Eridanus

Eri star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).

One of the 88 IAU constellations.

Etymology and History

The Greek constellation ...

Origin of Constellation

Greco-Roman

Hyginus, Astronomica

Some call this the Nile, though many call it Ocean. Those who advocate the Nile point out that it is correctly so called on account of the great length and usefulness of that River, and especially because below the sign is a certain star, shining more brightly than the rest, called Canopus. Canopus is an island washed by the river Nile. (Mary Ward 1960)

Almagest Ποταμός

id	Greek (Heiberg 1898)	English (Toomer 1984)	ident.
	Ποταμοῦ ἀστερισμός
1	ὁ μετὰ τὸν ἐν τῷ ἀκρόποδι τοῦ δρίωνος ἐπὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ ποταμοῦ	The star after the one in the foot of Orion, at the beginning of the river	lam Eri
2	ὁ τούτου βορειότερος ἐν ἐπικαμπίῳ πρὸς τῷ ἀντικυημίῳ τοῦ Ὡρίωνος	The one north of tbis, in thc curve near the shin of Orion	ß Eri
3	τῶν μετὰ τοῦτον ἐφεξῆς β’ ὁ ἐπόμενος	Thc rearmost of thc 2 stars ncxt in order after this	psi Eri
4	ὁ προηγούμενος αὐτῶν	The more advanced of t)lem	ome Eri
5	πάλιη τῶν ἐφεξῆς Β’ ὁ ἐπόμευος	The reannost of the next 2 in order again	mu Eri
6	ὁ προηγούμενος αὐτῶν	The more advanced of them	nu Eri
7	τῶν μετὰ τοῦτον γ’ ὁ ἐπόμευος	The rearmost of the 3 stars after this	xi Eri
8	ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν	The middle one of these	omi2 Eri
9	ὁ προηγούμενος τῶν τριῶν	The most advanced of the three	omi1 Eri
10	τῶν ἐν τῇ ἐξῆς διαστάσει δ ὁ ἑπόμενος	The reannost of the four stars in the-next interval	gam Eri
11	ὁ τούτου προηγούμενος	The one in advance of this	pi Eri
12	ὁ ἔτι τούτου προηγούμενος	The one in advance again of this	del Eri
13	ὁ τῶν ὁ προηγούμενος	The most advanced of the 4	eps Eri
14	ὁμοίως τῶν ἐν τῇ ἐφεξῆς διαστάσει δ ὁ ἑπόμενος	The reannost of the 4 stars in the next interval again	zet Eri
15	ὁ τούτου προηγούμενος	The one in advance of this	rho3 + rho2 Eri
16	ὁ ἔτι τούτου προηγούμενος	The one in advance again of this	eta Eri
17	ὁ τῶν ὁ προηγούμενος	The most advanced of the 4	HR 859
18	ὁ ἐν τῇ ἐπιστροφῇ τοῦ ποταμοῦ α’ ἀπτόμενος τοῦ στήθους τοῦ Κήτους	The first star _in the bend ofthe river, which [star] touches the ehest of Cetus	tau1 Eri
19	ὁ τούτῳ ἐπόμενος	The one to the rear of this	tau2 Eri
20	τῶν ἐφεξῆς τριῶν ὁ προηγούμενος	The most advanced of the next [group oll three	tau3 Eri
21	ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν	The midd1e one of these	tau4 Eri
22	ὁ ἐπόμευος τῶν τριῶν	The rearmost of the three	tau5 Eri
23	τῶν ἐξῆς ὡς ἐν τραπεξίῳ ὁ τῆς προηγουμένης πλευρᾶς ὁ βόρειος.	The next four stars, nearly fonning a trapezium: the northern one on the advance side	tau6 Eri
24	ὁ νοτιώτερος τῆς προηγουμένης πλευρᾶς	The next four stars, nearly fonning a trapezium: the southernmost on the advance side	tau7 Eri
25	τῆς ἐπομένης πλευρᾶς ὁ προηγούμενος	The next four stars, nearly fonning a trapezium: the more advanced one on the rear side	tau8 Eri
26	ὁ ἑπόμενος αὐτῆς καὶ λοιπὸς τῶν δ	The next four stars, nearly fonning a trapezium: the last of the 4, the rear one on that side	tau9 Eri
27	ὁ τῶν διεστώτων πρὸς ἀνατολὴν β συνεχῶν ὁ βόρειος	The northernmost of the 2 Stars close tagether at some distance to the east	ups1 Eri
28	ὁ ποτιώτερος αὐτῶν	The southernmost of them	ups2 Eri
29	τῶν ἐφεξῆς μετὰ τὴν καμπὴν β ὁ ἑπόμενος	The rearmost of the next 2 stars after the bend	ups3 Eri
30	ὁ προηγούμενος αὐτῶν	The more advanced of them	ups4 Eri
31	τῶν ἐν τῇ ἐξῆς διαστάσει γ’ ὁ ἐπόμευος	The rearmost of thc 3 stars in thc next interval	g Eri
32	ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν	The middle one	f Eri
33	ὁ προηγούμενος τῶν τριῶν	The most advanced of the three	h Eri
34	ὁ ἔσχατος τοῦ Ποταμοῦ λαμπρός	The last star of the river, the bright one	tet Eri
	ἀστέρες λδ, ὥν α μεγέθους ἂ, γ’ ἔ, δ’ ἧς, εἱ β.	{34 stars, 1 of the lirst magnitude, 5 of the third, 26 of the fourth, 2 of the fifth}

References

• References (general)
• References (Babylonian)
• References (ancient Greco-Roman)
• References (medieval)