Yellow-white supergiant · Lepus
Arneb
Also known as: α Leporis (α Lep), HIP 25985
mag 2.62,200 light-years
About
Arneb (α Leporis) is a yellow-white supergiant of magnitude 2.6 in Lepus, about 2,200 light-years away.
How to find it
- Arneb is in the constellation Lepus.
- Best evenings: around late January it is highest at about 9 pm (10 pm in summer time); a month earlier, two hours later.
- Where on Earth: it is seen well, at least 10° up, from south of 62° N.
When it rises and sets tonight, how high it climbs and how much the Moon gets in the way are worked out in your browser for your place.
What you will see
- EyesEasy, even from town.
- Binoculars (10×50)A sharp point; binoculars bring out its colour and the fainter stars around it.
- Telescope (6–8 inch)Still a point of light at any magnification — stars are too far away to show a disc. Low in the sky, bright stars twinkle and flash colours.
Stars look the same in any instrument: brighter and sharper, but never bigger.
Facts
| Proper name | Arneb |
|---|---|
| Designation | α Leporis (α Lep) |
| Hipparcos number | HIP 25985 |
| Type | Yellow-white supergiant |
| Spectral type | F0Ib |
| Colour | Yellowish whiteB−V colour index 0.21 |
| Magnitude | 2.6The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 2,200 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 200 BC. Distances this large are uncertain by 10% or more. |
| Proper motion | 0.004″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Lepus |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 05h 32m 43.8s |
| Declination (J2000) | −17° 49′ 20″ |
More in Lepus
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →