Serpens

1 9.9

A group of stars shaped like a snake near Ophiuchus in the northern sky

proper noun

: Serpens

During this period, Hale-Bopp moves from Serpens Cauda into Ophiuchus, away from the glistening Milky Way.
Serpens Cauda
Serpens Caput
Serpens and Ophiuchus

Examples

I no longer try to locate Ophiuchus wrestling with Serpens, the two constellations which in springtime would turn my gaze east, toward home.

Fiction book (1997)
From the stars of Serpens, Scorpio, Leo Major, and Lupus, he sees the Burning Chariot, the False Book, the Lesser Wing, Atlantis.

Fiction book (1999)
On summer evenings, you can find Serpens high in the south.
The nebula, also called M16, is a nearby star-forming region 7,000 light-years away in the constellation Serpens.

Compounds

Gempylus serpens

Specialized

9.9

A tropical fish that eats other fish, with a long body, strong jaws and sharp teeth

Surface Forms

Serpens main

Etymology

Serpens comes from the Latin word serpens, meaning 'snake' or 'serpent', the same idea as the English word 'serpent'. Ancient sky-watchers named the constellation because its stars make a long, snake-like shape, so the name tells you it represents a serpent in the sky.