Eridanus

Abbreviation: Eri
Genitive: Eridani
Right Ascension: 3.92 hours
Declination: -15.82 degrees

Eridanus, the River, is completely visible from those latitudes south of 32 degrees N, and portions of the constellation are visible worldwide, from October - December.

Eridanus was one of the original 48 constellations first drawn by Ptolemy, but its date of actual origin in unknown.

Eridanus has been thought to be the river of tears wept by the Heliades, who wept at the death of their brother Phaethon. Phaethon was hurled by Jove into the river after he attempted to drive the chariot of the sun.

Eridanus is a southern constellation and doesnt fit with this particular myth. Some even think it refers to the Nile, such references as Eratoshenes, Germanicus and Hyginus all refer to Nilus in this area of the sky.

Tthe Euphrates may be a better fit, both rivers are similiar, in that they wind and both have 2 major branches in them, both rivers have references to connecting heaven and hell. In ancient times, the Nile was known as Ioma, or Iauma, the Sea, whereas the Euphrates was known as Pura, or Purat, the River.

To the Arabs, the constellation was associated with Nar, or Nahar, which translated to the Nile, so we are back where we started, whatever the origin, Eridanus contains many beautiful astronomical features, which will give you hours of enjoyment.

Bright Stars | Deep Sky | Other Deep Sky | Variable Stars | Double Stars

Best Known Stars

(Yale Bright Star Catalog)

Common Name or Bayer Number 1	RA	DEC	Magnitude 2
ACHERNAR	1.00:37.00:42.85	-57.00:14.00:12.18	0.46
CURSA	5.00:7.00:50.97	-5.00:5.00:11.23	2.79
ZAURAK	3.00:58.00:1.76	-13.00:30.00:30.71	2.95
ACAMAR	2.00:58.00:15.69	-40.00:18.00:16.97	3.25
DEL ERI	3.00:43.00:14.90	-9.00:45.00:48.25	3.54
PHI ERI	2.00:16.00:30.60	-51.00:30.00:44.04	3.56
CHI ERI	1.00:55.00:57.48	-51.00:36.00:31.99	3.70
EPS ERI	3.00:32.00:55.84	-9.00:27.00:29.72	3.73
UPS2 ERI	4.00:35.00:33.04	-30.00:33.00:44.42	3.82
53 ERI	4.00:38.00:10.80	-14.00:18.00:14.13	3.87
AZHA	2.00:56.00:25.65	-8.00:53.00:53.40	3.89
NU ERI	4.00:36.00:19.13	-3.00:21.00:8.89	3.93
43 ERI	4.00:24.00:2.21	-34.00:1.00:0.76	3.96
MU ERI	4.00:45.00:30.14	-3.00:15.00:16.75	4.02
BEID	4.00:11.00:51.93	-6.00:50.00:15.30	4.04
TAU3 ERI	3.00:2.00:23.50	-23.00:37.00:27.99	4.09
IOT ERI	2.00:40.00:40.03	-39.00:51.00:19.54	4.11
TAU6 ERI	3.00:46.00:50.88	-23.00:14.00:58.97	4.23
KAP ERI	2.00:26.00:59.13	-47.00:42.00:14.02	4.25
TAU5 ERI	3.00:33.00:47.28	-21.00:37.00:58.38	4.27
LAM ERI	5.00:9.00:8.78	-8.00:45.00:14.78	4.27
17 ERI	3.00:30.00:37.05	-5.00:4.00:30.50	4.73
TAU2 ERI	2.00:51.00:2.32	-21.00:0.00:14.51	4.75
ZET ERI	3.00:15.00:50.02	-8.00:49.00:11.03	4.80
XI ERI	4.00:23.00:40.84	-3.00:44.00:43.74	5.17
20 ERI	3.00:36.00:17.40	-17.00:28.00:1.44	5.23
24 ERI	3.00:44.00:30.50	-1.00:9.00:47.24	5.25
35 ERI	4.00:1.00:32.04	-1.00:32.00:58.81	5.28
56 ERI	4.00:44.00:5.31	-8.00:30.00:13.05	5.90

Deep Sky Objects

(PAS Catalog)

Other Deep Sky Objects

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)

Only Objects less than 10.0 Mag.

Object	R.A.	Dec.	Object Type 3	Mag.	Uranometria	Tirion
NGC 1232	03 09.7	-20 34	GALXY	09.9	311	18
NGC 1291	03 17.3	-41 06	GALXY	08.5	390	18
NGC 1395	03 38.5	-23 01	GALXY	09.6	312	18
NGC 1407	03 40.1	-18 34	GALXY	09.7	312	10
NGC 1532	04 12.1	-32 52	GALXY	09.9	356	19

Variable Stars

(General Catalog of Variable Stars)

Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude

GCVS ID	R.A. (hh mm ss.ss)	Dec. (deg mm ss)	Variable Type 4	Mag. Min	Mag. Max
S Eri	4.00:57.00:36.20	-12.00:36.00:35.00	RRC:	4.80	4.77
CV Eri	2.00:58.00:19.60	-3.00:4.00:34.00	LB:	0.18	6.10
CY Eri	4.00:3.00:31.00	-10.00:25.00:48.00	SRB	7.20	6.95
DG Eri	4.00:18.00:25.80	-16.00:56.00:56.00	SRB	7.14	6.94
DL Eri	3.00:54.00:13.90	-9.00:53.00:41.00	DSCTC	0.09	6.15
DM Eri	4.00:38.00:15.20	-19.00:45.00:58.00	SRB	4.36	4.28
DO Eri	3.00:52.00:55.00	-12.00:14.00:39.00	ACVO	6.00	5.97
DP Eri	4.00:1.00:21.80	-24.00:35.00:48.00	SRB	7.40	7.18
DQ Eri	4.00:17.00:44.30	-2.00:44.00:51.00	SRB	7.05	6.84
DU Eri	4.00:26.00:47.50	-13.00:9.00:26.00	GCAS	5.49	5.41
DV Eri	4.00:31.00:47.00	-8.00:20.00:5.00	LB:	5.13	5.10
DW Eri	4.00:41.00:10.60	-8.00:53.00:10.00	ACVO:	0.03	6.82
DX Eri	4.00:41.00:41.00	-8.00:35.00:44.00	GCAS	5.98	5.76
DZ Eri	4.00:30.00:7.20	-3.00:18.00:51.00	SXARI	5.82	5.73
EE Eri	3.00:7.00:45.90	-1.00:53.00:1.00	ACV	7.38	7.33
EG Eri	3.00:34.00:0.60	-17.00:37.00:53.00	ACV	5.32	5.23
EH Eri	4.00:31.00:28.40	-6.00:50.00:33.00	ACV	0.03	5.72
EI Eri	4.00:7.00:15.20	-8.00:1.00:27.00	RS	7.32	6.95
EK Eri	4.00:18.00:11.30	-6.00:21.00:48.00	BY	0.12	6.24
EM Eri	4.00:18.00:17.20	-7.00:42.00:39.00	*	0.06	5.84
EN Eri	5.00:4.00:17.20	-4.00:43.00:14.00	ACV:	0.01	4.89
EP Eri	2.00:50.00:7.40	-12.00:58.00:16.00	RS	6.08	6.03
EQ Eri	4.00:27.00:58.00	-28.00:59.00:15.00	DSCT	0.10	7.70
gam Eri	3.00:55.00:41.70	-13.00:38.00:58.00	LB:	2.96	2.88
del Eri	3.00:40.00:51.00	-9.00:55.00:53.00	RS:	3.56	3.51
eps Eri	3.00:30.00:34.40	-9.00:37.00:35.00	BY	0.05	3.73
lam Eri	5.00:6.00:45.10	-8.00:49.00:0.00	BCEP	4.34	4.22
nu Eri	4.00:33.00:49.10	-3.00:27.00:12.00	BCEP	0.14	3.92
omi 1 Eri	4.00:9.00:25.30	-6.00:58.00:0.00	DSCTC	4.05	4.00
pi. Eri	3.00:43.00:46.50	-12.00:15.00:26.00	LB:	4.44	4.38
tau 4 Eri	3.00:17.00:17.50	-21.00:56.00:20.00	LB	3.72	3.57
tau 8 Eri	3.00:51.00:34.90	-24.00:45.00:33.00	SXARI:	0.03	4.63
tau 9 Eri	3.00:57.00:47.50	-24.00:9.00:25.00	ACV	4.67	4.62

Double Stars

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)

Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude

Name	R.A. (hh mm.m)	Dec. (deg mm)	Mag 5	Sep 6	PA 7	Tirion	Uranometria
DUN 5	01 39.7	-56 11	6.0, 6.0	11.20	193	24	418
HJ 3527	02 43.4	-40 31	7.0, 7.2	2.10	41	18	354/ 389
PZ 2	02 58.3	-40 18	3.4, 4.5	8.30	89	18	354/ 355/ 390
DUN 16	03 48.6	-37 37	4.9, 5.4	8.00	213	18	356
STF 470	03 54.3	-02 57	5.0, 6.3	6.80	347	10/ 11	222
BU 1004	04 02.0	-34 29	7.2, 7.8	1.30	88	19	356
HJ 3628	04 12.5	-36 08	7.1, 8.0	50.30	50	19	356
BU 184	04 27.9	-21 30	7.3, 7.7	1.70	250	19	313
STF 570	04 35.3	-09 44	6.7, 7.7	12.80	259	11	268/ 269
STF 590	04 43.6	-08 47	6.7, 6.8	9.30	318	11	269