Constellation | |
Abbreviation | Sco |
---|---|
Genitive | Scorpii |
Right ascension | 16 hrs. 53 min. 15 sec. |
Declination | −30° 44' 12" |
Area | 497 sq. deg. (33rd) |
Main stars | 15 |
Bayer/Flamsteed stars | 45 |
Stars with planets | 5 |
Stars brighter than 3.00m | 13 |
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly) | 3 |
Brightest star | Antares (α Sco) (0.96m) |
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 (Latin for scorpion, symbol , Unicode ♏) is one of the constellations of the zodiac. In western astrology it is also known as "Scorpio". It is a large constellation in the Southern Hemisphere near the center of the Milky Way. Its brightest star is the red supergiant Antares. The blue hypergiant Zeta1 Scorpii is even brighter but smaller and further away.