Use the field stars in a 2° field of view around R Leporis to help you estimate its magnitude. Each comparison star’s magnitude is listed with the decimal point omitted to avoid confusing it for a faint star. Data courtesy the AAVSO
In my February 2010 column, I introduced you to Hind’s Crimson Star, also known by the variable star designation R Leporis. A long-period variable, R Leporis ranges between magnitudes 5.5 and 12 (averaging 7 to 10.5) over a 14-month cycle. When I wrote that column in September 2010, the star was at a minimum brightness of 10th magnitude. I predicted it would be somewhere between 8th and 9th magnitude by February 2011, but I want you to do your own observing to see if I’m correct.
