R Leporis

Click on image for larger version.

Click on image for larger version.

R Leporis (also known as Hind's Crimson Star) is one of the reddest "bright" stars in the sky. This star produces enormous amounts of carbon that when dredged up through convection makes its way to the outer envelope of its atmosphere. The carbon "soot" eventually reaches a concentration which creates an outer shell and dims the star dramatically. This dimming gives the star an extremely red appearence. At some point much of this carbon is blown away from the star and the process begins again. The star is literally a "smoking" gun for rare and intriguing stellar types. Examine the larger image by clicking on the thumbnail to the left. Note how dim the star is in blue light compared to red!

Equipment

20in RC Optical Systems telescope Operating at f/8.4
Paramount ME Robotic Telescope Mount
SBIG ST10XME CCD camera with color filter wheel

R G B color production was used to create this image.

Red = 15 seconds binned 3x3
 Green = 15 seconds binned 3x3
 Blue = 15 seconds binned 3x3

Minimum credit line: Adam Block/NOAO/AURA/NSF

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Updated: 10/17/2003