✧ Ophiuchus Ophiuchus is an asterism in Ophiuchus. •⢤⣀ ⢠⠇ ⠈⠉⠓·⡀ • ⢸⡳⡄ ·⠙⡆ ⡇⠹⣄ ⡇ ⢹⡀ ⢳ ⠘⣆ ⢸⠁ ⢧ ⢸⡀ ⢈• · ⠘⡆ ⡇⣠⠏ ⢹⡀ ⢀⣠•⠃ •⠚⠉ ⠈· ⡇ ⠈· ⢸⠁ · ·⠁ Type Asterism Constellation Ophiuchus Stars 12 More information about Ophiuchus Ophiuchus is a large figure holding a snake, and it sits on the band of sky the Sun travels through during the year. That band crosses thirteen constellations rather than the traditional twelve, and Ophiuchus is the one that never made the list, even though the Sun spends about three weeks a year inside it, which is longer than it spends in Scorpius. It also contains Barnard's Star, which moves across the sky faster than any other star we know: it covers the width of a full Moon every 180 years. Etymology From Greek Reading Ophiouchos · Ὀφιοῦχος Literally serpent bearer The evolution of Ophiuchus over time -50,000 years ⢰• Rasalhague ⢀⠇⠈⢆ ⡜ ⢣⡀ ⣰⠁ ·⢤⡀ Cebalrai ⢀⠇ ⢣⠈⠢⣄ ·⡞ ⢇ ⠑⠦⡀ ⢸⠁• ⠈⣆ ⠈⠓⣄ ⡜ ⢣ ⠘⡆ ⠑⢤⡀ ⢀⠇ ⢣ ⠘⡄ ⡰• Yed Prior ⣸ ⢣ ⠸⡀ ⢀⡜ ⠇ ⢣ ⢱⡀⢀⡞ Sinistra · ⢇ ⢳⠎ ⠈⢆ ⢀⠴⠊⠙• ⠈⢆ ⡠⠖⠁ ⡇ ⢨• ·⡄ ⢀⠇ Sabik ⠘· ⢀⠏ · ⢰⠁ · now Rasalhague ⢀⠤⣀ ⡜• ⠉⠙⠒⠤⢤⣀ ⢠⠃ ·⢄ ⡜ ⠸⡀⠳⡀ ⡼• Cebalrai ⢇ ⠘⢢⡀ ⢠·⠈⢧ ⠸⡀ ⠑⣄ ⡼ ⠈⢆ ⢇ ⠳⡀ ⢀⠇ ⠘⡄ ⠸⡀ ⢘• Yed Prior ⢸ ⠘⡄ ⢇ ⡠⠋ ⡏ ⠱⡀ ⠸⡀⣠⠎ Sinistra · ⢳ ⢀⡤• ⢣ ⣀⠤⠚⠁ ⠸⡀ ⠈•⠊ ⡇ ⢸⠁ Sabik ·⡄ ⡏ ⠹· ⡸ ⢀· ⡸ · +50,000 years ⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⡀ Rasalhague • ⠈⠉⠉⢹· ⢠• Cebalrai ⢸⠈⡆ ⡜ ⢇ ⢸ ⠘⣄ ⢀· ⠘⡄ ⢸ ⠘⡄ ⡸ ⠹⡀ ⢸ ⠘⡄ ⡇ ⢧ ⢸ ⠱⡀ ⢸⠁ ⠈⣆ ⢸ ⡠• Yed Prior ⡎ ⠸⡀ ⢸⢀⣠⠖⠉ ⢰⠃ ⢳ ⢀⣠⠴⠚• Sinistra · ⣇⡠⠔⠚⠉ ⢹ • Sabik ⢧ ⢠⠃ ⠘· ⣸ ⠱ ⡇ · ⢰· ⡎ ⢠⠇ · Over 50,000 years either way the longest side of this figure changes by 2%, and the furthest any of its stars travels is 4.5 degrees. HR 6175, HR 6299, Sabik, Rasalhague and Cebalrai drift the opposite way to the other 7, which travel together. Proper motion only: this is the shape changing, not the sky turning or the pole moving. curl 'skymap.sh/Ophiuchus/evolution.gif' where it is tonight: skymap.sh/Ophiuchus