Ophiuchus facts for kids
| Constellation | |
List of stars in Ophiuchus
|
|
| Abbreviation | Oph |
|---|---|
| Genitive | Ophiuchi |
| Right ascension | 17 |
| Declination | 0 |
| Area | 948 sq. deg. (11th) |
| Main stars | 10 |
| Bayer/Flamsteed stars |
59 |
| Stars with planets | 4 |
| Stars brighter than 3.00m | 5 |
| Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 8 |
| Brightest star | α Oph (Ras Alhague) (2.1m) |
| Messier objects | 7 |
| Meteor showers | Ophiuchids Northern May Ophiuchids Southern May Ophiuchids Theta Ophiuchids |
| Bordering constellations |
Hercules Serpens Caput Libra Scorpius Sagittarius Serpens Cauda Aquila |
| Visible at latitudes between +80° and −80°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of July. |
|
Ophiuchus (Οφιούχος: say it 'Ofi-youkus'), is one of the 88 listed constellations. In Latin, it means "serpent-holder". It is near the celestial equator, and northwest of the center of the Milky Way. Ophiuchus is on the ecliptic, but is generally not considered to be in the zodiac.
Images for kids
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Rho Ophiuchi, shown with a surrounding bluish cloud slightly above a pentagon of stars in Scorpius, with the main band of the Milky Way much further to the left
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Infrared light view of Rho Ophiuchi molecular cloud complex from NASA
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Photo from Rogelio Bernal Andreo of the Rho Ophiuchi molecular cloud complex
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Ophiuchus in a manuscript copy of Azophi's Uranometry, 18th century copy of a manuscript prepared for Ulugh Beg in 1417 (note that as in all pre-modern star charts, the constellation is mirrored, with Serpens Caput on the left and Serpens Cauda on the right).
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Ophiuchus holding the serpent, Serpens, as depicted in Urania's Mirror, a set of constellation cards published in London c. 1825. Above the tail of the serpent is the now-obsolete constellation Taurus Poniatovii while below it is Scutum.
See also
In Spanish: Ofiuco para niños
