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Hydra
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Constellations Visible in Canadian Skies
Select a constellation from the list below to learn more:
Aquarius
Aquila
Aries
Auriga
Boötes
Cancer
Canis Major
Canis Minor
Capricornus
Cassiopeia
Cygnus
Gemini
Hercules
Hydra
Libra
Leo
Lyra
Orion
Perseus
Pisces
Sagittarius
Scorpius
Taurus
Ursa Minor and Ursa Major
Virgo
Legend
The Hydra was a horrible nine-headed water snake with deadly, poisonous breath. Hercules was told to kill the Hydra as one of his twelve labours. He bravely drove the Hydra out of hiding and started to smash its heads with his club, but soon discovered that every time he knocked off a head, two more would grow back in its place! Eventually, his chariot-driver Iolaus started burning off the stump of each severed head, which kept them from regenerating. Hercules finally cut off the last head and buried it under a rock. Then he dipped his arrows in the blood of the Hydra, to make them even more deadly.
Hydra is the largest and longest constellation — it snakes a quarter of the way around the sky! In spite of its size, Hydra really has only one bright star. It's named Alphard — you can find it under Regulus in Leo and Procyon in Canis Minor.
The stars which appear 'underneath' Hydra are not visible from our location here in Canada as they are hidden well beneath our horizon in the Northern hemisphere. To view these wonders of the Southern skies one would be required to head towards the equator!
