Constellation
Represents a river, one of the largest constellations, stretching from near Orion to the southern star Achernar.
| Type | Constellation |
|---|---|
| Area of sky | 1,138 sq° |
| Brightest star | Achernar |
| Brightest star magnitude | mag 0.43 |
| Hemisphere | Southern |
| Zodiac constellation | No |
| Discovered | 150 |
A constellation is a pattern drawn on the sky rather than a physical grouping: its stars are usually unrelated and sit at wildly different distances, just lined up as seen from Earth.
Eridanus covers 1,138 square degrees of sky, which is 2.8 percent of the whole celestial sphere.
That makes it the 6th largest of the 88 constellations the International Astronomical Union recognises.
It sits in the southern sky.
Its brightest star reaches magnitude 0.43, bright enough to pick out with the naked eye under a dark sky.
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