Ophiuchus

For other uses, see Ophiuchus (disambiguation).

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. Its brightest star is Rasalhague.

Ophiuchus

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.

The Voyager 1 probe is within the borders of Ophiuchus.

Related pages

• Ophiuchus Supercluster explosion

Other websites

• The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Ophiuchus
• Star Tales – Ophiuchus