Constellation Lepus (Hare)
Date:
Southern Hemisphere
Winter
Hare
Lepus
The constellation Lepus (the hare) is one of the 48 constellations of antiquity. Only two of its stars are brighter than the third magnitude.
How to spot Lepus
Lepus is located at the foot of Orion. With an area of 290 square degrees, the constellation of the southern hemisphere is best seen in winter.
Mythology
There are different versions of the mythological origin of the constellation. Some say that Orion preferred hunting for rabbits, which is why the animal was brought with him to the sky. Another story tells of the island of Leros, where no hares existed until a visitor brought a pregnant rabbit. The residents liked the new animal in their homeland, but they reproduced so fast that together they destroyed almost the entire crop. As a warning against the fertility of the rabbits, a monument was set in the sky.