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Arneb

Alpha Leporis, 11 Leporis

Bright Yellow Star in Lepus

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Proper Name	Arneb
Bayer Designation	Alpha Leporis
Flamsteed Number	11 Leporis
HR (BSC)	1865
HD	36673
Constellation	Lepus
Right Ascension	5h 32m 44s
Declination	-17° 49' 20"
Distance	c.2,200 light years c.700 parsecs
Magnitude	Apparent: +2.6 Absolute: -6.6
Spectral Class	F0Ib bright yellow supergiant
Optimum Visibility	December / January
Notes	Arneb, the brightest star in Lepus the Hare, lies directly to the south from the familiar shape of Orion. This is a star in the late stages of life, having consumed its reserves of hydrogen and expanded to form a supergiant with a diameter some seventy-five times that of the Sun.

The Galactic position and direction of Arneb relative to Earth's Sun. Note that, at this extreme scale, the two stars are effectively in the same place.

Following the line of Orion's Sword southward of the Hunter soon leads to this fairly bright yellow star in the constellation of Lepus. Arneb is extremely distant from Earth (more than 2,000 light years away) but still achieves second magnitude in the sky: it is an immensely luminous supergiant star.

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