How to Find and Identify the Constellation of Lepus the Hare

Orion the Hunter has more than one constellation associated with his myth. The great Orion has two dogs near him in the heavens, represented by Canis Major and Canis Minor, as well as Scorpius the scorpion located on the other side of the sky, put there by the gods after it stung his heel and killed him. However, a hunter with nothing to hunt would be a sad legend. This is where Lepus the Hare comes in.

Instructions

1. Look to the southeast in the winter sky in the northern hemisphere. Lepus is a winter constellation, as it is associated with Orion, the dominant star group of the cold-weather months in the north. Although Lepus is visible in the early-morning hours in autumn, it is best viewed when winter firmly takes hold. Give Lepus time to get over the horizon as the Earth rotates. Ten at night is a good time in most northern latitudes.

2. Find the great hunter first. Orion dominates the winter sky, with a rectangular body made up of bright stars, including the magnificent Betelgeuse and Rigel in opposite corners--two extremely bright stars. Three close stars across in a line form Orion’s belt, making him even easier to identify.

3. Scan the region directly below Orion to find Lepus. Make sure you have an unobstructed view of the horizon in this direction, since Lepus is never far from it. Lepus contains few bright stars, but if it is a moonless night and you are away from any streetlights, you should be able to see it. Lepus is at the feet of the hunter, as if he has been pinned there by Orion.

4. Use your imagination to make out a rabbit from the stars of Lepus. Lepus looks more like a rectangular box with three separate arms spinning out of it. Two of the arms seem to originate from a star in the upper right-hand corner of Lepus, with the other coming from the bottom right. It could also be construed as the letter "A" laying on its side. There are no stars of the first magnitude in Lepus, and only two that have any luminosity at all. There is nothing of interest in this region for stargazers except for the open cluster M79, which can be seen only with a telescope.