Hydra (The Female Water Snake) Constellation
Hydra (pronounced ˈhaɪdrə) is the Latin name of a large constellation (in fact it extends itself for about 123 degrees across the sky) situated close to the celestial equator. As such, it is at least partly visible from both hemispheres in certain times of the year.
In English language this constellation is also known as "The Female water snake" while in astronomical texts and literature this constellation is often abbreviated as "Hya" (according to the standard of the International Astronomical Union - IAU) or as "Hyda" (according to a naming convention used by NASA).
The Latin genitive of the constellation name is "Hydrae" (pronounced ˈhaɪdriː) and it is used to identify some of the brightest stars in this constellation based on the Bayer or Flamsteed star naming convention. For instance: α Hydrae (the brightest star of Hydra based on the Bayer catalog); or 23 Hydrae (the 23th star in the constellation of Hydra based on the Flamsteed catalog).
Sky Chart of Hydra Constellation
Here we provide a simplified sky chart of the Hydra constellation. Alternatively it is possible to locate Hydra in the night sky using our Online Interactive Planetarium.
Visibility of Hydra Constellation
Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London
Today's Hydra rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, United Kingdom are the following (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
The rise and set times provided here are just directional indications and they refer to a point approximately placed at the center of the constellation. In case of very large constellations (like Hydra actually is) these times can have little relevance.
Bright Stars in Hydra Constellation
The table below lists the top 20 brightest stars in the Hydra constellation. See also the complete list of 244 stars brighter than magnitude 6.5 (approximate) in the constellation of Hydra. Click on each star to see more details about it.
| HR Number(*) | Star designation | Proper name | Visual magnitude | Color | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
HR3748 | α Hydrae | Alphard | 1.98 | ⬤ | Variable; Multiple; |
|
HR5020 | γ Hydrae | 3 | ⬤ | Variable; Double; | |
|
HR3547 | ζ Hydrae | 3.11 | ⬤ | ||
|
HR4232 | ν Hydrae | 3.11 | ⬤ | ||
|
HR5287 | π Hydrae | 3.27 | ⬤ | ||
|
HR3482 | ε Hydrae | Ashlesha | 3.38 | ⬤ | Variable; Multiple; |
|
HR4450 | ξ Hydrae | 3.54 | ⬤ | Double; | |
|
HR3994 | λ Hydrae | 3.61 | ⬤ | Multiple; | |
|
HR4094 | μ Hydrae | 3.81 | ⬤ | ||
|
HR3665 | θ Hydrae | 3.88 | ⬤ | Variable; Multiple; | |
|
HR3314 | 3.9 | ⬤ | |||
|
HR3845 | ι Hydrae | Ukdah | 3.91 | ⬤ | Variable; |
|
HR3903 | υ1 Hydrae | Zhang | 4.12 | ⬤ | |
|
HR3410 | δ Hydrae | 4.16 | ⬤ | Double; | |
|
HR4552 | β Hydrae | 4.28 | ⬤ | Variable; Double; | |
|
HR3454 | η Hydrae | 4.3 | ⬤ | Variable; | |
|
HR3484 | 12 Hydrae | 4.32 | ⬤ | Double; | |
|
HR3492 | ρ Hydrae | 4.36 | ⬤ | Double; | |
|
HR5526 | 58 Hydrae | 4.41 | ⬤ | ||
|
HR3418 | σ Hydrae | Minchir | 4.44 | ⬤ | |
| ...go to the complete list of 244 bright stars in the constellation of Hydra | ||||||
(*) HR stands for Harvard Revised Bright Star Catalogue, which is also known as the Yale Catalogue of Bright Stars.
Deep Sky Objects in Hydra Constellation
The table below lists the 20 brightest deep sky objects in the Hydra constellation. See also the complete list of 350 deep sky objects in the constellation of Hydra. The list includes objects from the Messier, New General Catalogue (NGC) and Index Catalogue (IC).
