Nihal, Beta Leporis, HD 36079 and permanent object 759 are the same target; the repository ties them to Hipparcos identifier 25606. SIMBAD gives visual magnitude about 2.84, spectral type G5 II–IIIa with an uncertainty mark, and parallax 20.8697 ± 0.2047 milliarcseconds. Simple inversion gives about 47.9 parsecs, or 156 light-years. Source: [SIMBAD, Beta Leporis](https://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=Beta+Leporis).
The G5 part describes a surface cooler and yellower than the Sun's, while luminosity classes II and III denote a bright giant and an ordinary giant. The hybrid notation does not imply that the star flips between two objects. Spectral boundaries are calibrated from line strengths, and an evolved star can land between the standards observers use.
An independent analysis of nearby A-, F- and G-type supergiants illustrates how physical measurements sharpen the label. Lyubimkov and collaborators derived an effective temperature of 5,450 ± 100 kelvin and logarithmic surface gravity of 2.60 ± 0.03 for Beta Leporis. Its low surface gravity compared with a dwarf is evidence for an expanded atmosphere. The same study used a Hipparcos parallax and obtained 49.2 ± 0.4 parsecs; the modest difference from the newer SIMBAD value reflects the astrometric input, not a star moving several light-years between studies. Source: [Lyubimkov et al., *Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society* 402, 1369](https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/402/2/1369/1109760).
Temperature, gravity and parallax answer different questions. The spectrum constrains conditions in the photosphere, gravity helps distinguish an expanded evolved star from a dwarf of similar colour, and parallax sets the luminosity scale. None alone uniquely fixes mass or age; those quantities require evolutionary models. That is why this account keeps the measured atmospheric parameters separate from any model-dependent life history.
Nihal is traditionally derived from an Arabic word associated with camels quenching their thirst. The inherited name has travelled through transliteration in several spellings; the International Astronomical Union standardizes “Nihal” for Beta Leporis. Source: [IAU, Naming Stars](https://www.iau.org/public/themes/naming_stars/). The cultural name, Bayer letter and modern catalogue numbers are parallel labels for the same light, not separate discoveries.
The stored position is approximately right ascension 5h 28m and declination −20° 46′. At latitude 45° N, Nihal culminates only about 24° above an ideal southern horizon; at 35° S it rises to roughly 76°. These are original geometric calculations and omit refraction, extinction, terrain and buildings. Northern observers should wait for the star to cross the meridian rather than judge its colour through a long, turbulent path near the horizon.
Find Orion first, then look below his feet for the compact quadrilateral of Lepus. Nihal is the eastern bright corner of the Hare's main body. M79 lies about 3.88° almost due south, calculated from the repository positions, so the star also serves as that cluster's field anchor. Verify the full quadrilateral before sweeping south. HIP 25606 is present in the accepted figure geometry, but the rendered finder and reader link remain unchecked.
Nihal is normally a naked-eye object and easy in binoculars. A small telescope still presents a point; it cannot show the expanded atmosphere implied by the spectrum. Its warm hue is best treated as a comparative observation against nearby blue-white Orion stars, not a temperature measurement. Keep finder certainty, perceived colour and atmospheric steadiness as separate notes, with weekly sky conditions left to the calendar.
