Yellow bright giant · Lepus
Nihal
Also known as: β Leporis (β Lep), HIP 25606
mag 2.8160 light-years
About
Nihal (β Leporis) is a yellow bright giant of magnitude 2.8 in Lepus, about 160 light-years away.
How to find it
- Nihal 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 59° 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 | Nihal |
|---|---|
| Designation | β Leporis (β Lep) |
| Hipparcos number | HIP 25606 |
| Type | Yellow bright giant |
| Spectral type | G5II |
| Colour | YellowB−V colour index 0.81 |
| Magnitude | 2.8The smaller the number, the brighter. |
| Distance | 160 light-yearsThe light you see left it around 1870. |
| Proper motion | 0.086″ per year across the sky |
| Constellation | Lepus |
| Right ascension (J2000) | 05h 28m 14.7s |
| Declination (J2000) | −20° 45′ 34″ |
More in Lepus
Sources and credits
Star data: HYG Database by David Nash, CC BY-SA 4.0. All data sources →