When is the best time to observe Nihal?

Nihal is best observed from November through January, with peak visibility during December when it transits around midnight in the Northern Hemisphere.

Where is Nihal located in the sky?

Nihal lies in the constellation Lepus at right ascension 05h 28m and declination -20° 46′.

What telescope do I need to split Nihal?

Splitting Nihal requires an aperture of roughly 240 mm or larger — the components are separated by about 2.7″ at magnitudes near 2.8. The companion is about 4.7 magnitudes fainter, so glare from the primary — not separation — sets the minimum aperture. Larger apertures and steady seeing help resolve the pair cleanly.

Nihal — Double Star in Lepus

HIP 25606; Beta Leporis; 9 Leporis

Observable Double Star Good (55/100)

Sep: 2.7", Companion: mag 7.5

Magnitude 2.8^m DoubleStar Lepus (Lep) Visible

Star Map + List + Plan

About Nihal

Description

Nihal is a yellow giant of spectral type G5II at magnitude 2.84 in Lepus. Located about 159 light-years from Earth, it has a luminosity of roughly 165 times solar. Nihal is the second brightest star in Lepus, forming the base of the constellation figure.

Observing Tips

Nihal lies at the southwestern corner of the Lepus quadrilateral, directly below Orion. It forms a distinctive four-star pattern with Arneb, Mu, and Epsilon Leporis. Its warm yellow color is noticeable. Best observed December through March.

History

The name Nihal comes from the Arabic, possibly meaning 'quenching their thirst,' referring to camels at a water source. Lepus is one of the 48 Ptolemaic constellations and has been associated with the hare since Greek times.

Fun Facts

Nihal and Arneb make an attractive color pair — Nihal is warm yellow while Arneb is yellowish-white, and together they anchor the compact constellation Lepus directly beneath the imposing figure of Orion.

Observe

1Physical Properties

Magnitude 2.84

Spectral Type G3III giant

Star Color Orange (B-V 0.82)

Distance 163 ly

2Position & Identifiers

RA 05h 28m 14.7s

Dec -20° 45' 34.0"

Constellation Lepus (Lep)

HR 1829

HIP 25606

HD 36079

SAO 170457

Bayer Beta

Flamsteed 9 Lep

Double Cat 4066

SIMBAD Wikipedia

3How easy to split?

Primary 2.8 mag Companion 7.5 mag Separation 2.7″

Telescope	Bortle 3	Bortle 4	Bortle 5
80 mm refractor 80mm refr.	V. hard+	V. hard+	V. hard+
150 mm Newton 150mm Newt.	Hard	Hard	Hard
Celestron C8 (203 mm SCT) C8 203mm	Hard+	Hard+	Hard+

Easy Medium Hard Very hard Impossible

Bortle 3 = rural · 4 = outer suburbs · 5 = suburbs

To reach "Medium" at Bortle 3, you'd need at least a 240 mm reflector.

4Visibility

Set a location in User Settings to see visibility data.

Best season Nov – Jan (peak: Dec)

5Multiple Star System Quintuple C,D,E: optical

Components 5 (quintuple)

Component IDs AB

Separation 2.7″

Companion Mag 7.5

Position Angle 12°

Star Colors A: Orange

Discoverer BU 320

Notes

AB binary; C, 12.0v at 64"; D, 10.5 at 206"; E, 10.5 at 241".

Separation over time

Measured 1875 → 2021 (146 y)

Separation drift 2.9" → 2.7" (-0.20")

Rate -0.0014" / y

PA drift 268° → 12° (+104°, +0.712°/y)

Essentially fixed on human timescales — the same view your grandchildren will see.

Measured from the WDS observational archive. No orbital solution has been derived — most likely the period is too long to fit an orbit to the available measurement arc.