Fact sheet
- Latin name
- Scorpius (Sco)
- Brightest star
- Antares (α Sco)
- Relative brightness
- 1.06 mag
- Hipparcos catalogue
- HIP 80763
- Area
- 497 deg² (rank: 33 out of 88)
- Right ascension
- 15h 47m 15s to 17h 59m 14s
- Declination
- -45° 46' 01'' to -8° 17' 45''
- Neighbouring constellations
- Ophiuchus, Libra, Lupus, Norma, Ara, Corona Australis, Sagittarius
Visibility
The constellation Scorpius
Scorpius is a constellation of the southern hemisphere. It lies on the ecliptic and is therefore one of the zodiac constellations. The ecliptic describes the apparent path of the sun over the course of a year. During this time, the sun passes through all the zodiac constellations. From 23 to 29 November, the sun is in the constellation Scorpius. During this time, the constellation cannot be observed because it is in the daytime sky.
The brightest star of Scorpius is α Scorpii, a red supergiant, also known by the Arabic name Qalbu l-'Aqrab (heart of the scorpion). The Greeks called it Antares (anti-Mars), because this bright red-orange star can easily be confused with the planet Mars. Antares is one of the 20 brightest stars in the sky. It is already at the end of its life. This means that it can end its life in a supernova explosion at any time, possibly only in around a million years. Scorpius is rich in star clusters: near Antares lies the globular cluster M 4, and in the tail lie the open clusters M 6 and M 7. Also located here is Scorpius X-1, the first (1962) and brightest persistent X-ray source outside the solar system.
Mythology
The mythology of Scorpius is closely linked with that of Orion. According to the stories, the sting of the scorpion is said to have brought death to the hunter Orion. However, there are different accounts of the exact circumstances. One story says that the hunter Orion came too close to the goddess of hunting, Artemis, against her will, and that she then sent the scorpion. Another says that the earth goddess sent the scorpion because Orion claimed that he could kill every wild animal on earth. Both versions agree that the two were then placed in the sky. To this day, they avoid each other. Whenever Scorpius rises in the east, Orion disappears in the west. When Orion appears again in the east, Scorpius sets in the west.
Astrological significance
People who were born between 24 October and 22 November are born under the zodiac sign of Scorpio. They are described as fearless and ambitious. Accordingly, they are often found in jobs in which stamina is important. Scorpio is an individualist. Despite all challenges, he proudly goes his own way. However, if a Scorpio feels threatened, he shows his sting. In this case, he will use even the smallest weakness to his own advantage.
