Serpens contains one of the best known nebulae in the sky, the Eagle Nebula ( Messier 16), which in turn contains the Pillars of Creation, a star-forming region famously imaged by Hubble. Other notable deep sky objects in the constellation include the large globular cluster Messier 5, the emission nebula IC 4703, Seyfert’s Sextet of galaxies, the ring galaxy known as Hoag’s Object, the Red Square Nebula, and the Serpens South star cluster. Facts, location and map

Kappa Serpens is a red giant of the spectral type M1III. It has an apparent magnitude of 4.09 and is about 348 light years distant from Earth. It is located in the serpent’s head, Serpens Caput. ν Serpentis (Nu Serpentis) Isbell, L. (2009). The Fruit, the Tree, and the Serpent. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-03301-6. Eta Serpentis is the second brightest star in the constellation. It is located in Serpens Cauda, the serpent’s tail. It is an orange star halfway between the subgiant and giant evolutionary stage. It has the stellar classification of K0 III-IV. Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index tale type ATU 672, "The Serpent's Crown": a snake takes off its crown to bathe in the lake. The crown is stolen by a human, who discovers the crown can grant special abilities (most often, the knowledge of animal languages). [57]

Distinctive Characteristics

Eremina, Valeriia. 2010. “An International Tale-Type: ‘The City of Babylon’”. FOLKLORICA - Journal of the Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Folklore Association 15 (July): 99-128. doi: 10.17161/folklorica.v15i0.4027. SERPENT IN THE SKY: The High Wisdom of Ancient Egypt, by John Anthony West; Julian Press/Crown (Random House); paperbound.

first appearing in the collection book Call Out the Malicia, 1961 (UK); then The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, December 1961 (US); then The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, April 1962 (UK), Vol. 3, No. 5 The Minoan Snake Goddess brandished a serpent in either hand, perhaps evoking her role as source of wisdom, rather than her role as Mistress of the Animals ( Potnia Theron), with a leopard under each arm.

Observation

Despite its split form, Serpens contains a wealth of deep-sky objects that are of interest to astronomers and astrophotographers alike. Most notably, it houses the Eagle Nebula (Messier 16), which contains the famous astronomical feature known as the "Pillars of Creation" ? a star-forming region beautifully captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. This is a region where new stars are being born, and it provides a stunning look at the life-giving processes of the universe. Mundkur, Balaji (October 1980). "Ayya in Islamic Thought". The Muslim World. 70 (3–4): 213–225. doi: 10.1111/j.1478-1913.1980.tb03415.x. ISSN 0027-4909. Gordon Loud, Megiddo II: Plates plate 240: 1, 4, from Stratum X (dated by Loud 1650–1550BCE) and Statum VIIB (dated 1250–1150BCE), noted by Karen Randolph Joines, "The Bronze Serpent in the Israelite Cult" Journal of Biblical Literature 87.3 (September 1968:245–256) p. 245 note 2. Naga ( Sanskrit:नाग) is the Sanskrit/ Pāli word for a deity or class of entity or being, taking the form of a very large snake, found in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. The naga primarily represents rebirth, death and mortality, due to its casting of its skin and being symbolically "reborn".

Nu Serpentis is a binary star about 193 light years from Earth. It belongs to the spectral class A0/A1V. The primary component is a white main sequence dwarf with a visual magnitude of 4.32. The companion has a magnitude of 8.4 and is separated from the primary star by 46 seconds of arc. λ Serpentis (Lambda Serpentis)E.A. Speiser, Excavations at Tepe Gawra: I. Levels I-VIII, p. 114ff., noted in Joines 1968:246 and note 9. Given its position on the celestial equator, Serpens is visible from every location on Earth, except for near the polar regions. The best time for observing this constellation is in the late spring and early summer, particularly in June when it reaches its highest point in the sky. Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index tale type ATU 673, "The White Serpent's Flesh": the main character learns the language of animals by eating the flesh of a white serpent. [58] Example: The White Snake, German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. Apollon, Python". Apollon.uio.no. Archived from the original on January 19, 2012 . Retrieved December 7, 2012. Off to the south is Messier 5, one of the finest globular clusters. Believed to contain over a half-million stars, M5 can be seen without optical aid, appearing as a fuzzy "star" on a very dark, clear night. Small binoculars show a tiny fuzzball. Giant binoculars (10 x 70s and up) show the cluster rapidly brightening toward the center, with perhaps the slightest hint of a mottled texture. The (uncredited) 13th zodiacal sign