Ophiuchus

Abbreviation: Oph
Genitive: Ophiuchi
Right Ascension: 17.18 hours
Declination: -4.24 degrees

Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer, is best seen in summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern Hemisphere.

Ophiuchus vel Serpentarius, the Serpent Holder, is generally identified with Aesculapius a physician who was later made a god. Serpents were always associated with physicians as symbols of prudence, renovation, wisdom, and the power of discovering healing herbs. The modern symbol for medicine derives from this.

Aesculapius was the earliest of his professions trained by a centaur Chiron and the ships surgeon of the Argo. He was so skilled in his profession he could bring the dead back to life. After many successful operations and numerous remarkable cures, Pluto fearful that his dominion would vanish, convinced Zeus to strike Aesculapius with a thunderbolt and transfer him to the stars.

Bright Stars | Deep Sky | Other Deep Sky | Variable Stars | Double Stars

Best Known Stars

(Yale Bright Star Catalog)

Common Name or Bayer Number 1	RA	DEC	Magnitude 2
RASALHAGUE	17.00:34.00:56.07	+12.00:33.00:36.14	2.08
ZET OPH	16.00:37.00:9.54	-10.00:34.00:1.56	2.56
YED PRIOR	16.00:14.00:20.74	-3.00:41.00:39.55	2.74
CEBALRAI	17.00:43.00:28.35	+4.00:34.00:2.26	2.77
KAP OPH	16.00:57.00:40.10	+9.00:22.00:30.09	3.20
YED POSTERIOR	16.00:18.00:19.29	-4.00:41.00:32.99	3.24
THE OPH	17.00:22.00:0.58	-24.00:59.00:58.25	3.27
NU OPH	17.00:59.00:1.59	-9.00:46.00:25.10	3.34
72 OPH	18.00:7.00:20.98	+9.00:33.00:49.87	3.73
GAM OPH	17.00:47.00:53.56	+2.00:42.00:26.19	3.75
67 OPH	18.00:0.00:38.71	+2.00:55.00:53.60	3.97
45 OPH	17.00:27.00:21.28	-29.00:52.00:1.49	4.29

Deep Sky Objects

(PAS Catalog)

M-10

M-10 This fine globular is rather well resolved even at low powers. It is about 12' in diameter, and has a rather ragged circular shape with stars resolved across its face. A chain of 6 foreground stars starts north of the globular and ends to its south, seemingly bisecting the cluster.

M-107

M-107 This moderately faint object needed a high power and averted vision to yield resolution. It is about 8' in diameter, and is slightly flattened on its northern edge. The brightest area appears to be in the southwestern corner.

M-12

M-12 Lying only a few degrees away from M-10, this object is slightly smaller, about 8-10' in diameter. It is also well resolved across its face, and is somewhat looser than that object. It is basically circular and has a granular center.

M-14

M-14 This object yielded the least amount of detail in my telescope. It is about 8' in diameter, with resolution hinted at the edges at 179X. Little detail other than a granular core was noted.

M-19

M-19 This globular appeared as an milky patch of light about 8' in diameter, with resolution around the edges. Its granular core is flanked by two stars, one to the northwest, and one to the northeast, and appears somewhat ovoid in shape.

M-62

M-62 A fine, bright globular cluster with resolution at the edges, and a bright core. About 10' in diameter, this cluster's core is slightly offset to the southeast. Stars seem to fan out to the west, giving this globular rather unique appearance.

M-9

M-9 This globular cluster is about 6-8' in diameter, roughly circular, with some resolution at the edges. The core is unresolved in my scope, and is somewhat kidney bean shaped, and is elongated in the north to south direction. Under a clear, dark sky, see if you can find Barnard 64, the dark nebula upon which M-9 is superimposed. I saw it as an amorphous region, about 3/4 of a degree in extent, which is almost devoid of stars just to the west of the globular, and ever so slightly darker than the surrounding sky background.

NGC-6369

NGC 6369 This is a moderately bright planetary nebula which is almost 1' in diameter. It appears as a grey puff of light which, with averted vision, has a darker center suggesting angularity (a ring shape). Try high powers on this object.

Other Deep Sky Objects

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)

Only Objects less than 10.0 Mag.

Object	R.A.	Dec.	Object Type 3	Mag.	Uranometria	Tirion
NGC 6171	16 32.5	-13 03	GLOCL	08.1	291	15
NGC 6218	16 47.2	-01 57	GLOCL	06.6	246	15
NGC 6254	16 57.1	-04 06	GLOCL	06.6	247	15
NGC 6266	17 01.2	-30 07	GLOCL	06.6	376	22
NGC 6273	17 02.6	-26 16	GLOCL	07.2	337	22
NGC 6284	17 04.5	-24 46	GLOCL	09	337	22
NGC 6287	17 05.2	-22 42	GLOCL	09.2	337	22
NGC 6293	17 10.2	-26 35	GLOCL	08.2	337	22
NGC 6304	17 14.5	-29 28	GLOCL	08.4	376	22
NGC 6316	17 16.6	-28 08	GLOCL	09	376	22
NGC 6333	17 19.2	-18 31	GLOCL	07.9	337	15
NGC 6342	17 21.2	-19 35	GLOCL	09.9	338	15
NGC 6356	17 23.6	-17 49	GLOCL	08.4	338	15
NGC 6355	17 24.0	-26 21	GLOCL	09.6	338	22
NGC 6366	17 27.7	-05 05	GLOCL	10.0	248	15
Tr 26	17 28.5	-29 29	OPNCL	09.5	376	22
NGC 6402	17 37.6	-03 15	GLOCL	07.6	248	15
NGC 6401	17 38.6	-23 55	GLOCL	09.5	338	22
IC 4665	17 46.3	+05 43	OPNCL	04.2	203	15
Cr 350	17 48.1	+01 18	OPNCL	06.1	248	15
Mel 186	18 01.0	+03 00	OPNCL	03	249	15
NGC 6572	18 12.1	+06 51	PLNNB	09	204	15
NGC 6633	18 27.7	+06 34	OPNCL	04.6	205	15

Variable Stars

(General Catalog of Variable Stars)

Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude

GCVS ID	R.A. (hh mm ss.ss)	Dec. (deg mm ss)	Variable Type 4	Mag. Min	Mag. Max
U Oph	17.00:13.00:59.40	+1.00:15.00:53.00	EA/DM	6.56	5.84
Y Oph	17.00:49.00:57.80	-6.00:7.00:59.00	DCEPS	6.46	5.87
BF Oph	17.00:2.00:59.30	-26.00:30.00:49.00	DCEP	7.71	6.93
V0566 Oph	17.00:54.00:24.30	+4.00:59.00:31.00	EW/KW	7.96	7.46
V0986 Oph	18.00:2.00:5.80	+1.00:54.00:54.00	*	6.15	6.10
V1010 Oph	16.00:46.00:36.20	-15.00:34.00:55.00	EB/KE	7.00	6.10
V2048 Oph	17.00:57.00:47.10	+4.00:22.00:12.00	GCAS+UV:	4.85	4.55
V2052 Oph	17.00:53.00:45.40	+0.00:40.00:35.00	BCEP	5.84	5.81
V2105 Oph	16.00:25.00:1.60	-7.00:29.00:7.00	SRB:	5.38	5.00
V2106 Oph	16.00:46.00:35.90	-21.00:45.00:58.00	SR	7.46	7.38
V2111 Oph	16.00:42.00:34.30	-2.00:59.00:39.00	SR	7.08	6.69
V2112 Oph	17.00:16.00:26.00	+6.00:8.00:11.00	DSCTC	6.52	6.50
V2113 Oph	17.00:17.00:15.10	+2.00:11.00:21.00	SR:	6.81	6.59
V2114 Oph	17.00:25.00:20.00	+8.00:28.00:59.00	SR	6.51	6.40
V2118 Oph	17.00:59.00:12.60	+11.00:17.00:7.00	*	7.09	7.02
V2125 Oph	17.00:32.00:17.90	-22.00:0.00:43.00	ACV	0.04	6.57
V2126 Oph	17.00:57.00:42.50	+0.00:37.00:51.00	ACV	0.00	6.36
V2133 Oph	16.00:33.00:43.70	-2.00:13.00:10.00	BY	0.04	6.57
V2213 Oph	17.00:2.00:44.00	+0.00:46.00:28.00	BY	0.04	6.01
V2215 Oph	17.00:13.00:8.70	-26.00:28.00:33.00	RS	6.34	6.26
V2266 Oph	17.00:20.00:12.00	-22.00:44.00:54.00	M	7.88	6.52
V2291 Oph	18.00:23.00:14.40	+8.00:0.00:9.00	EA/GS	1.10	7.02
V2292 Oph	16.00:50.00:27.40	+0.00:4.00:32.00	BY:	0.04	6.78
V2294 Oph	17.00:17.00:9.00	-8.00:44.00:0.00	M	5.70	3.99
V2296 Oph	17.00:25.00:40.00	+5.00:4.00:42.00	M	4.10	3.00
V2297 Oph	17.00:30.00:49.00	+8.00:22.00:42.00	M	7.50	6.70
V2300 Oph	17.00:57.00:41.20	+6.00:33.00:20.00	ELL:	0.02	6.70
V2302 Oph	18.00:6.00:56.00	+9.00:11.00:42.00	M	5.50	4.07
zet Oph	16.00:34.00:24.10	-10.00:28.00:3.00	GCAS	2.58	2.56
tet Oph	17.00:18.00:56.20	-24.00:57.00:5.00	BCEP	3.31	3.25
kap Oph	16.00:55.00:18.00	+9.00:27.00:5.00	LB:	5.00	4.10
khi Oph	16.00:24.00:7.30	-18.00:20.00:40.00	GCAS	5.00	4.18
ome Oph	16.00:29.00:10.10	-21.00:21.00:40.00	ACV	4.51	4.44

Double Stars

(Saguaro Astronomy Club Catalog)

Only Objects <= 8.0 magnitude

Name	R.A. (hh mm.m)	Dec. (deg mm)	Mag 5	Sep 6	PA 7	Tirion	Uranometria
H 19	16 25.6	-23 26	5.2, 5.9	3.10	342	22	336
H 19	16 25.6	-23 26	5.2, 7.8	151.00	344	22	336
H 19	16 25.6	-23 26	5.2, 6.9	156.00	253	22	336
SHJ 243	17 15.4	-26 33	5.3, 5.3	4.60	154	22	337
SHJ 243	17 15.4	-26 33	6.3, 7.8	732.00	74	22	337
SHJ 243	17 15.4	-26 33	5.3, 8.0	10.80	316	22	337
H 25	17 18.0	-24 17	5.4, 6.9	10.20	355	22	337/ 338
SHJ 251	17 39.1	02 01	6.4, 7.5	111.20	328	15	248
STF 2202	17 44.6	02 34	6.2, 6.6	20.60	93	15	248
S 694	17 52.0	01 06	6.8, 7.1	81.80	237	15	248/ 249
STF 2262	18 03.0	-08 11	5.3, 6.0	1.90	278	15/ 16	294
STF 2276	18 05.7	12 00	7.0, 7.4	6.90	257	15/ 16	204