eta Serpentis
{{Short description|Star in the constellation Serpens}}
{{Starbox begin}}
{{Starbox image
| image =
{{Location mark
| image=Serpens Cauda IAU.svg
| float=center | width=250 | position=right
| mark=Red circle.svg | mark_width=10 | mark_link=η Serpentis
| x%=43.2 | y%=40.1
}}
| caption=Location of η Serpentis (circled)
}}
{{Starbox observe
| epoch = J2000
| dec = {{DEC|−02|53|55.7766}}
| constell = Serpens
}}
{{Starbox character
| variable =
}}
{{Starbox astrometry
| parallax = 53.93
| p_error = 0.18
}}
{{Starbox detail
| luminosity = {{val|17.85|0.13}}
| temperature = {{Val|4875|7|fmt=commas}}
| metal_fe = {{Val|-0.21|0.01}}
| rotation =
| rotational_velocity = {{Val|2.47|1.00}}
}}
{{Starbox catalog
| names = {{odlist | B=η Ser | F=58 Ser | BD=−02°4599 | GJ=711 | HD=168723 | HIP=89962 | HR=6869 | SAO=142241 }}
}}
{{Starbox reference
| Simbad = eta+Ser
}}
{{Starbox end}}
Eta Serpentis, Latinized from η Serpentis, is a star in the constellation Serpens. In particular, it lies in Serpens Cauda, the snake's tail. The star has an apparent visual magnitude of 3.260, making it visible to the naked eye. Parallax measurements give a distance estimate of {{Convert|60.5|ly|pc|abbr=off|lk=on}} from the Earth.
This star is larger than the Sun, with 1.6 times the mass and almost six times the radius. The spectrum matches a stellar classification of K0 III-IV, with the luminosity class of III-IV corresponding to an evolved star that lies between the subgiant and giant stages. The expanded outer envelope star is radiating about 18 times the luminosity of the Sun at an effective temperature of {{val|4875|fmt=commas|ul=K}}. At this temperature, it has an orange hue typical of a K-type star. Eta Serpentis displays solar-like oscillations with a period of 0.09 of a day.
Eta Serpentis was previously classified as a carbon star, which would have made it the brightest carbon star in the sky, although this classification was since found to be erroneous.{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1134/1.1398919| title = The chemical composition of the red giant η Ser| journal = Astronomy Reports| volume = 45| issue = 9| pages = 700| year = 2001| last1 = Antipova | first1 = L. I.| last2 = Boyarchuk | first2 = A. A.|bibcode = 2001ARep...45..700A | s2cid = 62893990}}
Eta Serpentis is currently 1.6 light-years away from Gliese 710.{{Citation needed|date=February 2018}}
Name
In Chinese astronomy, the star is known as {{lang|zh|天市左垣}} ({{lang|zh-Latn|Tiān Shì Zuǒ Yuán}}), meaning 'Left Wall of Heavenly Market Enclosure'; the name refers to an asterism that represents eleven old states in China. The leftmost borderline of the enclosure consists of η Serpentis, δ Herculis, λ Herculis, μ Herculis, o Herculis, 112 Herculis, η Ophiuchi, ζ Aquilae, θ1 Serpentis, ν Ophiuchi and ξ Serpentis.{{in lang|zh}} 中國星座神話, written by 陳久金. Published by 台灣書房出版有限公司, 2005, {{ISBN|978-986-7332-25-7}}. Consequently, the Chinese name for η Serpentis itself is {{lang|zh|天市左垣八}} ({{lang|zh-Latn|Tiān Shì Zuǒ Yuán bā}}, the Eighth Star of Left Wall of Heavenly Market Enclosure, representing the region of Donghai (東海, lit. meaning 'eastern sea').{{in lang|zh}} [http://aeea.nmns.edu.tw/2006/0606/ap060623.html AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 6 月 23 日] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515003305/http://aeea.nmns.edu.tw/2006/0606/ap060623.html |date=2021-05-15 }}{{in lang|zh}} [http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Space/Research/StarName/e_research_chinengstarzone_b.htm#HeavenlyMarketEnclosure English-Chinese Glossary of Chinese Star Regions, Asterisms and Star Name] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100810114313/http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Space/Research/StarName/e_research_chinengstarzone_b.htm#HeavenlyMarketEnclosure |date=August 10, 2010 }}, Hong Kong Space Museum. Accessed on line November 23, 2010.
References
{{Reflist|30em|refs=
{{citation | display-authors=1 | last1=Tabur | first1=V. | last2=Bedding | first2=T. R. | last3=Kiss | first3=L. L. | last4=Giles | first4=T. | last5=Derekas | first5=A. | last6=Moon | first6=T. T. | title=Period-luminosity relations of pulsating M giants in the solar neighbourhood and the Magellanic Clouds | journal=Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society | volume=409 | issue=2 | pages=777–788 |date=December 2010 | doi=10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17341.x | doi-access=free | bibcode=2010MNRAS.409..777T |arxiv = 1007.2974 | s2cid=118411237 }}
{{citation |title=The Colour of Stars |date=December 21, 2004 |work=Australia Telescope, Outreach and Education |publisher=Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation |url=http://outreach.atnf.csiro.au/education/senior/astrophysics/photometry_colour.html |access-date=2012-01-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318151427/http://outreach.atnf.csiro.au/education/senior/astrophysics/photometry_colour.html |archive-date=2012-03-18 }}
{{citation | title=eta Ser -- Variable Star | work=SIMBAD | publisher=Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg | url=http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=Eta+Serpentis | access-date=2012-01-19 }}
}}
{{Stars of Serpens}}