Constellation Ophiuchus, 13th constellation of the Zodiac.
Ophiuchus holding the serpent, Serpens, as depicted inUrania's Mirror, a set of constellation cards published in London c.1825.
Above the tail of the serpent is the now-obsolete constellationĀ Taurus PoniatoviiĀ while below it isĀ Scutum.
On sky maps, Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer is depicted as holding Serpens the Serpent, which is considered a separate constellation. According to ancient Greek star lore, Ophiuchus is Asclepius, the physician who concocted a healing potion from the Serpentās venom, mixing it with the Gorgonās blood and an unknown herb. This potion gave humans access to immortality, until the god of the underworld appealed to Zeus to reconsider the ramifications of the death of death.
Even today, theĀ Staff of AsclepiusĀ ā the symbol of the World Heath Organization ā pays tribute to the constellation Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.