Serpens is a constellation of the northern hemisphere, representing a serpent. One of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, it remains one of the 88 modern constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union. It is unique among the modern constellations in being split into two non-contiguous parts, the head (Serpens Caput) to the west and the tail (Serpens Cauda) to the east. Between these two halves lies the constellation of Ophiuchus, the "Serpent-Bearer", with the body of the serpent passing behind Ophiuchus. The brightest star in Serpens is the red giant star Alpha Serpentis, with an apparent magnitude of 2.63. The Eagle Nebula and its associated cluster (pictured) are located in Serpens, as is the nearby star-forming region Westerhout 40. Extragalactic objects in Serpens include Seyfert's Sextet, one of the densest galaxy clusters known; Arp 220, the prototypical ultraluminous infrared galaxy; and Hoag's Object, the most famed of the rare ring galaxies.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpens

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

275:

After the assassination of Aurelian, Tacitus was chosen by the Senate to succeed him as Roman emperor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Claudius_Tacitus

1790:

Peking opera (performer pictured) was born when the Four Great Anhui Troupes introduced Anhui opera to Beijing in honor of the Qianlong Emperor's eightieth birthday. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peking_opera

1911:

An explosion of badly degraded propellant charges on board the French battleship Liberté detonated the forward ammunition magazines and destroyed the ship. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_battleship_Libert%C3%A9

1964:

Unrest and frustration amongst many indigenous Mozambican populations against Portuguese rule erupted in a war for independence that lasted ten years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozambican_War_of_Independence

1983:

In one of the largest prison escapes in British history, 38 Provisional Irish Republican Army prisoners hijacked a prison meals lorry and smashed their way out of HM Prison Maze in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maze_Prison_escape

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

dichotomy: 1. A separation or division into two; a distinction that results in such a division. […] 2. (astronomy) A phase of the moon when it appears half lit and half dark, as at the quadratures. […] 3. (biology) A fork (bifurcation) in a stem or vein. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dichotomy

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

The past is never dead. It's not even past.   --William Faulkner https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Faulkner