Snake ( lat. Serpens ) - equatorial constellation . It occupies an area of 636.9 square degrees in the sky, contains 106 stars visible to the naked eye. The best visibility conditions in June. Visible throughout Russia. Unique in that this is the only constellation consisting of two unconnected parts separated by the constellation Ophiuchus - “Head of the snake” is located northwest, “Tail of the snake” - east.
| Snake | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Lat. title | Serpens (to the genus. n .: Serpentis ) |
| Abbreviation | Ser |
| Symbol | Snake |
| Right ascension | from 15 h 05 m to 18 h 52 m |
| Declination | -16 ° to + 26 ° |
| Square | 637 sq. M. degrees ( 23 place ) |
| The brightest stars ( value <3 m ) | Unukelhai (α Ser) - 2.63 m |
| Meteor showers | not |
| Nearby constellations | Snake Head:
Snake Tail:
|
| The constellation is visible in latitudes from + 74 ° to −64 °. | |
Content
Asterism "Snake Head"
In the part of the constellation called “The Head of the Snake”, the asterism of the same name is located. The head of the snake is a triangle of three dim stars (β, κ and γ Snakes). Corresponds to a part of the traditional constellation figure.
Points of Interest
- Seyfert Sextet is an unusual group of interacting galaxies .
- Globular cluster M5 .
- θ Snakes (theta Snakes or Alia ) is a pair of two greenish-yellow stars visible through a small telescope.
- The Eagle Nebula (M 16 according to the Messier catalog) is a large nebula in which several objects characteristic of visual memory are distinguished. Among them are gas columns (they are called the “Pillars of Creation”) in the star formation zone. These are pillars of cold interstellar gaseous hydrogen and dust, in which stars are also born.
- In the constellation of the Snake is the star Gliese 710 , which will approach the Sun at a distance of 13365 a. e. after 1.35 million years. At this moment, its apparent stellar magnitude will be −2.7 m , and its own motion - 52.28 arc seconds per year [1] .
History
In ancient times, the constellation was sometimes distinguished as an independent one and was even included by Claudius Ptolemy in his catalog of the starry sky Almagest . True, in this case, only a part of the modern constellation was meant, namely the Head of the Snake. However, the Snake was usually interpreted as part of the Ophiuchus constellation, and was finally isolated in a separate constellation by the International Astronomical Union only in 1922 .
See also
- Snake constellation star list
Notes
- ↑ Filip Berski and Piotr A. Dybczyński Gliese 710 will pass the Sun even closer // Close approach parameters recalculated based on the first Gaia data release , October 25, 2016.