A central component to modern astrology revolves around the location of the sun as it crosses in front of each of the 12 zodiac constellations. Astrologers divide the Zodiacs into 12 equal sections of the sky in one of two main ways, using either sidereal or tropical astrology. Neither takes into account the constellation Ophiuchus, which does, in fact, sit on the ecliptic—the path of the sun. It’s no small constellation either; according to the boundaries defined by the international astronomical union (these are the boundaries used by astronomers), the sun spends 18 days (from November 29 – December 18) crossing Ophiuchus, while it is only in the boundaries of the constellation Scorpius for 6 days.
Let’s draw upon the constellation Ophiuchus to learn more about the night sky!
Who is Ophiuchus?
Ophiuchus is Greek for “serpent-bearer,” and is usually depicted as a man holding a giant snake. The snake is represented by the constellation Serpens. To the ancient Greeks Ophiuchus represented the god Apollo, the healer and protector god, who slayed the serpent Python that guarded the Oracle of Delphi. Apollo’s son, Asclepius was also a healer who carried a snake entwined rod—which is where we get the similar medical symbol. He has also been associated with this constellation.
While there isn’t any evidence of Ophiuchus before the Greeks, it is possible that Nirah, the Babylonian serpent god was associated with it before the classical era.
In Christianity, Ophiuchus could depict mankind’s struggle with “that old serpent, called the devil” (Revelations 12). Or he could represent Christ who bruises the head of the enemy (the constellation Scorpius) as told in Genesis 3:15 (see also Romans 16:20).
When Can I See Ophiuchus?
Ophiuchus begins to show up on the eastern horizon after sunset in late April. Between June and July, it culminates or reaches its highest point in the night sky. This would be an ideal time to grab your binoculars and telescopes to observe this constellation and its related celestial objects. By the end of September, he will descend into the sunset.
Where Can I Find Ophiuchus?
The location of any constellation always depends on two factors, your time and geographical location; your location affects the constellation’s north and south position. Due to Ophiuchus’s position near the ecliptic, to find him, you’ll probably need to look more or less south, unless you live low in the southern hemisphere, where you’ll need to look northward.
Look low on the southern horizon for a bright red star that forms part of a fish hook-looking constellation; that’s Scorpius. Ophiuchus is a large constellation outlined mainly by 5 stars above and a little to the east of Scorpius. The 5 stars form a shape that looks vaguely like the outline of a house. It’s so big and devoid of bright stars that you could hold your hand out at arms length giving a thumbs up and fit that twice inside the constellation.
Celestial Objects in Ophiuchus
Here are a few stars and deep-sky objects including star clusters and nebulae to look for as you observe Ophiuchus. There are 7 star clusters here listed in the Messier Catalog (M9, M10, M12, M14, M19, M62, and M107). All of them are globular clusters, which are large, dense clusters of stars, usually found on the outer edges of galaxies.
M10 is 20,000 light-years from Earth, which is fairly close for a globular cluster. With a magnitude of about 6.6, it can easily be seen with even a small telescope.
Manfred Höcherl, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
NGC 6384 is the best galaxy in Ophiuchus to see with an amateur telescope, but you’ll probably need an 8-inch telescope. It is about 98 million light-years away and has an apparent magnitude of about 12.
NGC 6240, also called the “starfish galaxy” looks vaguely like a butterfly. It is the result of a merger between 3 smaller galaxies. Its magnitude is about 13.3.
Alpha Ophiuchi, also called Rasalhague meaning “the head of the serpent collector,” is the brightest star in Ophiuchus. It is a binary star about 48 light-years away and has an apparent magnitude of 2.05, which is just a little dimmer than the North Star.
The Great Dark Horse Nebula is a large area in Ophiuchus covered by a dark nebula. That means it is such a dense nebula that it obscures light or stars that are behind it. Two noteworthy sections of this nebula are:
B72 the Snake Nebula
en:user:Friendlystar, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
B68 the Ink Spot Nebula
While there are more deep sky objects known in this constellation, these are the most popular targets. Whether you have a telescope or not, I encourage you to find dark skies and spend some time admiring the stars. Let me know if you find Ophiuchus! If you do have a telescope or binoculars at least see if you can find M10 near the middle of the serpent bearer. I tried with my 4-inch telescope, but I think there was too much light pollution because I couldn’t see it. Anyway, I’ll provide some links to the gear I use in the description below. Also, check out my constellation infographic stickers on Etsy and get 25% off using this link.
Look up, keep learning, and remember to smile.
Sources
Ophiuchus. (May 2022). Wikipedia. Accessed July 2022 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophiuchus
Stellarium. (2022). https://stellarium.org
Images
Various screenshots from Stellarium
Asclepius
original file by Michael F. Mehnert, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Babylonian Stone
© Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kudurru_of_Eanna-shum-iddina_BM_K.3401.jpg
M9
NASA & ESA, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
M10
Manfred Höcherl, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
M12
Adam Block, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
M14
NOIRLAB / NSF / AURA, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
M19
Doug Williams, REU Program / NOIRLAB / NSF / AURA, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
M62
ESA/Hubble, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
M107
en:NASA, en:STScI, en:WikiSky, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
NGC 6384
ESA/Hubble & NASA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
NGC 6240
ESA/Hubble, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
B68
ESO, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Snake Nebula
en:user:Friendlystar, CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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