Gamma Serpentis, also named Muning, is a star in the equatorial constellation Serpens, in the part of the constellation that represents the serpent's head (Serpens Caput). It has an apparent visual magnitude +3.85, which means it is visible to the naked eye. Based upon parallax measurements by the Gaia spacecraft, this star is approximately 36.4 light years from Earth.
Properties 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 43.7% larger and 21% more massive than the Sun, with 2.92 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 6,306 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 Gamma Serpentis (Latinized from γ Serpentis, abbreviated γ Ser) is the star's Bayer designation. It was a member of the indigenous Arabic asterism al-Nasaq al-Sha'āmī, "the Northern Line" of al-Nasaqān "the Two Lines", along with β Her (Kornephoros), γ Her (Hejian) and β Ser (Zhou).
According to the catalogue of stars in the Technical Memorandum 33-507 - A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars, al-Nasaq al-Sha'āmī or Nasak Shamiya were the title for three stars: β Ser as Nasak Shamiya I, γ Ser as Nasak Shamiya II, γ Her as Nasak Shamiya III (exclude β Her).Jack W. Rhoads - Technical Memorandum 33-507-A Reduced Star Catalog Containing 537 Named Stars, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology; November 15, 1971
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. 中國星座神話, written by 陳久金. Published by 台灣書房出版有限公司, 2005, . Consequently, the Chinese name for γ Serpentis itself is (, ), representing the state Zheng (鄭) (or Ching), AEEA (Activities of Exhibition and Education in Astronomy) 天文教育資訊網 2006 年 6 月 24 日 English-Chinese Glossary of Chinese Star Regions, Asterisms and Star Name , Hong Kong Space Museum. Accessed on line November 23, 2010. together with 20 Capricorni (according to Ian Ridpath versionIan Ridpath's Startales - Capricornus the Sea Goat) in Twelve States (asterism).
In the indigenous Australian Wardaman culture, γ Serpentis and β Serpentis are known as Muning, the small rock cod. The IAU Working Group on Star Names approved the name Muning for Gamma Serpentis Aa on 1 July 2026.
References
External links Gamma Serpentis by Professor Jim Kaler.