Scorpius

Scorpius symbol (fixed width)

ScorpiusCC

Scorpius 3D red-green

Antares overlooking an Auxiliary Telescope

Scorpius 03 May 2022 CherrySpringsStatePark

Sidney Hall - Urania's Mirror - Scorpio

Scorpius is one of the constellations of the zodiac. It lies between Libra to the west and Sagittarius to the east. The name is Latin for scorpion, which is its symbol. Scorpius is one of the 48 constellations identified by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

Mythology

In Greek mythology, Scorpius is linked to the story of Orion. According to one of the myths, Orion boasted that he could kill all the animals on the Earth. Gaia, the Earth goddess, sent a scorpion to deal with Orion. The scorpion managed to kill Orion, and as a result, both were placed in the sky by Zeus as constellations. However, they were placed on opposite sides of the sky so that they would never meet again.

Characteristics

Scorpius is a prominent constellation in the Southern Hemisphere's winter sky and the Northern Hemisphere's summer sky. It is most easily visible at latitudes between +40° and −90°. The constellation's brightest star is Antares, a red supergiant that represents the scorpion's heart and is often referred to as "the heart of the scorpion". Antares is flanked by two bright stars, Shaula and Lesath, which mark the scorpion's stinger.

Observation

The best time to observe Scorpius is in July around 9 PM, when it is highest in the sky. Scorpius is notable for containing a wide array of deep-sky objects, including the Messier objects M4, one of the nearest globular clusters to Earth, and M80, another globular cluster. It also contains several interesting nebulae, such as the Cat's Paw Nebula and the War and Peace Nebula, both of which are active star-forming regions.

Astrology

In astrology, Scorpius is associated with the Scorpio sign. However, due to the precession of the equinoxes, the Sun now spends more time in the constellation of Ophiuchus than in Scorpius. Despite this, Scorpio remains one of the twelve signs of the zodiac.

Notable Features

• Antares: The heart of the scorpion, a red supergiant star, is the 15th brightest star in the night sky.
• M4 (NGC 6121): One of the closest globular clusters to Earth.
• M80 (NGC 6093): A densely packed globular cluster.
• Cat's Paw Nebula (NGC 6334): An emission nebula that resembles a cat's paw.
• War and Peace Nebula (NGC 6357): An emission nebula that contains many young stars and protostars.

See Also

• List of constellations
• List of brightest stars
• Messier objects
• Astrological sign