Hydra the Water Snake

constellation · ancient astronomy · water snake

Largest constellation. Hydra takes up more space than any other constellation, covering 1303 square degrees of the night sky. That makes it bigger than any of the other 87 constellations combined.

Super long snake. This constellation stretches for over 100 degrees across the sky, making it not just the largest but also the longest. It winds across such a huge area that it takes patience to trace the whole thing from one end to the other.

Ancient stargazer history. Around 2,000 years ago, a famous astronomer named Ptolemy included Hydra in his list of 48 constellations. People have been spotting this water snake in the stars for thousands of years.

Straddles the equator. Hydra sits right on the celestial equator, which means it's positioned across the imaginary line that divides the northern and southern halves of the sky. This special location helps stargazers find it from many parts of Earth.

Bordered by neighbors. Hydra's southern end touches the constellations Libra and Centaurus, while its northern end borders Cancer. These neighboring constellations help people locate Hydra in the night sky.