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ERIDANUS

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Originally appearing in Volume V09, Page 741 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ERIDANUS , or FLuvlus (" the See also:

river "), in See also:astronomy, a See also:constellation of the See also:southern hemisphere, mentioned by See also:Eudoxus (4th See also:century B.C.) and See also:Aratus (3rd century B.C.); See also:Ptolemy catalogued 34 stars in it. 9 Eridani, a See also:fine See also:double See also:star of magnitudes 3.5 and 5.5, is now of the third magnitude. It is supposed to be identical with the Achernar of Al-Sufi, who described it as of the first magnitude; this star has therefore decreased in brilliancy in historic times. The star o2 Eridani (numbered 40 by See also:Flamsteed) was discovered to be a ternary star See also:group by See also:Herschel in 1783; it consists of a closd pair, of magnitudes 9.2 and 10.9, revolving in a See also:period of 18o years, associated with a star of magnitude 4.5, which is distant from the pair by 82"; these stars have an exceptionally See also:swift proper See also:motion, about 4" per annum. Eridanus was the See also:ancient name of the river Po.

End of Article: ERIDANUS

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