Ophiuchus

Oph star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).

One of the 88 IAU constellations.

Etymology and History

The Greek constellation ...

Origin of Constellation

Greco-Roman

Eratosthenes

Var. 1: This is the figure standing on Scorpius, with the snake in his hands. It is said that this is Asclepius, and that Zeus raised him among the constellations to please Apollo. Asclepius practised the medical art so well that he even brought the dead back to life, and the last person he resuscitated was Hippolytus [the son of Theseus]. As the gods were worried that the prodigies performed by Asclepius might lead to an end to the honours paid to them by men, it is said that Zeus, in a fit of anger, brought Asclepius back to life. Zeus, in anger, is said to have hurled his thunderbolt against the home of Asclepius; later, out of respect for Apollo, he raised Asclepius among the constellations. He is easily identified by his position, above the largest of the constellations, Scorpius, and his image is easily recognisable. The Snake Bearerhas a shining star on its head, one on each shoulder, three on the left arm, four on the right arm, one on each hip, one on each knee, one on the right calf and one on each foot, the brightest being the one on the right foot. Seventeen in all. The Snake has two stars on the tip of its head...

Var. 2: This is the figure standing on the Scorpion with a snake in his hands. Some astronomers claim that this is Asclepius and that Zeus, because he had struck him with lightning, decided to grant him this honour to please Apollo (because in the midst of men he used his medical knowledge to bring the dead back to life). Zeus, therefore, was angry and hurled his thunderbolt against his home; but, out of respect for Apollo, he raised Asclepius among the constellations. The Serpentarian has a shining star on his head, a shining one on each shoulder, three on the left arm, four on the right arm four on the right arm, one on each hip, one on each knee, one on the right calf, one on each foot. In all seventeen.

(Pamias and Zucker 2013)

Almagest Ὀφιοῦχος.

id	Greek (Heiberg 1898)	English (Toomer 1984)	ident.
	Ὀφιούχου ἀστερισμός.	Constellation of Ophiuchus
1	ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς	The star on the head	alf Oph
2	τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ ὅμου β ὁ προηγούμενος	The more advanced of the 2 stars on the right shoulder	bet Oph
3	ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν	The rearmost of them	gam Oph
4	τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ ὤμου β ὁ προηγούμενος	The more advanced of the 2 stars on the left shou Ider	iot Oph
5	ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν	The rearmost of them	kap Oph
6	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ ἀγκῶνος	The star on the left elbow	lam Oph
	τῶν ἐν τῷ ἀριστερῷ ἀκροχείρῳ ῇ ὁ προηγούμενος.	The more advanced of the 2 stars in the left hand	del Oph
	ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν	The rearmost of them	eps Oph
	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ ἀγκῶνος	The star on the right elbow	mu Oph
	τῶν ἐν τῷ δεξιῷ ἀκροχείρῳ β ὁ προηγούμενος	The more advanced of the 2 stars in the right hand	nu Oph
	ὁ ἐπόμενος αὐτῶν	The rearmost of them	tau Oph
	ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ γόνατος	The star on the right knee	eta Oph
	ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς δεξιᾶς κυήμης	The star on the right lower leg	xi Oph
	τῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ δεξιοῦ ποδὸς ὁ ὁ προηγούμευος	The most advanced of the 4 stars on the right foot	36 Oph
	ὁ τούτῳ ἐπόμευος.	The one to the rear of this	tet Oph
	ὁ ἔτι τούτῳ ἐπόμενος	The one to the rear again of that	44 Oph
	ὁ λοιπὸς τῶν ὁ καὶ ἑπόμενος	The last and rearmost of the 4	51 Oph
	ὁ τούτοις ἐπόμενος καὶ ἀπτόμενος τῆς πτέρνης	The star to the rear of these, which touches the heel	51 Oph
	ὁ ἐν τῷ ἀριστερῷ γόρατι	The star in the left knee	zet Oph
	τῶν ἐν τῇ ἀριστερᾷ κυήμῃ ἢ’ ἐπ’ εὐθείας ὁ βόρειος	The northernmost of the 3 stars in a straight line m the left lower leg	phi Oph
	ὁ μέσος αὐτῶν	The middle one of these	chi Oph
	ὁ νότιος τῶν τριῶν	The southernmost of the three	psi Oph
	ὁ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀριστερᾶς πτέρρης	The star on the left heel	ome Oph
	ὁ τοῦ κοίλου τοῦ ἀριστεροῦ ποδὸς ἀπτόμενος	The star touching the hollow of the left foot	rho Oph
	ἀστέρες κῦ, ὥν ν’ μεγέθουςε, δ’ ῃ, ε ς	{24 stars, 5 of the third magnitude, 13 of the fourth, 6 of the fifth}
	Οἱ περὶ τὸν Ὀφιοῦχου ἀμόρφωτοι	Stars around Ophiuchus outside the constellation
	τῶν ἀπ’ ἀνατολῆς τοῦ δεξιοῦ ὅμου ἡ’ ὁ βόρειος	The northernmost of the 3 to the east of the right shoulder	66 Oph
	ὁ μέσος τῶν τριῶν.	The middle one of the three	67 Oph
	ὁ πότιος αὐτῶν.	The southernmost of them	68 Oph
	ὁ ἐπόμενος τοῦς γ’ ὡς ὑπὲρ τὸν μέσου.	The star to the rear of these 3, approximately over the middle one	70 Oph
	ὁ τῶν ὃ βορειότερος μουαχός	The lone star north.of[these] 4	72 Oph
	ἀστέρες ἐ μεγέθους δ	5 stars of the fourth magnitude

References

• References (general)
• References (Babylonian)
• References (ancient Greco-Roman)
• References (medieval)