Ophiuchus, the serpent-bearer:
This is an ancient constellation that is interconnected with another,
Serpens, the snake. The constellation of Ophiuchus is usually associated
with the Greek legend of Asclepius, a physician who was later worshipped
as a god of medicine. It is said that Asclepius was so talented
at the art of healing that he could bring the dead back to life,
a skill that he learned from a snake. Hades, the god of the underworld,
worried that he would no longer be needed, convinced Zeus to destroy
Asclepius. Zeus struck him down with a thunderbolt, and then placed
his image in the sky. The constellation of Ophiuchus can be located
immediately above Scorpius. Ophiuchus is an unofficial thirteenth
member of the Zodiac, since like the other twelve, the sun, moon,
and planets passes through this constellation.
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