Hydra
The water serpent. Genitive Hydrae, abbreviated Hya. Introduced by Ptolemy.
Area
1,302.94 sq°
1 of 88 by size
Brightest star
α Hydrae
magnitude 1.98
Best seen
February
on the meridian at midnight
Visible from
Everywhere on Earth
some part above the horizon
Where it is
Principal stars
Every star to magnitude 4, brightest first.
| Star | Magnitude | HR |
|---|---|---|
| α Hydrae | 1.98 | 3748 |
| γ Hydrae | 3.00 | 5020 |
| ζ Hydrae | 3.11 | 3547 |
| ν Hydrae | 3.11 | 4232 |
| π Hydrae | 3.27 | 5287 |
| ε Hydrae | 3.38 | 3482 |
| ξ Hydrae | 3.54 | 4450 |
| λ Hydrae | 3.61 | 3994 |
| μ Hydrae | 3.81 | 4094 |
| θ Hydrae | 3.88 | 3665 |
| HR 3314 | 3.90 | 3314 |
| ι Hydrae | 3.91 | 3845 |
Deep sky
Objects with a Messier number or a name people use.
| Object | Catalogue | Type | Magnitude | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M48 | NGC 2548 | Open cluster | 5.8 | 54.0 |
| M68 | NGC 4590 | Globular cluster | 8.2 | 12.0 |
| M83 | NGC 5236 | Galaxy | 7.6 | 11.2 |
| Ghost of Jupiter | NGC 3242 | Planetary nebula | 9.0 | 20.8 |
- Magnitude: — where NGC 2000 gives none.
- Size: the largest dimension, in arcminutes.
My Sky
Rise, highest and set over your place, for any night: Hydra
Further info
Sources
Principal stars: Bright Star Catalogue
Deep sky: NGC 2000.0
Area and borders: IAU constellation boundaries
