| Constellation | |
 List of stars in Hydrus |
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| Abbreviation | Hyi |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Hydri |
| Pronunciation | /ˈhaɪdrəs/, genitive /ˈhaɪdraɪ/ |
| Symbolism | the water snake |
| Right ascension | 0.08 h ~ 4.66 h |
| Declination | −58° ~ −82° |
| Quadrant | SQ1 |
| Area | 243 sq. deg. (61st) |
| Main stars | 3 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars |
19 |
| Stars with planets | 4 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 2 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 1 |
| Brightest star | β Hyi (2.82m) |
| Nearest star | β Hyi (24.38 ly, 7.47 pc) |
| Messier objects | none |
| Meteor showers | none |
| Bordering constellations |
Dorado Eridanus Horologium Mensa Octans Phoenix (corner) Reticulum Tucana |
|
Visible at latitudes between +8° and −90°. |
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Hydrus (pron.: /ˈhaɪdrəs/) is a small constellation in the southern sky, created in the sixteenth century. Its name means "male water snake", and it should not be confused with Hydra, a much larger constellation which represents a female water snake.
Contents |
History [edit]
Hydrus was one of twelve constellations created by Petrus Plancius from the observations of Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman[1] and it first appeared on a 35-cm diameter celestial globe published in 1597 (or 1598) in Amsterdam by Plancius with Jodocus Hondius. The first depiction of this constellation in a celestial atlas was in Johann Bayer's Uranometria of 1603.[2][3] The companion to Hydra, the female water snake, he is forced to journey through Eridanus, Orion, and the Milky Way to visit his lover.[3]
Notable features [edit]
Stars [edit]
Hydrus does not contain any particularly bright stars. Beta Hydri, the brightest star in Hydrus, is a yellow star of magnitude 2.8, 24 light-years from Earth. Alpha Hydri is a white main-sequence star of magnitude 2.9, 71 light-years from Earth. Gamma Hydri is a red giant of magnitude 3.2, 214 light-years from Earth.[1]
There is one notable double star in Hydrus. Pi Hydri, composed of Pi1 Hydri and Pi2 Hydri, is divisible in binoculars. Pi1 is a red star of magnitude 5.6, 740 light-years from Earth. Pi2 is an orange star of magnitude 5.7, 468 light-years from Earth.[1]
The only star in Hydrus that anyone seems to have named is γ Hyi, which in China is known as Foo Pih.
Deep-sky objects [edit]
The constellation contains IC 1717.
Extrasolar planets [edit]
In August 2010, a European astronomical team working at the La Silla Observatory in Chile announced that they had confirmed the presence of at least five planets orbiting the star HD 10180 in Hydrus.[4]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- Citations
- ^ a b c Ridpath & Tirion 2001, pp. 160-161.
- ^ "Hydrus (Water Snake)". Chandra X-ray Observatory. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
- ^ a b Staal 1988, p. 243.
- ^ "New solar system has up to seven planets". news.com.au. 25 August 2010.
- References
- Ridpath, Ian; Tirion, Wil (2001), Stars and Planets Guide, Princeton University Press, ISBN 0-691-08913-2
- Ridpath, Ian; Tirion, Wil (2007), Stars and Planets Guide, Princeton University Press, ISBN 978-0-691-13556-4
- Staal, Julius D.W. (1988), The New Patterns in the Sky, McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company, ISBN 0-939923-04-1
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hydrus |
- Chandra information about Hydrus
- The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Hydrus
- Star Tales – Hydrus
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Coordinates: 
02h 00m 00s, −70° 00′ 00″
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