---
name: Hind's Crimson Star (R Lep)
constellation: Lep
created_by: 8mag
created_date: 2022-01-21 17:00:00
updated_by: skybber
updated_date: 2022-02-06 11:50:07.807799
---
 Like Mira Ceti, it is a red giant that changes its brightness typically between 6mag and 11.7mag over a 430-day period. The total difference between maximum and minimum corresponds to a difference in brightness of 300 times. There is also a long secondary cycle - every 40 years the star brightens to 5.5mag. At its brightest, it resembles a deep red drop of blood in a dark sky and is visible to the naked eye. It is located near μ Lep (3.31mag). R Leporel is a giant star with a low surface temperature of about 2,700 K, with carbon molecules in its atmosphere that absorb shortwave radiation and a large dust cloud surrounding it. All of this accounts for the star's red colour, which stands out especially at times of maximum brightness. The star is visible to the trier, but binoculars are needed to see the colour clearly.