Hydra

About Hydra

The Water Snake, the largest of all 88 constellations. Stretches more than 100 degrees across the sky, from Cancer to Libra. Represents the many-headed Lernaean Hydra slain by Heracles. Alphard, the solitary one, is an orange giant standing alone in an empty region of sky. Contains the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy M83, the open cluster M48, and the planetary nebula NGC 3242, the Ghost of Jupiter.