Starwatch: Ophiuchus the serpent bearer is on the celestial equator

This week, we will look for another big but not very bright constellation called Ophiuchus. It is known as the serpent bearer. It was one of the first 48 constellations seen long ago by a person named Ptolemy. It is in the sky on the opposite side from Orion, the hunter.

The picture shows how the sky looks from London at 11pm on 29 June 2026. The view will not change much during the week. But on this night, a moon that is almost full is right in the middle of a star pattern called the teapot in the constellation Sagittarius.

In old Greek stories, Ophiuchus is a hero fighting a serpent. But in Roman stories, it is different. Ophiuchus is Asclepius, a man who learned how snakes could heal each other using plants. He learned the secrets of living forever. But Zeus, a god, did not want humans to have this power, so he killed Asclepius with lightning.

The constellation Ophiuchus is split by the constellation Serpens, which means serpent. To the west of Ophiuchus is Serpens Caput, the serpent’s head. To the east is Serpens Cauda, the serpent’s tail.

Ophiuchus crosses the middle line of the sky, called the celestial equator. This means it can be easily seen from both the northern and southern parts of the world. For example, from Sydney, it looks good in the northern sky at this time of year.