Constellation
Represents a male water snake, not to be confused with the much larger constellation Hydra.
| Type | Constellation |
|---|---|
| Area of sky | 243 sq° |
| Brightest star | Beta Hydri |
| Brightest star magnitude | mag 2.8 |
| Hemisphere | Southern |
| Zodiac constellation | No |
| Discovered | 1597 |
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.
Hydrus covers 243 square degrees of sky, which is 0.6 percent of the whole celestial sphere.
That makes it the 61st largest of the 88 constellations the International Astronomical Union recognises.
It sits in the southern sky.
Its brightest star reaches magnitude 2.8, bright enough to pick out with the naked eye under a dark sky.
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