Serpens: Difference between revisions

ʾˊΟφις (Ophis)
Asterism Info
Native;	ʾˊΟφις
Romanisation	Ophis
Translation;	Snake
Position (2000)
Right ascension	233.7006052 to 284.0549467000001
Declination	-8.118771748 to 20.97792043
Area	854.26 sq. deg.
Stars
Bright stars	186
Bayer/Flamsteed; stars	151
Stars brighter than 3.00m	4
Brightest star	Unukalhai (2.63m)
Taxonomy
category; of asterism	Almagest constellation
IAU-; constellations	Ser, Oph, Her, Aql

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VisualWikitext

Latest revision as of 14:08, 26 August 2026

Authors: Youla Azkarrula, Susanne M Hoffmann, IanRidpath

Serpens, The Snake, one of the 88 IAU constellations is divided in two parts: Serpens Caput (the head) and Serpens Cauda (the tail), separated by Ophiuchus. Hence, these constellations form a super-constellation.^[1]

Etymology and History

Origin of Constellation

In Greek times, the area of the Babylonian Harnesses was reinterpreted as serpent held by a strong man. This image, then, becomes the Serpent Carrier – Ophiuchus/Serpentarius – associated with the Greek half-god Asklepios (Latin Aesculapius).

Babylonian

see

Greco-Roman

Aratos

Eratosthenes

Hipparchus

Rising (Lib II Cap V §10)

The Rising of ...


	east		south
	lam1	lam2	lam1	lam2
	Lib 8	Sgr 1/2	Cnc 7 1/2	Vir 14

star	of those in the head the northern of the leading ones (iota)	the one at the tip of the tail (theta)
duration	4 1/2 hours = 270 min = 67 1/2 degree

Setting (Lib II Cap VI §10)

	west		south
	lam1	lam2	lam1	lam2
	Lib 8	Sgr 1/2	Cnc 7 1/2	Vir 14

star	of those in the head the northern of the front ones	the one at the tip of the tail
duration	4 1/2 hours = 270 min = 67 1/2°

Hipparchus's "lost" star Catalogue

The star catalogue of Hipparchus is not preserved. Yet, several scholars have reconstructed it in the past century: Vogt (1925)^[2], Grasshoff (1990)^[3], Hoffmann (2017)^[4] and Glover (2026)^[5]. Grasshoff's catalogue and computations are not published digitally, Hoffmann published three versions of the Manitius+Hoffmann^[6] star lists in the CDS VizieR "catalog of catalogs", and Glover printed the star lists constellationwise in his book.

Hipparchus's star in Aquarius (Glover 2026)
hipp.Cat.ID	constStarID	ident.Bayer	ident.HIP	concordance
525	1	α Ser	77070	CPAE
526	2	β Ser	77233	CPAE
527	3	γ Ser (Her)	78072	CPAE
528	4	δ Ser	76276	CPAE
529	5	ε Ser	77622	CPAE
530	6	η Ser	89962	CPAE
531	7	θ Ser (θ1)*	92946	CPAE
532	8	ι Ser	76852	CPAE
533	9	κ Ser	77450	CPAE
534	10	χ Ser	76866	non-CPAE

Geminos

Almagest Ὅφις.

id	Greek (Heiberg 1898)	English (Toomer 1984)	ident.
	Ὅφεως Ὀφιούχου ἀστερισμός.	Constellation of Serpens
1	τοῦ ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ τετραπλεύρου ὁ ἐπ’ ἄκρας τῆς γένυος.	Stars on the quadrilateral in the heads: the one on the end of the jaw	iot Ser
2	ὁ τῶν μυκτήρων ἀπτόμενος.	Stars on the quadrilateral in the heads: the one touching the nostrils	rho Ser
3	ὁ ἐν τῷ κροτάφῳ.	Stars on the quadrilateral in the heads: the one in the temple	gam Ser
4	ὁ πρὸς τῇ ἐκφύσει τοῦ τραχήλου	Stars on the quadrilateral in the heads: the one where the neck joins [the head]	bet Ser
5	ὁ μέσος τοῦ τετραπλεύρου καὶ ἐν τῷ στόματι	Stars on the quadrilateral in the heads: the one in the middle of the quadrilateral, in the mouth	kap Ser
6	ὁ ἐκτὸς καὶ ἀπ’ ἄρκτον τῆς κεφαλῆς	The star outside the head, to the north of it	pi Ser
7	ὁ μετὰ τὴν πρώτην καμπὴν τοῦ τραχήλου	The one after the first bend in the neck	del Ser
8	τῶν ἐφεξῆς τούτου τριῶν ὁ βόρειος	The northernmost of the 3 following this	lam Ser
9	ὁ μέσος τῶν τριῶν.	The middle one of the three	alf Ser
10	ὁ νότιος αὐτῶν	The southernmost of them	eps Ser
11	ὁ μετὰ τὴν ἐξῆς καμπὴν προηγούμενος τῆς ἀριστερᾶς χειρὸς τοῦ Ὀφιούχου	The star after the next bend, which is in advance of the left hand of Ophiuchus	mu Ser
12	ὁ τοῦς ἐν τῇ χειρὶ ἐπόμενος	The star to the rear of those in the hand [of Ophiuchus]	ups Oph
13	ὁ μετὰ τὸ δεξιὸη ὀπισθόμηροη τοῦ Ὀφιούχου	The one after the back of the right thigh of Ophiuchus	nu Ser
14	τῶν ἐπομένων αὐτῷ β ὁ νοτιώτερος	The southernmost of the 2 to the rear of the latter	xi Ser
15	ὁ βορειότερος αὐτῶν	The northernmost of them	omi Ser
16	ὁ μετὰ τὴν δεξιὰν χεῖρα ἐπὶ τῆς οὐραίας καμπῆς	The one after the right hand [of Ophiuchus], on the bend in the tail	zet Ser
17	ὁ τούτῳ ἐπόμενος ὁμοίως ἐπὶ τῆς οὐρᾶς.	The one to the rear of this, likewise on the tail	eta Ser
18	ὁ ἐπ’ ἄκρας τῆς οὐρᾶς.	The star on the tip of the tail	tet Ser

	ἀστέρες τπ, ὥν γ’ μεγέθους ἓ, δ’ ἱβ, εἱ ἄ.	{18 stars, 5 of the third magnitude, 12 of the fourth, 1 of the fifth}

Stars within the Constellation Area


id	Label	IAU design.	description	Vmag
1	Unukalhai	HIP 77070	Constellation lines	2.63
2	Yed Prior	HIP 79593	Inside the hull	2.75
3	Cebalrai	HIP 86742	Inside the hull	2.75
4	Rasalgethi	HIP 84345	Inside the hull	2.78
5	κ Ophiuchi	HIP 83000	Inside the hull	3.2
6	η Serpentis	HIP 89962	Constellation lines (Vertex)	3.25
7	μ Serpentis	HIP 77516	Constellation lines (Vertex)	3.53
8	Zhou	HIP 77233	Constellation lines	3.67
9	ϵ Serpentis	HIP 77622	Constellation lines	3.693
10	Bake-eo (or Bake Eo)	HIP 87108	Inside the hull	3.75
11	γ Serpentis	HIP 78072	Constellation lines	3.84
12	Marfik	HIP 80883	Inside the hull	3.9
13	67 Oph	HIP 88192	Inside the hull	3.93
14	70 Oph	HIP 88601	Inside the hull	4.03
15	Gudja	HIP 77450	Inside the hull	4.09
16	* del Ser A	HIP 76276	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.14
17	* 70 Oph A	HD 165341A	Inside the hull	4.2
18	σ Ophiuchi	HIP 85355	Inside the hull	4.31
19	ι Ophiuchi	HIP 82673	Inside the hull	4.38
20	λ Serpentis	HIP 77257	Inside the hull	4.42
21	68 Oph	HIP 88290	Inside the hull	4.429
22	ι Serpentis	HIP 76852	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.505
23	-	HIP 85365	Inside the hull	4.54
24	Alya	HIP 92946	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.57
25	Cujam	HIP 80463	Inside the hull	4.58
26	66 Oph	HIP 88149	Inside the hull	4.6
27	ζ Serpentis	HIP 88175	Constellation lines	4.616
28	μ Ophiuchi	HIP 86284	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.62
29	ρ Serpentis	HIP 77661	Constellation lines (Vertex)	4.78
30	* 41 Oph A	HIP 84514	Inside the hull	4.79
31	30 Oph	HIP 83262	Inside the hull	4.812
32	σ Serpentis	HIP 80179	Inside the hull	4.82
33	29 Her	HIP 81008	Inside the hull	4.85
34	74 Oph	HIP 89918	Inside the hull	4.856
35	60 Her	HIP 83613	Inside the hull	4.871
36	M10	M10	Inside the hull	4.98
37	32 Oph	HIP 83430	Inside the hull	4.98
38	Marsic	HIP 79043	Inside the hull	4.994
39	4 Aql	HIP 91975	Inside the hull	5.005
40	66 Her	HIP 84671	Inside the hull	5.02
41	b Ser	HIP 77660	Inside the hull	5.1
42	-	HIP 78481	Inside the hull	5.11
43	43 Her	HIP 82073	Inside the hull	5.15
44	ω Serpentis	HIP 77578	Inside the hull	5.217
45	23 Oph	HIP 82730	Constellation lines	5.23
46	45 Her	HIP 82216	Inside the hull	5.24
47	16 Ser	HIP 76425	Inside the hull	5.253
48	-	HIP 90441A	Inside the hull	5.32
49	χ Serpentis	HIP 76866	Inside the hull	5.33
50	37 Oph	HIP 84177	Inside the hull	5.34
51	43 G. Ser Cap	HIP 79195	Constellation lines	5.378
52	21 G. Oph	HIP 80693	Inside the hull	5.39
53	146 G. Oph	HIP 85537	Inside the hull	5.412
54	208 G. Oph	HIP 89772	Inside the hull	5.412
55	183 G. Oph	HIP 87847	Inside the hull	5.439
56	QY Ser	HIP 77902	Inside the hull	5.44
57	9 Her	HIP 79488	Inside the hull	5.453
58	47 Her	HIP 82402	Inside the hull	5.469
59	202 G. Oph	HIP 89065	Inside the hull	5.489
60	21 Oph	HIP 82480	Inside the hull	5.51
61	ϕ Serpentis	HIP 78132	Inside the hull	5.53
62	22 G. Ser Cap	HIP 77163	Inside the hull	5.58
63	152 G. Oph	HIP 85749	Inside the hull	5.58
64	153 G. Oph	HIP 85922	Inside the hull	5.607
65	82 G. Oph	HIP 83635	Inside the hull	5.61
66	-	HIP 82028	Inside the hull	5.619
67	n Her	HIP 81007	Inside the hull	5.63
68	45 Ser	HIP 79007	Inside the hull	5.635
69	-	HIP 89000	Inside the hull	5.65
70	44 G. Ser Cau	HIP 90497	Inside the hull	5.699
71	υ Serpentis	HIP 77336	Inside the hull	5.709
72	14 Oph	HIP 81734	Inside the hull	5.724
73	47 Ser	HIP 79072	Inside the hull	5.73
74	M14	M14	Inside the hull	5.73
75	BD+02 4211	BD+02 4211	Inside the hull	5.755
76	180 G. Oph	HIP 87558	Inside the hull	5.759
77	37 Her	HIP 81641	Inside the hull	5.761
78	134 G. Oph	HIP 85139	Inside the hull	5.763
79	12 Oph	HIP 81300	Inside the hull	5.77
80	τ⁷ Serpentis	HIP 76878	Inside the hull	5.792
81	3 Her	HIP 78442	Inside the hull	5.804
82	53 Oph	HIP 85998	Inside the hull	5.81
83	21 Her	HIP 80351	Inside the hull	5.819
84	V2052 Oph	HIP 87812	Inside the hull	5.82
85	187 G. Oph	HIP 88101	Inside the hull	5.832
86	ψ Serpentis	HIP 77052	Inside the hull	5.86
87	33 Oph	HIP 83478	Inside the hull	5.908
88	41 G. Ser Cap	HIP 79120	Inside the hull	5.909
89	-	HIP 82350	Inside the hull	5.91
90	179 G. Oph	HIP 87491	Inside the hull	5.917
91	* 73 Oph A	HIP 88964	Inside the hull	5.92
92	U Oph	HIP 84500	Inside the hull	5.921
93	164 G. Oph	HIP 86575	Inside the hull	5.952
94	-	HIP 79137	Inside the hull	5.96
95	-	HIP 77412	Inside the hull	5.97
96	-	HR 6516	Inside the hull	5.981
97	-	HIP 83601	Inside the hull	5.99
98	τ⁶ Serpentis	HIP 76810	Inside the hull	5.991
99	28 G. Ser Cau	HIP 89587	Inside the hull	6
100	V2392 Oph	HIP 89527	Inside the hull	6.01
101	16 Oph	HIP 82037	Inside the hull	6.018
102	-	HIP 76372	Inside the hull	6.04
103	142 G. Oph	HIP 85333	Inside the hull	6.04
104	16 G. Oph	HIP 80558	Inside the hull	6.049
105	34 Oph	HIP 83504	Inside the hull	6.054
106	-	HIP 90487	Inside the hull	6.06
107	-	HIP 81659	Inside the hull	6.061
108	43 Ser	HIP 78685	Inside the hull	6.068
109	M12	M12	Inside the hull	6.07
110	19 Oph	HIP 82162	Inside the hull	6.077
111	48 Ser	HIP 79332	Inside the hull	6.082
112	109 G. Oph	HIP 84524	Inside the hull	6.084
113	Gliese 678	HIP 85667	Inside the hull	6.089
114	Cl Collinder 350	Cl Collinder 350	Inside the hull	6.1
115	-	HIP 80514	Inside the hull	6.103
116	39 Ser	HIP 77801	Inside the hull	6.12
117	8 Her	HIP 79102	Inside the hull	6.127
118	NW Ser	HIP 89977	Inside the hull	6.13
119	τ⁸ Serpentis	HIP 77111	Inside the hull	6.136
120	V986 Oph	HIP 88522	Inside the hull	6.147
121	8 G. Oph	HIP 79781	Inside the hull	6.165
122	162 G. Oph	HIP 86476	Inside the hull	6.17
123	V2368 Oph	HIP 84479	Inside the hull	6.18
124	61 Oph	HIP 86831	Inside the hull	6.18
125	67 G. Ser Cau	HIP 92254	Inside the hull	6.187
126	37 G. Ser Cau	HIP 90253	Inside the hull	6.19
127	Y Oph	HIP 87495	Inside the hull	6.21
128	-	HIP 76733	Inside the hull	6.215
129	-	HIP 77835	Inside the hull	6.22
130	173 G. Oph	HIP 87150	Inside the hull	6.225
131	κ Herculis B	HIP 79045	Inside the hull	6.23
132	-	HIP 83853	Inside the hull	6.23
133	V2542 Oph	HIP 82693	Inside the hull	6.24
134	10 G. Oph	HIP 80227	Inside the hull	6.241
135	159 G. Oph	HIP 86391	Inside the hull	6.253
136	5 G. Oph	HIP 79463	Inside the hull	6.255
137	-	HIP 77995	Inside the hull	6.257
138	41 G. Oph	HIP 81687	Inside the hull	6.259
139	40 Ser	HIP 77910	Inside the hull	6.266
140	38 G. Ser Cap	HIP 78840	Inside the hull	6.269
141	185 G. Oph	HIP 87866	Inside the hull	6.277
142	131 G. Oph	HIP 85042	Inside the hull	6.278
143	-	HIP 77782	Inside the hull	6.28
144	2 G. Her	HIP 79581	Inside the hull	6.289
145	51 G. Oph	HIP 82405	Inside the hull	6.31
146	-	HIP 81425	Inside the hull	6.32
147	-	HR 6367	Inside the hull	6.32
148	122 G. Oph	HIP 84801	Inside the hull	6.32
149	167 G. Oph	HIP 86768	Inside the hull	6.32
150	176 G. Oph	HIP 87428	Inside the hull	6.332
151	97 G. Oph	HIP 84113	Inside the hull	6.333
152	23 G. Ser Cap	HIP 77186	Inside the hull	6.337
153	V644 Her	HIP 82798	Inside the hull	6.34
154	21 G. Ser Cau	HIP 88671	Inside the hull	6.34
155	192 G. Oph	HIP 88213	Inside the hull	6.35
156	84 G. Oph	HIP 83738	Inside the hull	6.351
157	V773 Her	HIP 81337	Inside the hull	6.355
158	87 G. Oph	HIP 83906	Inside the hull	6.356
159	-	HIP 82989	Inside the hull	6.361
160	19 G. Oph	HIP 80610	Inside the hull	6.37
161	V2126 Oph	HIP 88148	Inside the hull	6.37
162	83 G. Oph	HIP 83677	Inside the hull	6.375
163	-	HIP 82241	Inside the hull	6.379
164	-	HIP 83688	Inside the hull	6.38
165	72 G. Oph	HIP 83342	Inside the hull	6.39
166	42 G. Oph	HIP 81691	Inside the hull	6.395
167	-	HIP 82516	Inside the hull	6.4
168	205 G. Oph	HIP 89347	Inside the hull	6.4
169	63 G. Ser Cau	HIP 91499	Inside the hull	6.4
170	MV Ser	HIP 90858	Inside the hull	6.407
171	138 G. Oph	HIP 85307	Inside the hull	6.44
172	45 G. Ser Cap	HIP 79522	Inside the hull	6.45
173	-	HIP 80708	Inside the hull	6.45
174	174 G. Oph	HIP 87224	Inside the hull	6.45
175	-	HR 6512	Inside the hull	6.46
176	FR Ser	HIP 91142	Inside the hull	6.46
177	11 G. Her	HIP 81404	Inside the hull	6.47
178	-	HIP 85622	Inside the hull	6.47
179	-	HIP 85666	Inside the hull	6.48
180	V2114 Oph	HIP 85450	Inside the hull	6.485
181	-	HIP 82526	Inside the hull	6.488
182	-	HIP 79834	Inside the hull	6.49
183	-	HIP 88770	Inside the hull	6.49
184	-	HIP 76985	Inside the hull	6.5
185	-	HIP 80964	Inside the hull	6.5
186	-	HIP 81991	Inside the hull	6.56

Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation

(1952) H.A. Rey's stick figure of Serpens
(1988) O. Hlad's stick figure of Serpens

Mythology

Weblinks

Warburg Institute Iconographic Database – Serpens
Ian Ridpath's Star Tales – Serpens

References

↑ Hoffmann, Susanne M. Wie der Löwe an den Himmel kam. Franckh Kosmos Verlag, Stuttgart 2021
↑ Vogt, H., “Versuch einer Wiederherstellung von Hipparchs Fixsternver zeichnis”, Astronomische Nachrichten, vol. 224, no. 2, Wiley, p. 17, 1925. doi:10.1002/asna.19252240202.
↑ Graßhoff, G., The History of Ptolemy's Star Catalogue, Springer, New York, 1990
↑ Hoffmann, S. M., Hipparchs Himmelsglobus. Springer Wiesbaden/ New York, 2017. doi:10.1007/978-3-658-18683-8.
↑ Glover, E. (2026). The Astronomy of Hipparchus, Cambridge University Press
↑ Hipparchus's Lost Star Catalogue (1/2 reconstructed) (Hoffmann, 2017) in VizieR

[1] Hoffmann, Susanne M. Wie der Löwe an den Himmel kam. Franckh Kosmos Verlag, Stuttgart 2021

[2] Vogt, H., “Versuch einer Wiederherstellung von Hipparchs Fixsternver zeichnis”, <i>Astronomische Nachrichten</i>, vol. 224, no. 2, Wiley, p. 17, 1925. doi:10.1002/asna.19252240202.

[3] Graßhoff, G., <i>The History of Ptolemy's Star Catalogue</i>, Springer, New York, 1990

[4] Hoffmann, S. M., <i>Hipparchs Himmelsglobus</i>. Springer Wiesbaden/ New York, 2017. doi:10.1007/978-3-658-18683-8.

[5] Glover, E. (2026). The Astronomy of Hipparchus, Cambridge University Press

[6] Hipparchus's Lost Star Catalogue (1/2 reconstructed) (Hoffmann, 2017) in VizieR

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