Star profile
Gamma Serpens
Nearby starWhat is Gamma Serpens
Gamma Serpentis is one of our stellar neighbours: a yellow-white F-type star a mere 36.7 light-years away, set in the head of the Serpent. Slightly hotter and brighter than the Sun, it gives astronomers a close analogue for the evolution of suns a little more massive than ours. Its proximity makes it a natural beacon for calibrating distances within the Solar System's immediate neighbourhood.
Where it is and when to see it
Gamma Serpens lies in the northern celestial hemisphere. It is visible to the naked eye under a dark sky. Its best month of the year is May, when it culminates around midnight.
- From London it culminates about 54° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 65° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 40° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere north of 74° S.
It ranks no. 8 in brightness among the 65 stars of Serpens in our catalogue. To find it, start from Unukalhai, the brightest: it lies about 10° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 37 years ago.
It opens in your browser. Free, no account, nothing to install.
Leave your signature on Gamma Serpens
Your name and a message go up on the map for everyone to read. Signing is free.
Without a lock, someone else can replace your signature. How the lock works
We'll ask for an email to confirm it's you, no password.
A public signature from a real person. The chosen name is a symbolic denomination within Stelvia, with no official standing or IAU recognition: the sky is not for sale and belongs to no one.
Astronomical data for Gamma Serpens
- Constellation
- Serpens
- Apparent magnitude
- 3.85
- Distance
- 36.7 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 239.113° · Dec 15.662°
- Catalogue
- HIP 78072 · HD 142860
A symbolic commemorative gift: neither the signature nor the chosen name implies ownership of the star or recognition by the IAU.
Other stars in Serpens
Serpens has 65 stars in Stelvia's catalogue. Here are a few of them.
- UnukalhaiAlpha Serpens2.63
- Eta Serpens3.23
- Mu Serpens3.54
- Beta Serpens3.65
- Epsilon Serpens3.71
- Delta Serpens3.80
- GudjaKappa Serpens4.09
- Omicron Serpens4.24