Serpens
The serpent. Genitive Serpentis, abbreviated Ser. Introduced by Ptolemy.
Area
636.92 sq°
23 of 88 by size
Brightest star
α Serpentis
magnitude 2.65
Best seen
May
on the meridian at midnight
Visible from
Everywhere on Earth
some part above the horizon
Where it is
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Centre | 16h 30m, +4.8° |
| Declination range | −16.1° to +25.6° |
| Naked-eye stars | 106 to magnitude 6.5, 1 to magnitude 3 |
| Borders | Aquila, Boötes, Corona Borealis, Hercules, Libra, Ophiuchus, Sagittarius, Scutum, Virgo |
Principal stars
Every star to magnitude 4, brightest first.
| Star | Magnitude | HR |
|---|---|---|
| α Serpentis | 2.65 | 5854 |
| η Serpentis | 3.26 | 6869 |
| μ Serpentis | 3.53 | 5881 |
| ξ Serpentis | 3.54 | 6561 |
| β Serpentis | 3.67 | 5867 |
| ε Serpentis | 3.71 | 5892 |
| δ Serpentis | 3.80 | 5788 |
| δ Serpentis | 3.80 | 5789 |
| γ Serpentis | 3.85 | 5933 |
Deep sky
Objects with a Messier number or a name people use.
| Object | Catalogue | Type | Magnitude | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M5 | NGC 5904 | Globular cluster | 5.8 | 17.4 |
| M16 | Eagle nebula · NGC 6611 | — | 6.0 | 35.0 |
| Star Queen nebula | IC 4703 | Open cluster | — | — |
- Magnitude: — where NGC 2000 gives none.
- Size: the largest dimension, in arcminutes.
My Sky
Rise, highest and set over your place, for any night: Serpens
Further info
IAU: Serpens Caput Constellation Map
IAU: Serpens Cauda Constellation Map
NOIRLab: Serpens Caput
NOIRLab: Serpens Cauda
Wikipedia: Serpens
Sources
Principal stars: Bright Star Catalogue
Deep sky: NGC 2000.0
Area and borders: IAU constellation boundaries
