Star profile
47 Serpens
Variable starWhat is 47 Serpens
47 Serpentis, also catalogued as FS Serpentis, is a vast M3.5 III red giant: about 83 times the Sun's radius, burning at barely 3,500 K on its lukewarm surface. It is a long-period variable, pulsing with the slowness of old giants approaching the final phase of their lives. Its reddish light took more than 800 years to reach us, crossing the interstellar spaces of the Serpent.
Where it is and when to see it
47 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 47° above the horizon.
- From New York it culminates about 58° above the horizon.
- From Sydney it culminates about 48° above the horizon.
It can be seen from anywhere north of 81° S.
It ranks no. 43 in brightness among the 65 stars of Serpens in our catalogue. To find it, start from Unukalhai, the brightest: it lies about 6° away (a fist at arm's length covers about 10°).
The light you see today left it about 810 years ago.
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Astronomical data for 47 Serpens
- Constellation
- Serpens
- Apparent magnitude
- 5.69
- Distance
- 807.4 light years
- Coordinates (J2000)
- RA 242.117° · Dec 8.534°
- Catalogue
- HIP 79072 · HD 145002
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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
- 4 Serpens5.62
- 45 Serpens5.63
- HIP 748965.68
- Upsilon Serpens5.71
- HIP 904975.71