.

Deep Space Objects

There is one Messier object in Lepus, M79. It is a globular cluster of magnitude 8.0, 42,000 light-years from Earth. One of the few globular clusters visible in the Northern Hemisphere during winter.

In this table, the observation month represents the month in which the object reaches its highest point in the sky. It can also be viewed a few months before and after depending on your location. Direction is the compass direction in which the object is located, with Z meaning Zenith or overhead.