The brightest star in the area known as Serpens Cauda (the Serpent's Tail); its magnitude is slightly variable between +3.39 and +3.41. Eta Serpentis is an orange (K-type) star of a type intermediate between a giant and a subgiant, lying some sixty light years from Earth.
With a declination of only -3°, this star lies very close to the Celestial Equator, and within the band of the Milky Way.
Imagery provided by Aladin sky atlas
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