The Serpent
| Abbreviation: | Ser |
| Genitive: | Serpentis |
| Origin: | [antiquity] |
| Fully Visible: | 64°S – 73°N |
Serpens is unique among the modern constellations in that it is split into two separate parts. Serpens Caput, the serpent's head, lies to the west of Ophiuchus (the serpent bearer) and Serpens Cauda, the serpent's tail, lies to the east. It is, however, regarded as a single constellation.
Notable Features
| Visible Named Stars | ||
|---|---|---|
| α Ser | Unukalhai | This star sometimes appears as Cor Serpentis (from the Latin cor serpentis meaning 'the heart of the serpent') in older star atlases and catalogues. In Chinese astronomy, this star is known as Shu, from Shŭ which was an ancient Chinese state. |
| θ¹ Ser | Alya | Alya is a wide double star when viewed through a small telescope. This star appears as Dzaneb al Haiyet (from the Arabic dhanab al‑ḥayyah meaning 'the tail of the serpent') in Mohammad Al Achsasi Al Mouakket's calendarium. In Chinese astronomy, this star is known as Xu, from Xú which was an ancient Chinese state. |
| κ Ser | Gudja | This fourth-magnitude red giant star exhibits high proper motion. |
| Other Interesting Stars | ||
| HD 168746 | Alasia | This eighth-magnitude star is known to have at least one exoplanet and is found just north of M16, the Eagle Nebula. |
| HD 175541 | Kaveh | Located adjacent to Alya (θ¹ Ser), this eighth-magnitude star is known to have at least one exoplanet. |
| Deep Sky Objects | ||
| M5 | This globular cluster can be seen through binoculars. It is one of the larger globular clusters currently known. | |
| M16 | Eagle Nebula | Optical aids are also needed to see this nebula. It shot to fame in 1995 when the Hubble Space Telescope took the now famous picture of the 'Pillars of Creation', formations of gas and dust within the nebula. |
Copyright © 1995–2023 by L.M. Stockman and David Harper