Serpens

[sur-puhnz, -penz]

noun

Astronomy.

genitive

Serpentis 

1. the Serpent, a constellation consisting of two separate parts, the head Serpens Caput and the tail Serpens Cauda, with Ophiuchus in between.

Serpens

/ ˈsɜːpənz /

noun

1. a faint extensive constellation situated in the N and S equatorial regions and divided into two parts, Serpens Caput (the head) lying between Ophiuchus and Boötes and Serpens Cauda (the tail) between Ophiuchus and Aquila

Word History and Origins

Origin of Serpens¹

< Latin serpēns serpent, originally present participle of serpere to creep, crawl; cognate with Greek hérpēs ( herpes, herpetology )

Word History and Origins

Origin of Serpens¹

Latin: _serpent

Example Sentences

The pillars are enormous formations of interstellar gas and dust in a star-forming region of the Eagle Nebula in the Serpens constellation, thousands of light years from Earth.

From Salon

With a normal earthbound telescope, one can only see the Serpens constellation in the northern part of the celestial hemisphere.

From Salon

Located in the Eagle Nebula, which is part of the constellation Serpens, the Pillars of Creation are famous due to an iconic 1995 photograph shot by one of JSWT's predecessors, the Hubble Space Telescope.

From Salon

The Eagle Nebula is about 6,500 light-years from Earth and is in the constellation Serpens, from the ancient Greek word for “serpent.”

From New York Times

The so-called "Pillars of Creation" are cool, dense clouds of hydrogen gas and dust in the Serpens constellation, some 6,500 light-years from Earth.

From BBC