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Scorpius

(SKOR-pee-uss)

The Scorpion

Scorpius is also commonly known as Scorpio.

Visibility: At 9 PM Daylight Saving Time (8 Standard) Scorpius is first visible low in the southeast in June, and then rises slowly to cross above the southern horizon from July through August. The constellation is lost to the glare of the setting sun by September.

What to look for: Unlike most constellations, Scorpius actually takes the form of its namesake, a venomous scorpion. Its heart is marked by Antares (Alpha Scorpii), a very bright star with the same reddish color as the planet Mars. Its name means "the Rival of Ares" (the Romans' Mars), the God of War. The head of the scorpion comprises three stars in a row, Dshubba (Delta Scorpii) flanked by Graffias (Beta Scorpii) to the north and Pi Scorpii to the south. The body and tail wind down to Sargas (Theta Scorpii), and curl back up to the menacing stinger at Shaula (Lambda Scorpii) and Lesath (Upsilon Scorpii). The claws belong to the neighboring constellation of Libra, the Scales - Zubenelschemali (Beta Librae), the Northern Claw, and Zubenelgenubi (Alpha Librae), the Southern Claw.

Near Antares is a pair of globular clusters, M4 and M80. These globulars are composed of hundreds of thousands of ancient stars each, and are easily seen in a moderate-sized telescope. 

Mythology: Scorpius is the scorpion that stung the Hunter, Orion, to death after he boasted that he could kill off every animal in the world. Orion's friend, Asclepius (Aesculapius in Latin), the God of Healing, brought Orion back to life. When Orion was killed a second time and could not be revived again, he and the Scorpion were placed on opposite sides of the sky, each rising only as the other sets, so they could no longer fight. Asclepius also appears in the sky as Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer, to tread on the creature.

Other cultures see different images when they form their own patterns in the sky. While many all over the world see this pattern as a scorpion, those who do not live where there are scorpions most frequently see this as a Fishhook. Throughout the South Pacific, Polynesians tell the story of how the god Maui snagged the bottom of the sea with that hook and pulled up the Hawaiian island that now bears his name.