Scorpius Constellation
If you’re looking at the Zodiac constellations, then one of the most visible in our night sky is Scorpius. Although it’s not visible throughout the entire year, when it is visible it is easily seen due to its bright stars. It is surrounded by many other constellations, and it’s a middle-sized constellation. Let’s look at some more interesting information about Scorpius.
- Bordered By; Sagittarius, Ophiuchus, Libra, Lupus, Norma, Ara, Corona Australis.
- Named after; The Scorpion
- Declination; -30°
- Brightest Star; Alpha Scorpii (Antares)
- Best seen; July
- Size rank; 33rd
- Constellation family; Zodiac
- Pronunciation; SCORE-PEE-US
What is Scorpius named after?
Scorpius of course takes its name from the Scorpion. The most common mythology associated with Scorpius is that it is the scorpion that was sent to kill Orion by the Goddess Artemis, which explains its close proximity to the constellation Orion.
Who founded the Scorpius Constellation?
Scorpius is another one of the 48 constellations that we first found in the writings of Greek astronomer, Ptolemy. Ptolemy dates back all the way to the 2nd century, however it’s thought that much of his astronomical writings were inspired by other works from previous astronomers, like the Babylonians.
How can I see Scorpius in the sky?
If you’re trying to see the constellation Scorpius, then the best time of year for this is in July and throughout the summer. You can find it quite easily by looking for the brightest star in this constellation, Antares.
- Antares (α) – Alpha Scorpii, which is also known as Antares, is the brightest star in this constellation. It is overall the 15th brightest star in our entire night sky, too. It is a binary star syste, with the primary a red giant star. Many people refer to it as the “heart” of the scorpion due to it’s location. The best time to see this star is the end of May, which is when it is in opposition of the Sun.
- Acrab (β) – Acrab, which is also called Beta Scorpii, is one of the brightest star in Scorpius. It is a multiple star system comprised of several stars. In Italian, this star is referred to as Graffias, which means claws.
- Dschubba (δ) – Dschubba is a binary star, although astronomers do think that in might actually be a triple star. It is one of the youngest stars in the constellation, with astronomers theorizing that it is only around 11 million years old.
- Lesath (υ) – Upsilon Scorpii, which we also refer to as Lesath, is located more than 580 light years away from our Sun. Along with Saula, astronomers refer to these two stars as the “cats eyes” due to their luminosity. It is estimated to be 12,300x more luminous than the Sun.
- Shaula (λ) – Lambda Scorpii is also known as Shaula, and it is one of the brightest stars in the night sky, and the second brightest in this constellation. It’s high luminosity leads to it being called one of the “cats eyes” along with Lesath. It is located around 570 light years away from the Sun.
- Sargas (θ) – Theta Scorpii, also referred to as Sargas, is a binary star that is bright enough to be seen without using a telescope. It is estimated to have a radius of more than 26x that of the Sun.
The Sum Up
This is most of the information you need to know about the constellation Scorpius. Out of all of the constellations, it is known for being one that best resembles the animal or figure that it is meant to. It dates back before the Greeks; in fact, the Babylonians would often refer to this constellations as the creature with the stinger!