Eridanus constellation is located in the southern hemisphere. Its name is the Ancient Greek name for the river Po in Italy.
Eridanus represents the celestial river. In Sanskrit, it is called srotaswini, which means “stream,” “current,” or “torrent.” The constellation is associated with the Greek myth of Phaëton and usually depicted as a river flowing from the waters poured by Aquarius.
Eridanus was first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. Notable features in the constellation include Achernar, one of the brightest stars in the sky, the nearby star Epsilon Eridani, the Eridanus Supervoid, the largest void known, the Eridanus Group of galaxies, and the Witch Head Nebula, a well-known reflection nebula located in the constellation.
FACTS, LOCATION & MAP
Eridanus is the sixth largest constellation in the night sky, occupying an area of 1138 square degrees. It is located in the first quadrant of the southern hemisphere (SQ1) and can be seen at latitudes between +32° and -90°. The neighboring constellations are Caelum, Cetus, Fornax, Horologium, Hydrus, Lepus, Orion, Phoenix, Taurus and Tucana.
Eridanus belongs to the Heavenly Waters family of constellations, along with Carina, Columba, Delphinus, Equuleus, Piscis Austrinus, Puppis, Pyxis, and Vela.
Eridanus contains seven stars with known planets and no Messier objects. The brightest star in the constellation is Achernar, Alpha Eridani, with an apparent magnitude of 0.445. Achernar is also the ninth brightest star in the sky. There are no meteor showers associated with the constellation.
MYTH
In Greek mythology, the constellation is associated with the story of Phaëton (or Phaëthon), the son of the Sun god Helios and the Oceanid Clymene. Phaëton wanted to drive his father’s chariot across the sky and kept begging for Helios’ permission to do so until the god agreed, advising Phaëton to follow the beaten track where he saw wheel marks.
Phaëton mounted the chariot and the horses, sensing that the driver was lighter, flew upwards into the sky, leaving the familiar track behind. The inexperienced driver could not control the horses and the reins slipped from his hands. The chariot plunged so close to the Earth that lands caught fire. It is said that this was how Libya became a desert, Ethiopians got dark skin, and the seas dried up. Zeus saw what was going on and had to intervene to prevent further disaster. He struck Phaëton down with a thunderbolt and, when Phaëton’s hair caught on fire, he leapt from the chariot and fell into the Eridanus. His father Helios, stricken with grief, did not drive his chariot for days, leaving the world in darkness.
The Greek poet Aratus called the constellation Eridanus, while a number of other sources including Ptolemy referred to it as Potamos, which means “the river.” Eratosthenes associated the celestial river with the Nile, the only river that runs from south to north. Hyginus, a Latin author, agreed, pointing out that the bright star Canopus in the constellation Carina was at the end of the river much like the island Canopus lies at the mouth of the great river in Egypt. The actual constellation, however, represents a river that runs from north to south. Later, the river came to be identified as the river Po in Italy by Greek and Latin authors.
The name Eridanus, according to a theory, comes from the name of a Babylonian constellation known as the Star of Eridu (MUL.NUN.KI). Eridu was a Babylonian city held sacred to the god Enki-Ea. Enki-Ea was the ruler of the cosmic domain of the Abyss, usually imagined as a reservoir of fresh water below the Earth’s surface.
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