Ophiuchus

constellations · ancient astronomy · Greek mythology

The Serpent Bearer. Ophiuchus shows a man holding a snake called Serpens. The name comes from ancient Greek words meaning 'serpent-bearer', and people have been telling this story about the stars for over 2,000 years.

Super old constellation. Ophiuchus was one of 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy, a famous astronomer from around 150 AD. It's still one of the 88 official constellations we use today.

Crosses the equator. This constellation is so big that it stretches right across the celestial equator, which is the imaginary line in the sky that matches Earth's equator.

Once called Serpentarius. Long ago, people called this constellation by a different name, Serpentarius, which also means 'the one who carries serpents.'