Eridanus is a large constellation, with its stars scattering in a long, curving line like a flowing river.
It is closely associated with the myth of Phaethon, the son of the sun god Helios. According to legend, the mortal Phaethon was granted permission to ride his father’s chariot across the sky. But disaster struck when the boy — too weak and inexperienced to control the chariot’s fiery horses — veered wildly off course. The chariot plunged so close to Earth that seas dried up and lands caught fire; it’s even said this was how Libya became a desert.
Seeing the chaos unfold, Zeus struck Phaethon with a thunderbolt to prevent further destruction, killing him instantly. The boy’s body fell from the sky into the mythical river Eridanus, which was later placed among the stars as an eternal reminder of his ambition and its tragic consequences.
Eridanus is best seen between late December and March from the southern hemisphere and the lower third of the northern hemisphere.
This A5 watercolour comes with its own carefully researched History Note detailing the story behind the constellation. As Eridanus is closely associated with a tale of Greek tragedy, he would make the perfect gift for a mythology lover
Eridanus is a large constellation, with its stars scattering in a long, curving line like a flowing river.
It is closely associated with the myth of Phaethon, the son of the sun god Helios. According to legend, the mortal Phaethon was granted permission to ride his father’s chariot across the sky. But disaster struck when the boy — too weak and inexperienced to control the chariot’s fiery horses — veered wildly off course. The chariot plunged so close to Earth that seas dried up and lands caught fire; it’s even said this was how Libya became a desert.
Seeing the chaos unfold, Zeus struck Phaethon with a thunderbolt to prevent further destruction, killing him instantly. The boy’s body fell from the sky into the mythical river Eridanus, which was later placed among the stars as an eternal reminder of his ambition and its tragic consequences.
Eridanus is best seen between late December and March from the southern hemisphere and the lower third of the northern hemisphere.
This A5 watercolour comes with its own carefully researched History Note detailing the story behind the constellation. As Eridanus is closely associated with a tale of Greek tragedy, he would make the perfect gift for a mythology lover
