Hydrus
Hydrus (Hydri)
IAU: Hyi
Hydrus, the Male Water Snake, is a southern circumpolar constellation lying between the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. Created by Dutch navigators in the late 16th century, it should not be confused with Hydra (the female water snake), which is much larger. Hydrus is relatively faint but well-positioned for southern observers.
Brightest Star
⭐ Beta Hydri (2.82 mag)
Best Viewing
📅 November - December
Visibility
🌍 Southern Hemisphere
📜 Mythology
Hydrus was created from observations by Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman during their expedition to the East Indies (1595-1597). It was introduced by Petrus Plancius in 1598. Unlike its larger counterpart Hydra, Hydrus has no ancient mythology. Its name simply means 'male water snake' in Latin, providing a southern counterpart to the northern Hydra.
💡 Facts
- ✦Beta Hydri is one of the oldest stars in the solar neighborhood at about 6.4 billion years old
- ✦Hydrus lies between the two Magellanic Clouds and is circumpolar from most of the Southern Hemisphere
- ✦VW Hydri is an eclipsing binary and one of the brightest dwarf novae known