Hydrus

Hydrus /ˈhaɪdrəs/ is a small constellation in the deep southern sky. It was first depicted on a celestial atlas by Johann Bayer in his 1603 Uranometria. The French explorer and astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille charted the brighter stars and gave their Bayer designations in 1756. Its name means "male water snake", as opposed to Hydra, a much larger constellation that represents a female water snake. It remains below the horizon for most Northern Hemisphere observers.

The brightest star is the 2.8-magnitude Beta Hydri, also the closest reasonably bright star to the south celestial pole. Pulsating between magnitude 3.26 and 3.33, Gamma Hydri is a variable red giant some 60 times the diameter of our Sun. Lying near it is VW Hydri, one of the brightest dwarf novae in the heavens. Four star systems have been found to have exoplanets to date, most notably HD 10180, which could bear up to nine planetary companions.

History

Hydrus (legendary creature)

The Hydrus (also known as Enhydros, Enidros, Hildris, Hydra, Idra, Idres, Ydre, Ydris, and Ydrus) is a creature from Medieval bestiaries. They were said to be found in the Nile River. While in the Nile, a crocodile would roll the hydrus in the mud before eating the smaller creature. However, once inside the crocodile's stomach, the hydrus would burst free from the stomach lining. In medieval Christian tradition, this bursting free from the crocodile became an emblem of the resurrection of Christ bursting free from Hell.

There is considerable confusion in applying the name hydrus and its variations to beasts. The root of the word itself refers to water, and this led to several beasts, mostly serpents, being so labeled. Isidore of Seville lists the hydros, a water snake that causes those bitten to swell up, the cure for which is the dung of an ox. The hydrus was also confused with the Hydra of the Hercules legend, some texts saying that it was a many-headed water dragon, living in the swamp of Lerna, that could grow new heads.

Hydrus (disambiguation)

Hydrus is a small constellation in the southern sky.

Hydrus may also refer to: