Gamma Serpentis


Gamma Serpentis is a star in the equatorial constellation Serpens, in the part of the constellation that represents the serpent's head. It has an apparent visual magnitude +3.85, which means it is visible to the naked eye. Based upon parallax measurements by the Gaia spacecraft, this star is approximately 36.4 light years from Earth.

Properties

Gamma Serpentis is an ordinary F-type [main sequence star] with a stellar classification of F6 V, currently fusing atoms of hydrogen into helium at its core. It is 46% larger and 21% more massive than the Sun, with three times the solar luminosity. Based upon its mass, it may have a convection zone in its core region. The projected rotational velocity is 10.2 km/s, providing a lower limit to the azimuthal rotational velocity along the equator. It is younger than the Sun with an estimated age of 3.5 billion years. The effective temperature of the star's outer atmosphere is 6,300 K, giving it the yellow-white-hued glow of an F-type star.
Occasionally Gamma Serpentis is listed as having two 10th magnitude companions, but it appears that these stars are just optical neighbours.

Etymology

It was a member of indigenous Arabic asterism al-Nasaq al-Sha'āmī, "the Northern Line" of al-Nasaqān "the Two Lines", along with β Her, γ Her and β Ser.
According to the catalogue of stars in the Technical Memorandum 33-507 - A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars, al-Nasaq al-Sha'āmī or Nasak Shamiya were the title for three stars: β Ser as Nasak Shamiya I, γ Ser as Nasak Shamiya II, γ Her as Nasak Shamiya III. The star was later given the proper name Ainalhai, from the Arabic عين الحية ‘Ayn al-Ḥayyah "the Serpent's Eye".
In Chinese, 天市右垣, meaning Right Wall of Heavenly Market Enclosure, refers to an asterism which represents eleven old states in China and which marks the right borderline of the enclosure, consisting of γ Serpentis, β Herculis, γ Herculis, κ Herculis, β Serpentis, δ Serpentis, α Serpentis, ε Serpentis, δ Ophiuchi, ε Ophiuchi and ζ Ophiuchi. Consequently, the Chinese name for γ Serpentis itself is 天市右垣四, representing the state Zheng , together with 20 Capricorni in Twelve States.
In the indigenous Australian Wardaman culture, this star, along with β Serpentis, is known as Muning, the small rock cod.