Beta, Gamma, and Iota Serpentis form a distinctive triangular shape marking the head of the snake, with Kappa Serpentis (the proper name is Gudja) being roughly midway between Gamma and Iota. The brightest of the four with an apparent magnitude of roughly 3.67, Beta Serpentis is a white main-sequence star roughly 160 parsecs distant. It is likely that a nearby 10th-magnitude star is physically associated with Beta, although it is not certain. The Mira variable R Serpentis, situated between Beta and Gamma, is visible to the naked eye at its maximum of 5th-magnitude, but, typical of Mira variables, it can fade to below magnitude 14. Gamma Serpentis itself is an F-type subgiant located only 11 parsecs distant and thus is quite bright, being of magnitude 3.84 ± 0.05. The star is known to show solar-like oscillations. Iota Serpentis is a binary star system.
beta gamma and iota serpentis form a distinctive triangular shape marking the head of the snake with kappa serpentis (the proper name is gudja) being roughly midway between gamma and iota the brightest of the four with an apparent magnitude of roughly 367 beta serpentis is a white main-sequence star roughly 160 parsecs distant it is likely that a nearby 10th-magnitude star is physically associated with beta although it is not certain the mira variable r serpentis situated between beta and gamma is visible to the naked eye at its maximum of 5th-magnitude but typical of mira variables it can fade to below magnitude 14 gamma serpentis itself is an f-type subgiant located only 11 parsecs distant and thus is quite bright being of magnitude 384 ± 005 the star is known to show solar-like oscillations iota serpentis is a binary star system