Ophiuchus Constellation

Updated : 05/04/2025

Ophiuchus Constellation can be seen in the equatorial hemisphere night sky. Ophiuchus is one of 14 constellations in the equatorial hemisphere. The Ophiuchus constellation was created by the ancient astronomer Claudius Ptolemy, who lived in 2nd century Alexandria, Egypt. Ophiuchus is not a member of the Zodiac group of constellations which are used in astrology to predict peoples immediate futures.

Ophiuchus is a Latin word; the English meaning/translation is the serpent holder. Ophiuchus's pronunciation is Off-you-cuss. The genitive form is Ophiuchi, which means any object with Ophiuchi at the end of its name infers a relationship to the constellation. Typically, the thing is within the constellation's boundaries or was once until it (the borders) was redrawn. Ophiuchus can be shortened or abbreviated to Oph.

Ophiuchus (Constellation) takes up 948.34 sq. degrees of the night sky, equating to 2.3% of the night sky. Ophiuchus is the 11th largest constellation in the night sky. Twenty-seven Extrasolar Planets in the Ophiuchus constellation are detailed on this site. There is a dedicated page for exoplanets in Ophiuchus.

Charles Messier catalogued seven deep-space object(s) within the Ophiuchus's boundary. The following constellations border Ophiuchus:-

Ophiuchus Stars

Here are a few facts about the stars in the constellation.

Ophiuchus has fourteen stars that make up the constellation's shape.
The Hipparcos satellite scanned and detailed two thousand two hundred and thirty-four stars.
You can see one hundred and ninety stars within the Ophiuchus constellation borders with the naked eye on a clear night sky.
Barnard's Star is Ophiuchus's nearest star, about 5.95 light-years from the Earth.
The nearest star in Ophiuchus to the Earth with an exoplanet is HD 154088, about 58.18 light-years away.

Other Major Stars

This is a list of other stars that make up part of the constellation but have been detailed above yet. Other visible stars in the constellation can be found Ophiuchus Star List page.

Name	Bayer	Spectral Type	Distance	Exoplanets
Cebalrai	Beta Ophiuchi	K2III	81.85
Al Durajah	Gamma Ophiuchi	A0V	102.79
Yed Prior	Delta Ophiuchi	M1III	171.12
Yed Posterior	Epsilon Ophiuchi	G8III	106.45
Han	Zeta Ophiuchi	O9.5V	366.06
Sabik	Eta Ophiuchi	A2.5Va	88.37
Garafsa	Theta Ophiuchi	B2IV	436.05
Iota Ophiuchi	Iota Ophiuchi	B8V	245.24
Kappa Ophiuchi	Kappa Ophiuchi	K2IIIvar	91.46
Marfik	Lambda Ophiuchi	A2V	173.12
Sinistra	Nu Ophiuchi	K0III	150.72	Yes
Sigma Ophiuchi	Sigma Ophiuchi	K3IIvar	901.00
Upsilon Ophiuchi	Upsilon Ophiuchi	A3m	133.56

How to find Ophiuchus Constellation

Northern Hemisphere

June represents the best time to see the Ophiuchus at about 9 p.m. The constellation can be viewed earlier in the year but only later at night. The earlier in the year, the later you need to be. For example, to see it in May, you need to look at about 10 p.m. when it will be most visible.

The constellation can be viewed in an E-SE direction. It will not get high in the sky. In November, the constellation will be mostly gone.

Southern Hemisphere

Ophiuchus will be near full viewable from about 9 p.m. in an easterly direction from May. It will reach high into the sky over the coming months until August and then start heading back down until it disappears at the end of November.

Ophiuchus Mythology

Whilst Apollo was away, Coronis was unfaithful to him and bore a son Asclepius with Ischys. When Apollo found out, he killed his wife and removed the baby. The baby Asclepius was given to the Centaur Chiron, who taught him medicine. He was able to raise people from the dead, which angered Hades.

The Underworld God, Hades, asked Zeus to end this, and a thunderbolt struck Asclepius down. Asclepius created his medicines from the poisons of plants and snakes. After death, Asclepius became the constellation Ophiuchus. This constellation is sometimes referred to as the thirteenth star sign, the one that Astrologers ignore.

To some people, Ophiuchus is the thirteenth sign of the Zodiac because the Sun sets in this constellation during the year. Most astrologers will discount Ophiuchus, but some recognise and produce horoscopes for this constellation. If you're born at the end of November or the beginning of December, your real star sign will likely be Ophiuchus, which will explain why your horoscope forecast is always wrong. As Ophiuchus is inserted, other constellations will move too. For more information, have a look at my other Ophiuchus page.

Zodiac

Ophiuchus is not a member of the Zodiac group of twelve constellations that appear when the Sun sets. The Zodiac constellations are the ones astrologers use to predict a person's future based on their birth date.

Ophiuchus is not strictly speaking a Zodiac sign. The Sun sets in this constellation between November 30th and December 17th every year, and you can see it for yourself on the Ophiuchus information page.

Ophiuchus Constellation Distance From Earth

You cannot just go to one location and arrive in the Ophiuchus constellation, and this is because it is made up of stars at different positions and distances. The nearest main star (Rasalhague) in the constellation is at a distance of 48.59 light-years, and the furthest main star is Sigma Ophiuchi, at a distance of 901.00 light-years. The average distance to the major stars is 221.17 light years. Main stars refer to the stars that make up the constellation outline.

Because of the distances of objects, we see how they looked in the past. To know how far back we are looking, take the amount and remove the word "Light", and you will get an idea of how long ago they looked like that. By now, the object may look different.

Ophiuchus Constellation Facts

Name	Ophiuchus
Abbreviation	Oph
Zodiac Sign	No
Area	948.34 sq. deg.
Night Sky	2.3%
Size Position	11th
Celestial Hemisphere	Equatorial
Meteor Shower(s)	13
Nearest Star	Barnard's Star
...with Exoplanet(s)	HD 154088
Brightest Star	Rasalhague
Dimmest Star	V2213 Ophiuchi
Furthest Star	HIP 82191
Bright Star Count	190
Hipp. Star Count	2234
Main Star Count	14
Messier D.S.O. Count	7
Lists	Deep Space Objects
	Exoplanets
	Meteor Showers
	Stars
Main Stars	Rasalhague
	Cebalrai
	Al Durajah
	Yed Prior
	Yed Posterior
	Han
	Sabik
	Garafsa
	Iota Ophiuchi
	Kappa Ophiuchi
	Marfik
	Sinistra
	Sigma Ophiuchi
	Upsilon Ophiuchi

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