Serpens - The Serpent

Learn about the constellation Serpens - The Serpent, location, facts, mythology, meteor showers and deep space objects.

Among the modern constellations, it is unique in being split into two pieces, Serpens Caput (representing the head of the snake) to the west and Serpens Cauda (representing the tail) to the east. Between these two pieces lies the constellation of Ophiuchus, the serpent holder.

Location: Northern Summer 16h RA 10° Dec

Only one of the stars in Serpens is brighter than the third magnitude, so the constellation is not easy to perceive. α Serpentis, named Unukalhai, is in the head part. δ Serpentis, also in the head, is a double star 210 light-years from Earth. θ Serpentis, in the tail, is also double.

Serpens Mythology

Serpens is the snake being grasped by Ophiuchus, the Snake-Handler, and is thus very closely associated with it. Both were listed as constellations by Ptolemy. Originally, Serpens and Ophiuchus were considered a single Snake-Holder constellation, out of which developed an associated myth of the founding of medicine.

Serpens Deep Space Objects

Messier 5, a globular cluster positioned approximately 8° southwest of α Serpentis is barely visible to the naked eye under good conditions, but visible with a small telescope.

The Eagle Nebula and its associated star cluster, Messier 16 are easier targets. The Eagle Nebula is also the region where the famous Pillars of Creation were discovered.

In this table, the observation month represents the month in which the object reaches its highest point in the sky. It can also be viewed a few months before and after depending on your location. Direction is the compass direction in which the object is located, with Z meaning Zenith or overhead.