Indus

Indus is a faint southern constellation with no stars brighter than magnitude 3. It contains Epsilon Indi, one of the nearest stars to the Sun at about 11.8 light-years, which has a system of brown dwarf companions.

Location in the Sky

When to Observe

Indus is best observed during September. It is located in the SQ4 quadrant and is primarily visible from the southern hemisphere. The constellation contains 3 main stars forming its asterism, with 12 Bayer/Flamsteed designated stars in total. Its brightest star is The Persian.

Mythology & History

Indus was introduced by Dutch navigators Keyser and de Houtman in the late 16th century. It represents a native figure, sometimes interpreted as a Native American or Indian. The constellation appeared on Plancius's celestial globe and later in Bayer's Uranometria. It has no classical mythological associations.