Alpha Serpentis is called Unukalhai, the Serpent's Neck although in the Middle Ages the star was also known as ‘Cor Serpentis’. the Serpent's Heart.

This yellow (or golden) giant is about half-way down the western portion of the constellation, one binocular field south of delta: binoculars.

Nearly eight degrees to the southwest (just out of binocular field of view from alpha) is M5, a very fine globular gluster of over half a million stars tightly grouped. It's easiest to find if you first start from omega Serpentis, at the bottom of your glasses.

Place omega at the eastern edge of your glasses; 10 Serpentis will appear at the other edge. Move further westward until 10 Ser is nearly at the eastern edge; M5 will be centred: binoculars. The cluster is thought to be more than ten billion years old.