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Hydra



Abbreviation: Hya
Genitive: Hydrae
Right Ascension: 10.12 hours
Declination: -19.36 degrees
  Hydra, the Water Snake, is best seen from the Southern Hemisphere, but is visible during the months of January through May in the Northern Hemisphere.

Hydra guards the cup of water from Corvus, the Crow, forever denying him, a drink of water.

According to Babylonian mythology, Hydra the Water snake is Tiamat, the dragon of Chaos. Who was conquered during the battle of the Epic of Creation by Bel Marduk (Gilgamesh).

  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
ALPHARD 9.00:27.00:35.24 -8.00:39.00:31.15 1.98
GAM HYA 13.00:18.00:55.29 -23.00:10.00:17.66 3.00
ZET HYA 8.00:55.00:23.62 +5.00:56.00:43.88 3.11
NU HYA 10.00:49.00:37.49 -16.00:11.00:37.26 3.11
PI HYA 14.00:6.00:22.30 -26.00:40.00:56.52 3.27
XI HYA 11.00:33.00:0.12 -31.00:51.00:27.51 3.54
LAM HYA 10.00:10.00:35.28 -12.00:21.00:14.72 3.61
MU HYA 10.00:26.00:5.43 -16.00:50.00:10.85 3.81
THE HYA 9.00:14.00:21.87 +2.00:18.00:51.23 3.88
IOT HYA 9.00:39.00:51.36 -1.00:8.00:34.37 3.91
DEL HYA 8.00:37.00:39.37 +5.00:42.00:13.45 4.16
SIG HYA 8.00:38.00:45.44 +3.00:20.00:28.96 4.44
UPS2 HYA 10.00:5.00:7.47 -13.00:3.00:52.86 4.60
OMI HYA 11.00:40.00:12.79 -34.00:44.00:40.81 4.70
CHI1 HYA 11.00:5.00:19.91 -27.00:17.00:36.96 4.94
52 HYA 14.00:28.00:10.42 -29.00:29.00:29.87 4.97
6 HYA 8.00:40.00:1.46 -12.00:28.00:31.49 4.98
KAP HYA 9.00:40.00:18.36 -14.00:19.00:56.40 5.06
44 HYA 10.00:34.00:0.89 -23.00:44.00:42.64 5.08
47 HYA 13.00:58.00:31.14 -24.00:58.00:20.08 5.21
14 HYA 8.00:49.00:21.72 -3.00:26.00:34.95 5.31
28 HYA 9.00:25.00:24.03 -5.00:7.00:2.80 5.59
48 HYA 14.00:0.00:0.12 -25.00:0.00:37.49 5.77
   
 

Deep Sky Objects

(PAS Catalog)

M-48

 M-48 This is a fine open cluster over one half of a degree in diameter, and easily seen in binoculars. It is composed primarily of fairly bright stars, loosely concentrated to the center. I estimated about 75 stars in the area.

M-68

 M-68 This rather bright globular cluster is about 8-10' in diameter and is very compact, showing a bright, granulated core and many stars resolved around its edges.

M-83

 M-83 This is one of the finest examples of a face on barred spiral galaxies in the sky. It is large, about 10' in diameter, with an obvious central bar and spiral arms which seem to go all the way around the galaxy. Often photographed by amateurs, this is a real gem of the night sky.

NGC-3242

 NGC 3242 The Ghost of Jupiter. This is a very impressive planetary nebula, showing a blue-green disk almost 1' in diameter with a bright center and fuzzy edges. I saw a bright spot on the SE edge, and another but fainter brightening to its NW.
   
 

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 2548 08 13.8 -05 48 OPNCL 05.8 275 12
NGC 3109 10 03.1 -26 09 GALXY 09.9 324 20
NGC 3242 10 24.8 -18 38 PLNNB 08.6 325 13
NGC 3585 11 13.3 -26 45 GALXY 09.9 326 20
NGC 3621 11 18.3 -32 49 GALXY 09.7 367 20
NGC 3923 11 51.0 -28 48 GALXY 09.8 368 20
NGC 4590 12 39.5 -26 45 GLOCL 08.2 329 21
NGC 5236 13 37.1 -29 52 GALXY 07.5 370 21
   
 

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
AK Hya 8.00:37.00:35.70 -17.00:7.00:23.00 SRB 6.91 6.33
HQ Hya 8.00:16.00:51.30 -10.00:0.00:31.00 DSCTC 6.33 6.29
HV Hya 8.00:33.00:1.80 -7.00:48.00:32.00 ACV 5.76 5.66
HY Hya 11.00:12.00:10.30 -25.00:48.00:8.00 LB 7.60 7.47
II Hya 11.00:46.00:13.30 -26.00:28.00:18.00 SRB 5.12 4.85
IL Hya 9.00:22.00:33.90 -23.00:36.00:35.00 RS 7.95 7.45
IN Hya 9.00:18.00:2.70 +0.00:23.00:40.00 SRB 6.87 6.27
IO Hya 10.00:5.00:11.40 -22.00:14.00:41.00 SRB 7.02 6.87
IQ Hya 9.00:11.00:17.30 -23.00:11.00:5.00 M 6.20 5.00
IW Hya 9.00:42.00:56.00 -21.00:48.00:6.00 M: 3.00 1.00
KU Hya 9.00:20.00:24.50 -9.00:37.00:27.00 ACV 6.53 6.51
KW Hya 9.00:9.00:57.90 -6.00:54.00:14.00 EA/DM 6.58 6.11
KX Hya 8.00:46.00:51.00 -3.00:15.00:23.00 ACV 0.02 5.31
LM Hya 8.00:23.00:57.30 -3.00:49.00:19.00 DSCTC 0.00 5.80
LN Hya 12.00:53.00:48.40 -26.00:11.00:22.00 SRD 6.90 6.57
LO Hya 8.00:25.00:57.70 -2.00:21.00:1.00 EA/DM 6.61 6.37
LQ Hya 9.00:30.00:0.50 -10.00:57.00:48.00 BY 7.86 7.79
LS Hya 11.00:16.00:59.30 -30.00:2.00:56.00 ACV 8.00 7.87
LU Hya 8.00:22.00:47.50 -7.00:0.00:23.00 RS 7.39 7.34
LV Hya 11.00:54.00:31.00 -33.00:2.00:13.00 ACV: 0.03 6.20
LX Hya 9.00:16.00:7.20 -20.00:9.00:34.00 ACVO 7.82 7.79
bet Hya 11.00:50.00:22.60 -33.00:37.00:47.00 ACV 0.04 4.27
eps Hya 8.00:44.00:7.80 +6.00:36.00:12.00 BY: 3.39 3.35
eta Hya 8.00:40.00:36.70 +3.00:34.00:46.00 BCEP 4.33 4.27
khi 2 Hya 11.00:3.00:31.90 -27.00:1.00:2.00 EA/DM 5.94 5.65
   
 

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
STF 1270 08 45.4 -02 35 6.6, 7.6 4.70 263 12 231/ 232
STF 1273 08 46.8 06 25 3.5, 6.8 3.20 281 12 186/ 187
S 585 08 55.2 -18 14 5.9, 7.1 66.70 147 12 277/ 322
STF 1295 08 55.5 -07 57 6.7, 6.9 4.20 25 12 277
ARG 72 08 56.8 -17 26 7.3, 7.5 3.50 183 12 277
SHJ 105 09 20.5 -09 33 5.0, 6.9 231.80 211 12/ 13 277/ 278
STF 1348 09 24.5 06 21 7.5, 7.6 2.00 317 12/ 13 188
STF 1355 09 27.3 06 14 7.5, 7.5 2.30 346 12/ 13 188
HJ 1167 09 29.1 -02 46 4.9, 7.9 65.70 3 12/ 13 233
SHJ 110 10 04.1 -18 06 5.8, 8.0 21.20 273 13 279/ 324
BU 217 10 06.8 -24 43 7.9, 7.9 2.00 127 20 324
BU 411 10 36.1 -26 40 6.7, 7.4 1.20 320 20 325
STF 1474 10 47.6 -15 14 6.8, 7.9 69.60 24 13 280
STF 1474 10 47.6 -15 14 6.5, 6.9 74.70 25 13 280
STF 1474 10 47.6 -15 14 7.8, 7.5 6.80 197 13 280
H 96 11 32.3 -29 16 5.8, 5.9 9.30 210 20 327/ 367
H 69 13 36.9 -26 29 5.9, 6.8 10.10 191 21 330/ 331
H 97 14 46.0 -25 26 5.2, 7.2 8.40 125 21 333