• It is the only named star in Hydra and by far the brightest.
• One source calls it Cor Hydrae, "the heart of Hydra."
• Arabic Al-Fard, "The solitary one."
  • Sumerian ušum, ušu: n., dragon, composite creature (uš₁₁, 'snake venom', + am, 'wild ox'), adj., solitary, alone.
  • Hebrew badad, baw-dawd', from Heb. badad, baw-dad', a primary root to divide, i.e. (reflex.) be solitary, alone, thus separate, adv. separately, alone, desolate, only, solitary.
• Another spelling is the Arabic Al Phard, in the neck of the monster and means "The Separated," "The Excluded," "The Put Out of the Way," or "the put away," Proverbs 19:4.
  • Hebrew perudah, per-oo-daw', fem. pass. part. of Heb. parad, paw-rad', a primary root to break through, i.e. spread or separate (one self), disperse, divide, be out of joint, part, scatter (abroad), separate (self), sever self, stretch, sunder, thus something separated, i.e. a kernel, seed.
  • In "Gospel of the Stars," by Joseph Seiss, page 136 "Al Phard, the Separated, Excluded, the Put out of the way."
• John in Revelation 20 tells us that the Devil shall be bound with a great chain and cast into a bottomless pit.
  • Chain. (In the New Testament).
    • Greek halysis, chain, which is used to bind a demoniac in Mark 5:3-4 and Luke 8:29; or as an angel binds Satan in Revelation 20:1.
• Other names for Alphard: Alphrad', Alfard', Alpharf', Kalbel'aphard', Cor Hydrae, Alphor'a, Kalb Elha'rich, Suhel'il Fard, Suhel' al Sham, 'Unk al Shuja', Fakar al Shuja', Fard al Shuja'.

• One source calls this Al Minliar al Shuja, "the snake's nose," or Min'hlar al Shuja', Michar.
  • Min, Arabic for "belonging to."
  • Hebrew nechiyr, nekh-eer', from the same as Heb. nachar, nakh'-ar, and (fem.) nacharah, nakh-ar-aw', from an unused root meaning to snort or snore, a snorting, nostrils, snorting, thus a nostril, [dual] nostrils.
  • Deceive.
    • Hebrew shagah, shaw-gaw', a primary root to stray, to mistake, to transgress.

• Under Pisces we find a Alrisha, Rischa', Alrescha, or Al Rescha' is Arabic for "the knot," or "ropes," so-called because it ties the two fish together.
  • Arabic Ar-Risha', "The rope."
    • Babylonian Risku [Pisces] "The Cord".
  • Arabic Al-'Uqdah, "the knot."
    • Okda is Hebrew meaning "The United."    One claims that it is the brightest star.
      • Unity.
        • Hebrew yachad, yaw-khad', also yahadh, unitedness, join, unite, Gr. henotes, oneness.
        • In the "Gospel of the Stars," by Joseph Seiss, page 82 "Okda, the United."
        • Rolleston states "Hebrew Okda, the united."

• Minchir or Minchar al Sugia which means "Tearing To Shreds (Piercing) of the Deceiver."
  • Min, Arabic for "belonging to."
  • In "Gospel of the Stars," by Joseph Seiss, page 136, "Minchir al Sugia, the punishing or tearing to pieces, of the Deceiver."
  • Rolleston and in "The Witness of the Stars," by E.W. Bullinger, page 167 "Minchar al Sugia, the piercing of the deceiver (pierced, Job 30:17, deceive, Job 12:16)."
    • Pierce.
      • Hebrew naqar, naw-kar', a primary root to bore (penetrate, quarry), dig, pickout, pierce, put (thrust) out.
    • Deceive.
      • Hebrew shagah, shaw-gaw', a primary root to stray, to mistake, to transgress.

    Other stars not mentioned above are:
In the nose are c,
In the neck are q,
In the body are m, l, i, I,
In the tail are 58,
Thus rounding out the 19 stars of Hydra.

    The constellation also contains the nebula M83, and a globular cluster M68.    Observers will search in vain for a nebula charted as M48, shown to lie in the general area of the head, but it does not exist.

Return to Constellation Names of Hydra.