✧ Eridanus

  Eridanus is an asterism in Eridanus.

                    •⠤··⡀
                        ⠙·⡀ ··⠤··
                          ⠙•·   ⠸⡄
                                ··
                          ⣠·····⠁
                        ·⡋⠁
                         ··⣀⡀
                            ⠉⠙⠒·⠤·
                                 ⡇
                                 ·
                                 ⠈⢧
                                  ⠈·
                                   ⠸⡄
                                    ●

  Type            Asterism
  Constellation   Eridanus
  Stars           26

  More information about Eridanus

  Eridanus begins beside Rigel, in the foot of Orion, and winds further
  south than any other constellation before it ends at Achernar, a bright
  star that never rises at all for most of Europe. That name is the Arabic
  آخر النهر, "the end of the river", which is exactly where it sits. Part
  way along is Epsilon Eridani, one of the nearest stars known to have a
  planet going round it, at a distance of 10.5 light years.

  Not settled: The Greeks identified the river with the Po and sometimes
  the Nile, but the name is older than either and has no settled
  derivation.

  Etymology
  From        Greek
  Reading     Eridanos  ·  Ἠριδανός
  Literally   a river, otherwise unknown

  The evolution of Eridanus over time

  -50,000 years
  
                                Keid ·⡀
                                      ⠹⣦⡀
                                       ⠘⢗⣄
                                         ⢫⡢⡀
                                          ⠱⡘⢆
                                   Cursa   ⠘⢄⠳⡀         Zibal
                                        ⠠•⠒⠊··⠈⠢⡀       ⣀⡀
                                        Ran ·⡤⠤⠤⠽⢤⠤⠤⠤⠤·⠋ · Azha
                                             ⠈⠓⠤⡀⢈•·Zaurak⢧
                                                ⠈⢺·⢤⡀    ⣀⣈⣇
                                                ⢀⡠· ·⠑·⠊·  ·
                                      Theemin ⣀⠔⠉·· Rana  Angetenar
                                             ⠈·⠤⡄
                                               ⠈·⠒⠤⢄⣀    Acamar
                                                     ⠉⠓·⠒·
                                                         ⡇
                                                         ·⢄
                                                           ⠙⢤⡀
                                                            ⣀⣑⣦⡀
                                                   Achernar ●  ·
  
  now
  
  
  
                                                        Zibal
                                         ⣀⠤·⠒·⡀ Ran  Rana
                                   Cursa •    ⠈·⡄ ⢠⠤·⠴·⠤· Azha
                                          Keid  ⠈•··    ⢣
                                          Zaurak        ⢘⠄
                                                ⢀⣀·⠒··⠤⡔··
                                      Theemin ⢀⠴⠊··    ·  Angetenar
                                             ⠐·⣀
                                               ··⠢⠤⣄⡀    Acamar
                                                    ⠈⠉⠒··
                                                        ⢸
                                                         ·⡀
                                                          ⠙·
                                                           ⡇
                                                           ● Achernar
  
  
  
  
  +50,000 years
  
  
  
                                                 ⡀ Rana
                                         ⢀⡀     ⢸·⠢⣄ Zibal
                                       ⠤⠚··⢆    ⡞  ⢀⣑⢆
                                 Cursa •    ⠑⣄ ⣠·  ·⠻⡉· Ran
                                             ⠈•⡁    ⢀· Azha
                                       Zaurak  ⠙⢦⣀⣀⡀⠈·⡄
                                              ⡴· ·⣄·⠑⠒· Angetenar
                                           ⢀⡰⠋  ⠑⠇⠘⢧⡀
                                    Theemin ·⠤⣀⡀ ·  ⠙⣄
                                             · ⠉⠉⠒⠢⠤⣀⡈⢣⡀
                                              Acamar ·⡀⠙⢄
                                                     ·⢧  ⠳⡀
                                                     ⠈·   ⠘⢦⡀
                                                      ⠈⢣    ⠑⠄
                                               Achernar ●    · Keid
  
  
  

  Over 50,000 years either way the longest side of this figure changes by 10%, and the furthest
  any of its stars travels is 59.7 degrees. HR 566, Angetenar, Acamar, HR 919, Zibal, HR 1003,
  Ran, Rana, HR 1162, HR 1173, HR 1240, Keid, HR 1393, Theemin and Cursa drift the opposite way
  to the other 11, which travel together. Proper motion only: this is the shape changing, not
  the sky turning or the pole moving.

  curl 'skymap.sh/Eridanus/evolution.gif'

  where it is tonight:  skymap.sh/Eridanus