Scorpius

Scorpius

Constellation
List of stars in Scorpius
Abbreviation	Sco
Genitive	Scorpii
Pronunciation	/ˈskɔrpiəs/, genitive /ˈskɔrpiaɪ/
Symbolism	the Scorpion
Right ascension	16 hrs. 53 min. 15 sec.
Declination	−30° 44' 12"
Area	497 sq. deg. (33rd)
Main stars	15
Bayer/Flamsteed stars	47
Stars with known planets	9
Bright stars	13
Nearby stars	3
Brightest star	Antares (α Sco) (0.96m)
Nearest star	HD 156384 (22.74 ly)
Messier objects	4
Meteor showers	Alpha Scorpiids Omega Scorpiids
Bordering constellations	Sagittarius Ophiuchus Libra Lupus Norma Ara Corona Australis
Visible at latitudes between +40° and −90°. Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of July.

Scorpius is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Its name is Latin for scorpion, and its symbol is (Unicode ♏). It lies between Libra to the west and Sagittarius to the east. It is a large constellation located in the southern hemisphere near the center of the Milky Way.

Notable features

Stars

Scorpius contains many bright stars, including Antares (α Sco), β¹ Sco (Graffias), δ Sco (Dschubba), θ Sco (Sargas), λ Sco (Shaula), ν Sco (Jabbah), ξ Sco (Girtab), π Sco (Iclil), σ Sco (Alniyat), τ Sco (also known as Alniyat) and υ Sco (Lesath). Most of the bright stars are massive members of the nearest OB association: Scorpius-Centaurus^[1].

The star δ Sco, after having been a stable 2.3 magnitude star flared in July 2000 to 1.9 in a matter of weeks. it has since become a variable star fluctuating between 2.0 and 1.6.^[2] This means that at its brightest it is the second brightest star in Scorpius.

U Scorpii is the fastest known nova with a period of about 10 years.^[3]

ω¹ Scorpii and ω² Scorpii are an optical double, which can be resolved by the unaided eye. They have contrasting blue and yellow colours.

The star once designated γ Sco (despite being well within the boundaries of Libra) is today known as σ Lib. Moreover, the entire constellation of Libra was considered to be claws of Scorpius (Chelae Scorpionis) in Ancient Greek times, with a set of scales held aloft by Astraea (represented by adjacent Virgo) being formed from these western-most stars during later Greek times. The division into Libra was formalised during Roman times.

λ Sco and υ Sco, two stars at the end of the scorpion's tail that appear very close together, are sometimes referred to as the Cat's Eyes.

Deep sky objects

Due to its location on the Milky Way, this constellation contains many deep sky objects such as the open clusters Messier 6 (the Butterfly Cluster) and Messier 7 (the Ptolemy Cluster), and the globular clusters Messier 4 and Messier 80. Also in the southern end of the constellation by ζ² Sco, there is the open star cluster NGC 6231.

Mythology

Scorpius as depicted in Urania's Mirror, a set of constellation cards published in London c.1825.

In Greek mythology, associated with Scorpio almost invariably also contain a reference to Orion, a Greek giant who was a hunter and the most handsome man in the world. By no means impervious to the charms of females, Orion was said to have such an enormous stature that he could walk on the bottom of the sea without getting his head wet. One such tale involves Eos. She invited him to spend the night with her and he happily accepted but later bragged of the conquest and also boasted that he was such a magnificent hunter, that he would exterminate all of the wild beasts of the Earth. Apollo (God of the Sun, who was responsible for guarding herds) persuaded Gaia (or possibly Hera), to send a giant scorpion with impenetrable armor to sting Orion until the hunter was dead. Some variations state that the scorpion succeeded, while others maintain that Orion tried to escape by swimming out to sea, only to be shot by Artemis.^[4]

In a Greek fable, it is written that Orion boasted to Artemis and her mother Leto that he would kill every animal on the earth. Although Artemis was known to be a hunter herself, her divinity still offered protection to all creatures. Artemis and Leto sent a poisonous scorpion to deal with Orion. The pair battled and the contest was apparently a lively one that caught the attention of Zeus, who later raised the scorpion to heaven and afterwards, at the request of Artemis, did the same for Orion to serve as a reminder for mortals to curb their excessive pride. Yet another myth associated with this constellation tells that Orion had pursued one or all of the Pleiades and Artemis sent the scorpion to kill him for his attempts to violate these women. Of course, the Pleiades were not known for their purity or innocence in terms of physical encounters so quite why the Goddess might want to protect their long-lost virtue remains something of a mystery. Another Greek legend states that it was Apollo who sent the scorpion to kill Orion because the God had become jealous of Artemis' attentions to the hunter. Later, in contrition for killing Orion, Apollo helped Artemis hang Orion's image in the night sky. However, the scorpion was also placed there and every time it appears on the horizon, Orion starts to sink into the other side of the sky, still running from his attacker.^[4]

In another Greek story involving Scorpio without Orion, Phaeton (mortal male offspring of Helios) bragged to his friends about his parentage. Since they refused to believe him, Phaeton went to his father, who had earlier sworn by the River Styx to give Phaeton anything he should ask for. Phaeton wanted to drive his father's Sun Chariot for a day. Although Helios tried to dissuade his son, Phaeton was adamant. However, when the day arrived, Phaeton panicked and lost control of the white horses that drew the Chariot. First, the Earth grew chill as Phaeton flew too high and encountered the celestial scorpion, its deadly sting raised to strike. Alarmed, he dipped the Chariot too close, causing the vegetation to burn. By accident, Phaeton turned most of Africa into desert and darkened the skin of the Ethiopian nation until it was black. Eventually, Zeus was forced to intervene by striking the runaway Chariot with a lightning bolt to put an end to its rampage and Phaeton plunged into the River Eridanos.^[4]

Astrology

The Western astrological sign Scorpio of the tropical zodiac (October 23–November 23) differs from the astronomical constellation and the Hindu astrological sign of the sidereal zodiac (November 16–December 16). Astronomically, the sun is in Scorpius for just one week, from November 23–November 30. Much of the difference is due to the constellation Ophiuchus, which is used by only a few astrologers. Scorpius corresponds to the nakshatras Anuradha, Jyeshtha, and Mula

See also

• WASP-17

References

1. ^ Preibisch, T., Mamajek, E. (2009). "The Nearest OB Association: Scorpius-Centaurus (Sco OB2)". Handbook of Star-Forming Regions 2: 0. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2008arXiv0809.0407P. 
2. ^ Delta Scorpii Still Showing Off
3. ^ AAVSO: Variable Star of the Season: U Scorpii
4. ^ ^{a b c} according to Scorpio - The Legend and Myth

• Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). Stars and Planets Guide, Collins, London. ISBN 978-0007251209. Princeton University Press, Princeton. ISBN 978-0691135564.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Scorpius

• The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Scorpius
• Star Tales – Scorpius

Coordinates: 16^h 53^m 15^s, −30° 44′ 12″