Star profile

Lambda Hydrae

3D likeness based on its real data · class K · ~4,200 K

What is Lambda Hydrae

λ Hydrae shines amber from 113 light-years, a K-class star in the long-stretched head of Hydra, the largest constellation in the sky. Its warm hue marks a mature sun — cooler than ours yet far larger — in a calm phase of its evolution. It moves quietly within a procession of unnamed stars that winds across nearly a quarter of the celestial vault.

Where it is and when to see it

Lambda Hydrae lies in the southern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is February, when it culminates around midnight.

From London it culminates about 26° above the horizon.
From New York it culminates about 37° above the horizon.
From Sydney it culminates about 68° above the horizon.

It can be seen from anywhere south of 78° N.

It ranks no. 8 in brightness among the 121 stars of Hydra in our catalogue. To find it, start from Alphard, the brightest: it lies about 11° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).

The light you see today left it about 110 years ago.

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A public signature from a real person. The chosen name is a symbolic denomination within Stelvia, with no official standing or IAU recognition: the sky is not for sale and belongs to no one.

Astronomical data for Lambda Hydrae

Constellation: Hydra
Apparent magnitude: 3.61
Distance: 112.6 light years
Coordinates (J2000): RA 152.647° · Dec -12.354°
Catalogue: HIP 49841 · HD 88284

A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.

Other stars in Hydra

Hydra has 121 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.

See all 121 stars in Hydra