![]() The brightest star in the constellation is Antares, Alpha Scorpii, with an apparent magnitude of 0.96. Scorpius contains four Messier objects – Messier 4 (M4, NGC 6121), Messier 6 (M6, NGC 6405, Butterfly Cluster), Messier 7 (M7, NGC 6475, Ptolemy Cluster) and Messier 80 (NGC 6093). Scorpius belongs to the Zodiac family of constellations, along with Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius and Pisces. The three-letter abbreviation, adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1922, is Sco. The genitive form of Scorpius, used in star names, is Scorpii (pronunciation: /ˈskɔːrpiaɪ/). In English, the constellation is known as the Scorpion. The constellation name Scorpius is pronounced /ˈskɔːrpiəs/. The neighboring constellations are Ara, Corona Australis, Libra, Lupus, Norma, Ophiuchus and Sagittarius. It lies in the third quadrant of the southern hemisphere (SQ3) and can be seen at latitudes between +40° and -90°. Scorpius is the 33rd constellation in size, occupying an area of 497 square degrees. It contains a number of notable stars and deep sky objects, including the bright stars Antares and Shaula, the Butterfly Cluster ( Messier 6), the Ptolemy Cluster ( Messier 7), Cat’s Paw Nebula (NGC 6334), the Butterfly Nebula (NGC 6302), and the War and Peace Nebula (NGC 6357) Facts, location and map The constellation is easy to find in the sky because it is located near the centre of the Milky Way. The Sumerians called it GIR-TAB, or “the scorpion,” about 5,000 years ago. Scorpius pre-dates the Greeks, and is one of the oldest constellations known. Scorpius is one of the zodiac constellations, first catalogued by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century. ![]() It represents the scorpion and is associated with the story of Orion in Greek mythology. Scorpius constellation lies in the southern sky.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |