Gamma Serpentis

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", The star was later given the proper name Ainalhai, from the Arabic عين الحية ‘Ayn al-Ḥayyah "the Serpent's Eye". In Chinese, (), 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 (, ), representing the state Zheng (鄭) (or Ching), together with 20 Capricorni (according to Ian Ridpath version) in Twelve States (asterism). In the indigenous Australian Wardaman culture, this star, along with β Serpentis, is known as Muning, the small rock cod. ==References==