✧ Serpens

  Serpens is an asterism in Hercules.

                                       ··
                                      ··⡀
                                        ⢳⡀
                                        ⢀·
                                        •
                                       ·⠁
                                       ⡇
                                       ⡇
              ·⣄                     ⣀⣠·
               ⠈⠳⢤⡀             ⢀⣠⠤⠖⠋⠁
                  ⠙⢦⣀      ⢀⣀⡤⠖⠋⠉
                    ⠈·⡀ ⣠·⠚⠉
                      ·⠋⠁

  Type            Asterism
  Constellation   Hercules
  Stars           12

  More information about Serpens

  Serpens is a snake cut in half by the man holding it. Ophiuchus stands
  in the middle of it, so the head lies to the west of him and the tail to
  the east, and the two halves are counted as a single constellation with
  another one in the gap between them. Nothing else in the sky is arranged
  this way. The tail contains the Eagle Nebula, a cloud of gas and dust
  with columns of denser material standing inside it where stars are
  forming, which is where the photograph known as the Pillars of Creation
  was taken.

  Etymology
  From        Latin
  Reading     Serpens
  Literally   the serpent

  The evolution of Serpens over time

  -50,000 years
  
                                                                    ·
                                                                    ⡇
                                                                    ⡇
                                                                    ⡇
                                                                    ⡇
                                                                  ⣠·⡇
                                                                  ·⢄⡇
                                                                    · Chow
                                                                    ⢹
                                                                    ⠸·
                               ·⡀                                    ⡇
                                ⠈⢢⡀                                ⢀⡴• Unukalhai
                                  ⠑⢆                               ⡜·
                                    ⠓⣄                            ⡰⠁
                                     ⠈⠢⡀                       ⢀⡠⠔·
                                       ⠘⢆⡀                 ⣀⡤⠖⠋⠁
                                         ⠑⣄            ⣀⠤⠒⠉⠁
                                           ⠱⡄     ⢀⡠⠔⠊⠉
                                            ·⢆⡠⠴⠒⠋·
                                             ·
  
  now
  
  
  
                                                                ⢀
                                                               ·⠋·
                                                              ·⠬· Chow
                                                                ⠈⢧
                                                                 ⢀·
                                                                ⢀⠎
                                                               ⢠⠊• Unukalhai
                                                               ·
                                                               ⢸
                                 ⠐·                           ⣀⡸
                                   ⠙⢤                    ⣀⡠⠤⠒⠉⠁ ·
                                     ⠙⢢⡀            ⢀⡠⠤⠒⠋⠁
                                       ⠘⠢⡀     ⢀⣀⠤⠒⠋⠁
                                         ⠉· ⣠⠴·⠁
                                          ⠘·
  
  
  
  
  +50,000 years
  
  
  
                                                             ⢀⡀
                                                       Chow ⢠⠎·
                                                           ⢠··
                                                          ⢀⡎ ⠙⠢⣀
                                                          ⡸  ⣠⠴⠊·
                                                         ⢰⢃•⠋⠁
                                                        ⢀⠏·⡄ Unukalhai
                                                        ⡜  ⢱
                                                       ⠰·   ⢧
                                                          ⢀⣀⠬·
                                                     ⣀⣠⠤⠒⠊⠁
                                               ⢀⣀⠤⠔⠚⠉
                                    ⢀⡀    ⢀⣠⠤⠒⠊⠉
                                    ·⠈⠙·⢀⡞·
                                       ⠈·
  
  
  

  Over 50,000 years either way the longest side of this figure changes by 6%, and the furthest
  any of its stars travels is 18.3 degrees. HR 5788, Unukalhai, Chow, HR 5881, HR 5892 and HR
  6446 drift the opposite way to the other 6, which travel together. Proper motion only: this is
  the shape changing, not the sky turning or the pole moving.

  curl 'skymap.sh/Serpens/evolution.gif'

  where it is tonight:  skymap.sh/Serpens