Sigma Hydrae is the 4th-magnitude

Magnitude (astronomy)

Magnitude is the logarithmic measure of the brightness of an object, in astronomy, measured in a specific wavelength or passband, usually in optical or near-infrared wavelengths.-Background:...

 star

Star

A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...

 in the constellation

Constellation

In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....

 Hydra

Hydra (constellation)

Hydra is the largest of the 88 modern constellations, measuring 1303 square degrees. It has a long history, having been included among the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy. It is commonly represented as a water snake...

. Sigma Hydrae belongs to spectral class

Stellar classification

In astronomy, stellar classification is a classification of stars based on their spectral characteristics. The spectral class of a star is a designated class of a star describing the ionization of its chromosphere, what atomic excitations are most prominent in the light, giving an objective measure...

 K1+III and has apparent magnitude

Apparent magnitude

The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere...

 +4.44. It is approximately 353 light years from Earth

Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...

Etymology

It is also known by the proper name Minchir, and appears as Minchir es-schudscha' on Bode

Johann Elert Bode

Johann Elert Bode was a German astronomer known for his reformulation and popularization of the Titius-Bode law. Bode determined the orbit of Uranus and suggested the planet's name.-Biography:...

's large star atlas, Uranographia, which is derived from the Arabic

Arabic language

Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...

 Minkhir al-Shuja‘, "the Nostril

Nostril

A nostril is one of the two channels of the nose, from the point where they bifurcate to the external opening. In birds and mammals, they contain branched bones or cartilages called turbinates, whose function is to warm air on inhalation and remove moisture on exhalation...

 of Hydra

Hydra (constellation)

Hydra is the largest of the 88 modern constellations, measuring 1303 square degrees. It has a long history, having been included among the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy. It is commonly represented as a water snake...

", for this star. The name is erroneously spelt as Al Minliar al Shuja in the Yale

Yale University

Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...

 Bright Star Catalogue

Bright Star Catalogue

The Bright Star Catalogue, also known as the Yale Catalogue of Bright Stars or Yale Bright Star Catalogue, is a star catalogue that lists all stars of stellar magnitude 6.5 or brighter, which is roughly every star visible to the naked eye from Earth. It is currently available online in its 5th...

.http://vizier.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/VizieR?-6N&-out.form=H0&//*&-source%3DV/50/notes&HR%3D3418.

This star, along with δ Hya

Delta Hydrae

Delta Hydrae is a Class A1, fourth-magnitude star in the constellation Hydra. Delta Hydrae is a binary double star, located about 180 light-years from Earth.-Name and etymology:...

 (Lisan al Shudja), ε Hya

Epsilon Hydrae

Epsilon Hydrae is a Class G5, third-magnitude star in the constellation Hydra. Epsilon Hydrae is a binary star with components of magnitudes 3.3 and 6.8, separated by 2.7 arcseconds...

, ζ Hya

Zeta Hydrae

Zeta Hydrae is a Class G9, third-magnitude star in the constellation Hydra. Zeta Hydrae is a yellow giant star located about 150 light-years from Earth.-Name and etymology:...

, η Hya and ρ Hya , were Ulug Beg's Min al Azʽal, "Belonging to the Uninhabited Spot".

According to the catalogue of stars in the Technical Memorandum 33-507 - A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars, Min al Azʽal or Minazal were the title for five stars : δ Hya

Delta Hydrae

Delta Hydrae is a Class A1, fourth-magnitude star in the constellation Hydra. Delta Hydrae is a binary double star, located about 180 light-years from Earth.-Name and etymology:...

 as Minazal I, η Hya as Minazal II, ε Hya

Epsilon Hydrae

Epsilon Hydrae is a Class G5, third-magnitude star in the constellation Hydra. Epsilon Hydrae is a binary star with components of magnitudes 3.3 and 6.8, separated by 2.7 arcseconds...

 as Minazal III, ρ Hya as Minazal IV and ζ Hya

Zeta Hydrae

Zeta Hydrae is a Class G9, third-magnitude star in the constellation Hydra. Zeta Hydrae is a yellow giant star located about 150 light-years from Earth.-Name and etymology:...

 as Minazal V (exclude this star)

In Chinese

Chinese language

The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...

, , meaning Willow

Willow (Chinese constellation)

The Willow mansion is one of the Twenty-eight mansions of the Chinese constellations. It is one of the southern mansions of the Vermilion Bird.-Asterisms:...

 (asterism), refers to an asterism consisting of σ Hydrae, δ Hydrae

Delta Hydrae

Delta Hydrae is a Class A1, fourth-magnitude star in the constellation Hydra. Delta Hydrae is a binary double star, located about 180 light-years from Earth.-Name and etymology:...

, η Hydrae, ρ Hydrae, ε Hydrae

Epsilon Hydrae

Epsilon Hydrae is a Class G5, third-magnitude star in the constellation Hydra. Epsilon Hydrae is a binary star with components of magnitudes 3.3 and 6.8, separated by 2.7 arcseconds...

, ζ Hydrae

Zeta Hydrae

Zeta Hydrae is a Class G9, third-magnitude star in the constellation Hydra. Zeta Hydrae is a yellow giant star located about 150 light-years from Earth.-Name and etymology:...

, ω Hydrae and θ Hydrae Consequently, σ Hydrae itself is known as .

The people of Groote Eylandt

Groote Eylandt

Groote Eylandt is the largest island in the Gulf of Carpentaria in northeastern Australia. It is the homeland of, and is owned by, the Anindilyakwa people who speak the isolated Anindilyakwa language)....

, called Unwala, "The Crab", for the star cluster including this star, δ Hya

Delta Hydrae

Delta Hydrae is a Class A1, fourth-magnitude star in the constellation Hydra. Delta Hydrae is a binary double star, located about 180 light-years from Earth.-Name and etymology:...

 (Lisan al Shudja), ε Hya

Epsilon Hydrae

Epsilon Hydrae is a Class G5, third-magnitude star in the constellation Hydra. Epsilon Hydrae is a binary star with components of magnitudes 3.3 and 6.8, separated by 2.7 arcseconds...

, ζ Hya

Zeta Hydrae

Zeta Hydrae is a Class G9, third-magnitude star in the constellation Hydra. Zeta Hydrae is a yellow giant star located about 150 light-years from Earth.-Name and etymology:...

, η Hya and ρ Hya.