Eridanus (Pronounciation:Iri-dan-us, Abbrev:Eri, Latin:Eridani) is a constellation, one of 88 constellations that the night sky is divided into. The sky is not divided up equally between the constellations. Eridanus takes up 1137.919 sq. degrees of the night sky which equates to 2.76% of the night sky. The constellation gets its name as it name means River Eridanus . The constellation is one of the original constellations that was devised by the Ancient Greco-Egyptian astronomer Ptolemy who lived between 90 A.D. and 168 A.D.
Eridanus is not a member of the Zodiac group of twelve constellations that appear when the Sun sets. Eridanus is a southern hemispheric constellation which means it can't be seen easily or at all from the northern hemisphere.
The brightest star in Eridanus is Achernar. There are 12 Extrasolar Planets (Exoplanets) in this constellation that are detailed on this site.
The number of stars that have been catalogued as part of the Hipparcos Star Catalogue from Eridanus is 2759. The number of stars that are of magnitude 6.0 or lower in the constellation is 128. The number of stars in the constellation that make up the outline is 35.
There are no deep space objects that were identified by Charles Messier in this constellation. There are 0 non-Messier deep space objects that are covered on this site and the list is below.
The nearest star to Earth is Sadira which is roughly about 10.49 Light Years from the Earth. The nearest star to the Earth with an exoplanet is Sadira which is about 10.49 Light Years. The furthest star that can be located in the constellation is HIP 13391 which is located about 326163 Light Years away from the Sun. The furthest figure is derived from either the 1997 or 2007 Hipparcos star catalogue parallax figure and it has been known to produce distances that are wrong.
The dimmest star that can be seen in Eridanus with the naked eye is GZ Eridani. The dim star has an apparent magnitude of 6. The dimmest star that a person is able to see with their naked eye is 6.0 magnitude based on the table in the reference. Ref: University of Michigan
The caveat of these stars are that they are catalogued on this site. If you know of a star that is nearer or further then do let me know in the comments and I'll add it to the site. The stars mentioned are from the Hipparcos catalogue or have been added because of their special status.
Eridanus, the river was where Phaethon fell into when he was knocked out of his chariot basket. Phaethon had taken his father Helios` chariot and rode it across the skies both too high and too lower. As it was scaring the people below, Zeus threw fire bolts at the chariot to stop him. The chariot stopped but Phaethon fell out and into the river.
There are 14 Meteor Showers that occur during the year within this constellation based on information gathered from Adam Mickiewicz University (Poland). The ones listed as the ones I've been able to find a date range for. For others if you have the time, you can visit the AMU site, obtains the SL value then use IMO tables to calculate the date. A lot of the Meteor Showers are weak and you need to do a lot of stargazing to spot them.
| Name | Activity | Peak Activity | Closest Star |
| Eta Eridanids | 3 Aug- 14 Aug | 09-Aug | Azha |
| Name | Eridanus |
| Abbreviation | Eri |
| Is a Zodiac Sign | No |
| Brightest Star | Achernar |
| Area | 1137.919 sq. deg. |
| Percentage of Night Sky | 2.76% |
| Size Position | 6th |
| Hemisphere | Southern |
| Site Exoplanet Count | 12 |
| Meteor Shower Count | 14 |
| Nearest Star | Sadira |
| Nearest Star with Exoplanet(s) | Sadira |
| Dimmest Star | GZ Eridani |
| Furthest Star | HIP 13391 |
| Bright Star Count | 128 |
| Hipparcos Star Count | 2759 |
| Main Star Count | 35 |
| Messier Deep Space Object Count | 0 |
| *Non-Messier Deep Space Object Count | 2 |
| Bordering / Neighbouring / Surrounding Constellations | Taurus |
| Cetus | |
| Fornax | |
| Phoenix | |
| Tucana | |
| Horologium | |
| Caelum | |
| Lepus | |
| Orion | |
*Note: The number of Non-Messier Deep Space Object Count relates to how many are covered on this site not how many there are.
The map was generated using Night Vision, an awesome free application by Brian Simpson.
| Star | Distance (Lt. Yrs.) | Exoplanet Count | Declination | Right Ascension |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HD 10647 | 56.86 | 1 | -53d 44` 26.1 | 01h 42m 29.15 |
| HD 13808 | 93.43 | 2 | -53d 44` 38.3 | 02h 12m 43.03 |
| HD 18742 | 441.36 | 1 | -20d 48` 09.2 | 03h 00m 10.67 |
| HD 19467 | 100.67 | 1 | -13d 45` 40.1 | 03h 07m 18.58 |
| HD 28185 | 138.09 | 1 | -10d 33` 02.4 | 04h 26m 26.27 |
| HD 30562 | 86.17 | 1 | -05d 40` 24.4 | 04h 48m 36.20 |
| HD 30856 | 385.08 | 1 | -24d 22` 07.7 | 04h 50m 17.85 |
| HIP 12961 | 75.07 | 1 | -23d 05` 13.0 | 02h 46m 42.70 |
| HIP 8541 | 550.02 | 1 | -54d 27` 53.5 | 01h 50m 06.22 |
| Sadira | 10.49 | 2 | -09d 27` 29.9 | 03h 32m 56.42 |
As there's so many stars in the cosmos, not all the stars are listed here. The site has lots of stars not listed so if your star isn't listed and you know the Henry Draper or Hipparcos ID, type https://www.universeguide.com/star/ then followed by the HIPNNNNNN or HDNNNN where NNNNN is the number part of the name. The stars that I do list have either a traditional name, a bayer or other classification name.
| Star | Distance (Lt. Yrs.) | Declination | Right Ascension |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 G. Eri | 87.63 | -51d 46` 00.7 | 01h 56m 59.66 |
| 100 G. Eri | 113.17 | -41d 22` 10.3 | 03h 30m 13.59 |
| 104 G. Eri | 448.03 | -09d 52` 05.8 | 03h 34m 37.46 |
| 105 G. Eri | 628.45 | -05d 07` 29.8 | 03h 35m 57.25 |
| 106 G. Eri | 377.94 | -11d 11` 38.3 | 03h 35m 57.65 |
| 109 G. Eri | 366.48 | -07d 23` 30.2 | 03h 38m 29.25 |
| 112 G. Eri | 435.47 | -03d 23` 34.2 | 03h 39m 38.35 |
| 113 G. Eri | 356.85 | -10d 26` 13.3 | 03h 39m 25.42 |
| 114 G. Eri | 651.02 | -15d 13` 35.4 | 03h 40m 11.44 |
| 117 G. Eri | 302.56 | -11d 48` 09.0 | 03h 41m 13.75 |
| 12 G. Eri | 155.76 | -54d 52` 53.9 | 02h 04m 35.04 |
| 122 G. Eri | 138.38 | -10d 29` 08.2 | 03h 43m 33.84 |
| 126 G. Eri | 316.05 | -40d 39` 36.3 | 03h 44m 06.36 |
| 129 G. Eri | 486.81 | +00d 13` 40.3 | 03h 48m 38.92 |
| 132 G. Eri | 593.02 | -20d 54` 10.6 | 03h 48m 35.72 |
| 133 G. Eri | 486.81 | -36d 06` 21.0 | 03h 47m 49.60 |
| 134 G. Eri | 142.43 | -01d 31` 21.5 | 03h 50m 16.10 |
| 14 Eridani | 111.47 | -09d 09` 17.1 | 03h 16m 35.77 |
| 147 G. Eri | 888.73 | -18d 26` 04.0 | 03h 53m 12.93 |
| 15 Eridani | 255.41 | -22d 30` 40.1 | 03h 18m 22.10 |
| 15 G. Eri | 198.52 | -51d 05` 32.2 | 02h 22m 54.65 |
| 153 G. Eri | 499.48 | -40d 21` 25.3 | 03h 54m 23.18 |
| 159 G. Eri | 151.49 | -05d 28` 10.3 | 03h 58m 52.42 |
| 160 G. Eri | 734.60 | -12d 34` 27.6 | 03h 59m 30.13 |
| 163 G. Eri | 351.47 | -30d 29` 26.6 | 04h 00m 40.62 |
| 164 G. Eri | 61.42 | -00d 16` 05.9 | 04h 02m 36.66 |
| 166 G. Eri | 994.40 | -20d 08` 37.7 | 04h 03m 24.75 |
| 168 G. Eri | 504.12 | -16d 35` 18.9 | 04h 04m 08.65 |
| 169 G. Eri | 384.63 | -12d 47` 32.4 | 04h 04m 22.71 |
| 17 Eridani | 404.17 | -05d 04` 30.6 | 03h 30m 37.05 |
| 171 G. Eri | 408.21 | -20d 22` 54.6 | 04h 04m 40.89 |
| 172 G. Eri | 248.79 | -08d 51` 21.9 | 04h 05m 56.49 |
| 173 G. Eri | 288.90 | -20d 30` 45.1 | 04h 05m 46.73 |
| 174 G. Eri | 146.92 | -27d 39` 07.3 | 04h 05m 37.30 |
| 184 G. Eri | 286.11 | -08d 49` 11.4 | 04h 10m 47.74 |
| 186 G. Eri | 516.90 | -08d 50` 15.0 | 04h 11m 56.10 |
| 188 G. Eri | 858.32 | -35d 16` 25.4 | 04h 10m 45.89 |
| 189 G. Eri | 359.21 | -17d 16` 28.6 | 04h 12m 00.26 |
| 20 Eridani | 486.81 | -17d 28` 01.3 | 03h 36m 17.39 |
| 20 G. Eri | 135.51 | -46d 31` 27.2 | 02h 42m 08.44 |
| 202 G. Eri | 756.76 | -06d 28` 19.8 | 04h 17m 19.23 |
| 205 G. Eri | 293.05 | -22d 58` 11.4 | 04h 18m 37.46 |
| 207 G. Eri | 332.82 | -33d 54` 16.7 | 04h 19m 02.89 |
| 21 Eridani | 109.93 | -05d 37` 32.5 | 03h 39m 01.13 |
| 21 G. Eri | 595.19 | -40d 31` 40.6 | 02h 43m 20.22 |
| 211 G. Eri | 466.61 | -00d 05` 52.3 | 04h 21m 27.05 |
| 212 G. Eri | 475.46 | -20d 38` 22.6 | 04h 20m 39.00 |
| 213 G. Eri | 686.66 | -06d 17` 02.9 | 04h 21m 37.51 |
| 214 G. Eri | 191.64 | -25d 43` 42.4 | 04h 21m 31.29 |
| 216 G. Eri | 501.02 | -24d 53` 31.6 | 04h 23m 05.66 |
| 218 G. Eri | 921.37 | -35d 32` 41.4 | 04h 23m 07.76 |
| 22 Eridani | 496.44 | -05d 12` 38.5 | 03h 40m 38.33 |
| 222 G. Eri | 318.52 | -24d 04` 52.6 | 04h 26m 56.93 |
| 227 G. Eri | 308.28 | -19d 27` 31.0 | 04h 28m 39.01 |
| 229 G. Eri | 468.63 | -13d 35` 32.5 | 04h 30m 09.99 |
| 232 G. Eri | 368.13 | -13d 38` 38.8 | 04h 31m 25.86 |
| 233 G. Eri | 392.97 | -35d 39` 12.9 | 04h 30m 40.33 |
| 236 G. Eri | 742.97 | -10d 47` 07.5 | 04h 33m 22.09 |
| 24 Eridani | 654.95 | -01d 09` 47.1 | 03h 44m 30.51 |
| 240 G. Eri | 716.84 | -06d 50` 15.8 | 04h 34m 14.21 |
| 242 G. Eri | 760.29 | -08d 58` 11.9 | 04h 34m 11.79 |
| 246 G. Eri | 368.96 | -24d 02` 26.0 | 04h 34m 38.13 |
| 247 G. Eri | 354.53 | -19d 55` 17.5 | 04h 35m 00.65 |
| 248 G. Eri | 819.51 | -03d 36` 41.8 | 04h 36m 01.67 |
| 25 Eridani | 394.39 | -00d 17` 48.2 | 03h 44m 56.46 |
| 253 G. Eri | 415.49 | -30d 43` 00.5 | 04h 36m 50.94 |
| 256 G. Eri | 716.84 | -01d 03` 08.8 | 04h 39m 47.21 |
| 257 G. Eri | 196.13 | -14d 21` 32.0 | 04h 39m 19.64 |
| 258 G. Eri | 350.34 | -24d 28` 56.7 | 04h 40m 06.85 |
| 26 G. Eri | 156.66 | -21d 38` 22.4 | 02h 46m 45.06 |
| 264 G. Eri | 305.97 | -18d 39` 59.6 | 04h 44m 07.95 |
| 267 G. Eri | 712.15 | -21d 17` 00.0 | 04h 45m 04.15 |
| 27 G. Eri | 129.22 | -22d 29` 08.4 | 02h 47m 11.14 |
| 272 G. Eri | 110.26 | -13d 46` 09.3 | 04h 49m 42.32 |
| 278 G. Eri | 473.39 | -16d 44` 26.3 | 04h 55m 06.82 |
| 281 G. Eri | 1359.01 | -14d 13` 54.8 | 04h 57m 44.69 |
| 287 G. Eri | 299.78 | -04d 12` 36.5 | 05h 02m 45.37 |
| 291 G. Eri | 680.93 | -08d 39` 55.0 | 05h 08m 20.19 |
| 30 Eridani | 585.57 | -05d 21` 40.5 | 03h 52m 41.65 |
| 31 G. Eri | 287.37 | -39d 55` 55.9 | 02h 50m 47.77 |
| 32 Eridani | 313.02 | -02d 57` 17.0 | 03h 54m 17.49 |
| 33 G. Eri | 318.52 | -09d 26` 28.8 | 02h 52m 50.67 |
| 35 Eridani | 413.91 | -01d 32` 58.7 | 04h 01m 32.03 |
| 35 G. Eri | 364.02 | -22d 22` 34.0 | 02h 53m 35.27 |
| 37 Eridani | 351.47 | -06d 55` 25.8 | 04h 10m 22.52 |
| 39 Eridani | 242.32 | -10d 15` 21.2 | 04h 14m 23.69 |
| 4 Eridani | 155.54 | -23d 51` 43.5 | 02h 57m 23.70 |
| 40 G. Eri | 186.49 | -03d 42` 44.0 | 02h 56m 37.45 |
| 43 G. Eri | 360.80 | -02d 46` 57.8 | 02h 58m 42.09 |
| 45 Eridani | 656.26 | -00d 02` 38.4 | 04h 31m 52.67 |
| 45 G. Eri | 293.84 | -09d 46` 35.3 | 02h 58m 47.31 |
| 46 Eridani | 827.83 | -06d 44` 20.0 | 04h 33m 54.73 |
| 47 Eridani | 994.40 | -08d 13` 52.9 | 04h 34m 11.64 |
| 5 Eridani | 362.40 | -02d 27` 53.6 | 02h 59m 41.16 |
| 51 Eridani | 95.99 | -02d 28` 24.2 | 04h 37m 36.11 |
| 53 G. Eri | 329.79 | -09d 57` 41.0 | 03h 01m 56.09 |
| 54 Eridani | 368.55 | -19d 40` 16.5 | 04h 40m 26.49 |
| 54 G. Eri | 110.56 | -06d 29` 39.1 | 03h 02m 09.23 |
| 55 Eridani | 2131.79 | -08d 47` 39.3 | 04h 43m 34.73 |
| 56 Eridani | 4868.11 | -08d 30` 12.9 | 04h 44m 05.32 |
| 58 Eridani | 43.30 | -16d 56` 05.5 | 04h 47m 36.21 |
| 58 G. Eri | 847.18 | -46d 58` 30.2 | 03h 02m 55.84 |
| 59 Eridani | 136.07 | -16d 19` 46.5 | 04h 48m 32.53 |
| 59 G. Eri | 458.09 | -08d 16` 27.5 | 03h 05m 11.26 |
| 6 Eridani | 662.93 | -23d 36` 22.1 | 02h 58m 05.69 |
| 60 Eridani | 235.84 | -16d 13` 02.2 | 04h 50m 11.59 |
| 61 G. Eri | 456.17 | -06d 05` 18.8 | 03h 06m 33.49 |
| 62 Eridani | 741.28 | -05d 10` 16.9 | 04h 56m 24.19 |
| 63 Eridani | 176.02 | -10d 15` 46.8 | 04h 59m 50.44 |
| 64 Eridani | 290.18 | -12d 32` 13.9 | 04h 59m 55.71 |
| 64 G. Eri | 862.87 | -03d 48` 41.6 | 03h 11m 18.78 |
| 65 G. Eri | 295.71 | -23d 44` 19.0 | 03h 10m 35.35 |
| 66 Eridani | 308.87 | -04d 39` 18.6 | 05h 06m 45.65 |
| 66 G. Eri | 1069.39 | -13d 15` 51.5 | 03h 11m 05.27 |
| 67 G. Eri | 540.01 | -16d 01` 29.8 | 03h 11m 16.74 |
| 68 Eridani | 83.04 | -04d 27` 22.5 | 05h 08m 43.67 |
| 7 Eridani | 832.05 | -02d 52` 43.1 | 03h 00m 50.88 |
| 71 G. Eri | 138.62 | -44d 25` 10.8 | 03h 12m 25.68 |
| 74 G. Eri | 657.59 | -05d 55` 07.3 | 03h 16m 00.85 |
| 75 G. Eri | 1496.16 | -05d 43` 49.5 | 03h 16m 21.71 |
| 80 G. Eri | 120.58 | -18d 33` 34.7 | 03h 18m 41.07 |
| 82 Eridani | 19.71 | -43d 04` 17.6 | 03h 19m 53.22 |
| 83 G. Eri | 366.89 | -23d 38` 06.3 | 03h 21m 24.03 |
| 86 G. Eri | 121.16 | -07d 47` 36.8 | 03h 23m 17.70 |
| 89 G. Eri | 457.45 | -41d 38` 13.2 | 03h 26m 11.77 |
| 9 G. Eri | 653.63 | -49d 50` 11.3 | 01h 56m 09.40 |
| 91 G. Eri | 318.52 | -11d 17` 11.4 | 03h 28m 00.95 |
| 93 G. Eri | 387.37 | -06d 48` 15.3 | 03h 29m 39.19 |
| 94 G. Eri | 418.16 | -12d 40` 29.1 | 03h 29m 36.02 |
| 99 G. Eri | 213.46 | -42d 38` 03.3 | 03h 29m 55.19 |
| Acamar | 161.23 | -40d 18` 17.0 | 02h 58m 15.72 |
| Achernar | 139.45 | -57d 14` 12.0 | 01h 37m 42.75 |
| Angetenar | 186.91 | -21d 00` 14.3 | 02h 51m 02.35 |
| Azha | 136.53 | -08d 53` 51.4 | 02h 56m 25.60 |
| Beid | 121.70 | -06d 50` 16.0 | 04h 11m 51.93 |
| Chi Eridani | 58.22 | -51d 36` 34.5 | 01h 55m 56.83 |
| Cursa | 89.36 | -05d 05` 10.5 | 05h 07m 51.03 |
| DL Eridani | 409.75 | -09d 45` 03.1 | 03h 56m 37.90 |
| DO Eridani | 160.51 | -12d 05` 56.6 | 03h 55m 16.17 |
| DU Eridani | 1517.04 | -13d 02` 54.1 | 04h 29m 06.93 |
| DZ Eridani | 475.46 | -03d 12` 34.2 | 04h 32m 37.54 |
| EK Eridani | 199.85 | -06d 14` 45.1 | 04h 20m 38.59 |
| EM Eridani | 789.74 | -07d 35` 33.0 | 04h 20m 42.83 |
| EX Eridani | 183.24 | -28d 05` 15.0 | 04h 46m 25.75 |
| Gliese 86 | 35.17 | -50d 49` 31.1 | 02h 10m 24.00 |
| GU Eridani | 652.33 | -16d 23` 09.2 | 04h 09m 17.84 |
| GW Eridani | 264.10 | -20d 21` 22.6 | 04h 11m 36.18 |
| GY Eridani | 718.42 | -01d 08` 59.0 | 04h 13m 38.15 |
| GZ Eridani | 1510.02 | -20d 42` 55.1 | 04h 18m 16.07 |
| HR 1614 | 28.40 | -05d 45` 03.5 | 05h 00m 48.68 |
| Iota Eridani | 150.65 | -39d 51` 19.1 | 02h 40m 39.93 |
| Kappa Eridani | 508.04 | -47d 42` 13.8 | 02h 26m 59.10 |
| Keid | 16.26 | -07d 38` 40.4 | 04h 15m 17.64 |
| Lambda Eridani | 811.35 | -08d 45` 14.7 | 05h 09m 08.78 |
| Mu Eridani | 521.86 | -03d 15` 16.6 | 04h 45m 30.14 |
| Nu Eridani | 675.29 | -03d 21` 08.8 | 04h 36m 19.14 |
| Omega Eridani | 234.99 | -05d 27` 09.9 | 04h 52m 53.68 |
| P Eridani A | 25.51 | -56d 11` 47.2 | 01h 39m 47.24 |
| Phi Eridani | 153.71 | -51d 30` 43.6 | 02h 16m 30.50 |
| Pi Eridani | 481.07 | -12d 06` 06.2 | 03h 46m 08.50 |
| Psi Eridani | 739.60 | -07d 10` 26.3 | 05h 01m 26.34 |
| R Eridani | 278.30 | -16d 25` 04.3 | 04h 55m 18.64 |
| Rana | 29.49 | -09d 45` 54.7 | 03h 43m 14.96 |
| Rho1 Eridani | 323.90 | -07d 39` 46.2 | 03h 01m 09.97 |
| Rho2 Eridani | 264.74 | -07d 41` 07.7 | 03h 02m 42.26 |
| Rho3 Eridani | 135.56 | -07d 36` 03.2 | 03h 04m 16.48 |
| Sceptrum | 109.86 | -14d 18` 12.9 | 04h 38m 10.87 |
| Tau1 Eridani | 46.38 | -18d 34` 21.5 | 02h 45m 05.98 |
| Tau3 Eridani | 88.63 | -23d 37` 27.6 | 03h 02m 23.59 |
| Tau4 Eridani | 304.54 | -21d 45` 28.6 | 03h 19m 30.97 |
| Tau5 Eridani | 293.31 | -21d 37` 58.1 | 03h 33m 47.25 |
| Tau6 Eridani | 57.49 | -23d 14` 54.4 | 03h 46m 50.99 |
| Tau7 Eridani | 250.89 | -23d 52` 29.3 | 03h 47m 39.62 |
| Tau8 Eridani | 377.07 | -24d 36` 44.0 | 03h 53m 42.68 |
| Tau9 Eridani | 327.47 | -24d 00` 58.5 | 03h 59m 55.48 |
| Theemin | 213.88 | -30d 33` 44.3 | 04h 35m 33.07 |
| Upsilon1 Eridani | 127.06 | -29d 45` 57.0 | 04h 33m 30.63 |
| Upsilon3 Eridani | 296.24 | -34d 01` 01.2 | 04h 24m 02.17 |
| Upsilon4 Eridani | 177.94 | -33d 47` 54.0 | 04h 17m 53.62 |
| Xi Eridani | 209.08 | -03d 44` 43.2 | 04h 23m 40.88 |
| Zaurak | 203.34 | -13d 30` 29.7 | 03h 58m 01.73 |
| Zibal | 109.75 | -08d 49` 11.4 | 03h 15m 50.03 |
| Name | Type | Distance | Declination | Right Ascension |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NGC1300 Barred Spiral Galaxy | Barred Spiral Galaxy | 61 | -19:24.41 | 13h 19m 41s |
| Witch Head Nebula | Reflection Nebula | 1000 | -7:54 | 05h 02h 00 |
| Type | Description | Count |
| K | Light Orange Star 3,700 - 5,200k | 826 |
| F | Yellow-White 6,000 - 7,500k | 638 |
| G | Yellow 5,200 - 6,000k | 604 |
| A | White 7,500 - 10,000k | 370 |
| M | Red Dwarf Star <3,700k | 114 |
| B | Blue-White 10,500 - 30,000k | 91 |
| O | Blue Star >33,000k | 1 |
| Type | Description | Count |
| V | Main Sequence | 798 |
| III | Normal Giant | 708 |
| IV | Subgiant | 227 |
| II | Bright Giant | 15 |
| Ib | Less Luminous Supergiant | 3 |
| Type | Description | Count |
| VI | VI Type Sub-Dwarf Star | 1 |
| sd | sd Type SubDwarf Star | 1 |
| Type | Description | Count |
| C | C-Type Carbon Star | 2 |
| R | R-Type Carbon Star | 1 |
| S | S-Type Carbon Star | 1 |