Serpens, the Serpent, is the only constellation split in two, its head and tail held apart by Ophiuchus, the serpent-bearer who grips it in both hands.
At a glance
| stars in the figure | 14 |
|---|---|
| nearest star of the figure | Gamma Serpentis, 36.7 light-years (11.3 pc) |
| farthest star of the figure | Gudja, 382 light-years (117 pc) |
| depth | the farthest is 10 × farther than the nearest |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Serpens
Serpens is one of the ancient constellations listed by Ptolemy, the snake wrestled by Ophiuchus. Modern maps cut it into two separate pieces, the Head to the west and the Tail to the east, with the serpent-bearer standing between them, so it is the only constellation in two parts. The figure as drawn here runs through Ophiuchus too, borrowing Sabik and Nu Ophiuchi to join head to tail.
Its brightest star is Unukalhai, an orange giant whose name means the serpent’s neck. The Head holds the fine globular cluster Messier 5. The Tail reaches into the Milky Way and holds the Eagle Nebula, whose dark columns of gas and dust, the Pillars of Creation, became one of the best-known images in astronomy, and the Serpens cloud, a nearby nursery of young stars.
Serpens straddles the celestial equator and is visible from both hemispheres, best seen on evenings in the northern summer, the southern winter.
What you see in the piece
Turn on CONSTELLATIONS (N) and leave the HUMAN EYE view (E): the long snake uncoils into depth, its nearest drawn star many times closer than its farthest, and head and tail no longer even look like the same animal.
Questions
Why is Serpens in two parts?
Serpens is the snake held by Ophiuchus, and the serpent-bearer’s figure lies across its middle. Modern boundaries therefore divide it into Serpens Caput, the Head, and Serpens Cauda, the Tail.
How far away are the stars of Serpens?
The nearest star of the figure is Gamma Serpentis, 36.7 light-years (11.3 pc); the farthest is Gudja, 382 light-years (117 pc). The farthest is 10 × farther than the nearest.