Serpens
| Constellation | |
 
|
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| Abbreviation | Ser |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Serpentis |
| Pronunciation |
/ˈsɜːrpᵻnz/, genitive /sərˈpɛntᵻs/ |
| Symbolism | the Snake |
| Right ascension |
Serpens Caput: 15h 10.4m to 16h 22.5m Serpens Cauda: 17h 16.9m to 18h 58.3m |
| Declination |
Serpens Caput: 25.66° to −03.72° Serpens Cauda: 06.42° to −16.14° |
| Family | Hercules |
| Area |
Serpens Caput: 428 sq. deg. Serpens Cauda: 208 sq. deg. Total: 637 sq. deg. (23rd) |
| Main stars | 11 |
|
Bayer/Flamsteed stars |
57 |
| Stars with planets | 15 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 1 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 2 |
| Brightest star | α Ser (Unukalhai) (2.63m) |
| Nearest star | GJ 1224 (24.60 ly, 7.54 pc) |
| Messier objects | 2 |
| Meteor showers | 0 |
| Bordering constellations |
Serpens Caput: Corona Borealis Boötes Virgo Libra Ophiuchus Hercules Serpens Cauda: Aquila Ophiuchus Sagittarius Scutum |
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Visible at latitudes between +80° and −80°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of July. |
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Serpens ("the Serpent", Greek Ὄφις) is a constellation of the northern hemisphere. One of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy, it remains one of the 88 modern constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union. It is unique among the modern constellations in being split into two non-contiguous parts, Serpens Caput (Serpent Head) to the west and Serpens Cauda (Serpent Tail) to the east. Between these two halves lies the constellation of Ophiuchus, the "Serpent-Bearer". In figurative representations, the body of the serpent is represented as passing behind Ophiuchus between Mu Serpentis in Serpens Caput and Nu Serpentis in Serpens Cauda.
The brightest star in Serpens is the red giant star Alpha Serpentis, or Unukalhai, in Serpens Caput, with an apparent magnitude of 2.63. Also located in Serpens Caput are the naked-eye globular cluster Messier 5 and the naked-eye variables R Serpentis and Tau4 Serpentis. Notable extragalactic objects include Seyfert's Sextet, one of the densest galaxy clusters known; Arp 220, the prototypical ultraluminous infrared galaxy; and Hoag's Object, the most famous of the very rare class of galaxies known as ring galaxies.
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