Regular readers have long ago learned that, with some effort, we can find star patterns shaped like a square, a bow tie, a kite - even a coat hanger, for cryin' out loud. But one of my favourites has to be the long and winding star group known to astronomers as Eridanus, the river. Most people don't know about Eridanus because their attention is so easily diverted toward the most brilliant constellation in all the heavens: Orion, the hunter.
Eridanus is a constellation. It is represented as a river; its name is the Ancient Greek name for the Po River. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 1st century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations. It is the sixth largest of the modern constellations.