Scorpius is a zodiacconstellation located in the Southern celestial hemisphere, where it sits near the center of the Milky Way, between Libra to the west and Sagittarius to the east. Scorpius is an ancient constellation that pre-dates the Greeks;[1] it is one of the 48 constellations identified by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. Its old astronomical symbol is (♏︎).
The constellation Scorpius as it can be seen by naked eye (with constellation lines drawn in).
Scorpius contains many bright stars, including Antares (α Sco), "rival of Mars," so named because of its distinct reddish hue; β1 Sco (Graffias or Acrab), a triple star; δ Sco (Dschubba, "the forehead"); θ Sco (Sargas, of unknown origin); ν Sco (Jabbah); ξ Sco; π Sco (Fang); σ Sco (Alniyat); and τ Sco (Paikauhale).
Marking the tip of the scorpion's curved tail are λ Sco (Shaula) and υ Sco (Lesath), whose names both mean "sting." Given their proximity to one another, λ Sco and υ Sco are sometimes referred to as the Cat's Eyes.[2]
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.[4] This means that at its brightest it is the second brightest star in Scorpius.
Stars of the constellation by distance (red-green 3D view) and the brightness of each star (star size)
U Scorpii is the fastest known nova, with a period of about 10 years.[5]
The close pair of stars ω1 Scorpii and ω² Scorpii are an optical double, which can be resolved by the unaided eye. One is a yellow giant,[6] while the other is a blue B-type star in the Scorpius-Centaurus Association.[7]
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 westernmost stars during later Greek times. The division into Libra was formalised during Roman times.[citation needed]
Deep-sky objects
Scorpius and the Milky Way, with M4 and M80 visible near Antares, M6 and M7 just below centre, NGC 6124 at the top of the frame, and NGC 6334 just above centre.
Messier 80 (NGC 6093) is a globular cluster of magnitude 7.3, 33,000 light-years from Earth. It is a compact Shapley class II cluster; the classification indicates that it is highly concentrated and dense at its nucleus. M80 was discovered in 1781 by Charles Messier. It was the site of a rare discovery in 1860 when Arthur von Auwers discovered the nova T Scorpii.[8]
NGC 6302, also called the Bug Nebula, is a bipolar planetary nebula. NGC 6334, also known as the Cat's Paw Nebula, is an emission nebula and star-forming region.
The heart of Scorpius. M4 is visible near the left of center. Portions of the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex are illuminated by Antares and the other neighboring stars.
Scorpius as depicted in Urania's Mirror, a set of constellation cards published in London c.1825.
In Greek mythology, several myths associated with Scorpius attribute it to Orion. According to one version, Orion boasted to the goddess Artemis and her mother, Leto, that he would kill every animal on Earth. Artemis and Leto sent a scorpion to kill Orion.[9] Their battle caught the attention of Zeus, who raised both combatants to the sky to serve as a reminder for mortals to curb their excessive pride. In another version of the myth, Artemis' twin brother, Apollo, was the one who sent the scorpion to kill Orion after the hunter earned the goddess' favor by admitting she was better than him. After Zeus raised Orion and the scorpion to the sky, the former hunts every winter but flees every summer when the scorpion comes. In both versions, Artemis asked Zeus to raise Orion.
In a Greek myth without Orion, the celestial scorpion encountered Phaethon while he was driving his father Helios' Sun Chariot.[10]
Origins
The Babylonians called this constellation MUL.GIR.TAB - the 'Scorpion'; the signs can be literally read as 'the (creature with) a burning sting'.[11]
In some old descriptions the constellation of Libra is treated as the Scorpion's claws. Libra was known as the Claws of the Scorpion in Babylonian (zibānītu (compare Arabic zubānā)) and in Greek (χηλαι).[12]
The Western astrological sign Scorpio differs from the astronomical constellation. Astronomically, the sun is in Scorpius for just six days, from November 23 to November 28. Much of the difference is due to the constellation Ophiuchus, which is used by few astrologers. Scorpius corresponds to the Hindu nakshatras Anuradha, Jyeshtha, and Mula.[citation needed]
Culture
The Javanese people of Indonesia call this constellation Banyakangrem ("the brooded swan")[13] or Kalapa Doyong ("leaning coconut tree")[14] due to the shape similarity.
In Hawaii, Scorpius is known as the demigod Maui's Fishhook [15] or Ka Makau Nui o Māui (meaning the Big Fishhook of Māui) and the name of the fishhook was Manaiakalani.[16]
Scorpius was divided into two asterisms which were used by Bugis sailors for navigation. The northern part of Scorpius (α, β, γ or σ Lib, δ, ε, ζ, μ, σ and τ Scorpii) was called bintoéng lambarué, meaning "skate stars". The southern part of Scorpius (η, θ, ι, κ, λ and ν Scorpii) was called bintoéng balé mangngiwéng, meaning "shark stars".[17]
^Knight, J.D. "Constellation Scorpius - The Constellations on Sea and Sky". www.seasky.org. Retrieved 2017-02-11.
^Fred Schaaf (Macmillan 1988) 40 Nights to Knowing the Sky: A Night-by-Night Sky-Watching Primer, p. 79 (ISBN9780805046687).
^Preibisch, T.; Mamajek, E. (2009). "The Nearest OB Association: Scorpius–Centaurus (Sco OB2)". Handbook of Star-Forming Regions. 2: 0. arXiv:0809.0407. Bibcode:2008hsf2.book..235P.
^. Archived from the original on 2007-06-06. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
^Houk, N.; Smith-Moore, M. (1988), Michigan Catalogue of Two-dimensional Spectral Types for the HD Stars. Declinations -26°.0 to -12°.0, vol. 4, Bibcode:1988mcts.book.....H.
^Jilinski, E.; et al. (March 2006), "Radial velocity measurements of B stars in the Scorpius-Centaurus association", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 448 (3): 1001–1006, arXiv:astro-ph/0601643, Bibcode:2006A&A...448.1001J, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20041614, S2CID 17818058.
^Scorpio - The Legend and Myth 2008-07-20 at the Wayback Machine
^Woolfolk, Joanna (2011). Scorpio. Lanham: Taylor Trade Publishing. p. 81. ISBN978-1589795600.
^Babylonian Star-lore by Gavin White, Solaria Pubs, 2008 page 175
^Daldjoeni, N (1984). "Pranatamangsa, the javanese agricultural calendar – Its bioclimatological and sociocultural function in developing rural life". The Environmentalist. 4: 15–18. doi:10.1007/BF01907286. S2CID 189914684.
^"Jejak Langkah Astronomi di Indonesia". 2 January 2011.
^"Hawaiian Astronomical Society, Constellations: Scorpius - The Scorpion who Killed Orion".
^"Hawaiian Star Lines and Names for Stars - Star Line 3. Manaiakalani".
^Kelley, David H.; Milone, Eugene F.; Aveni, A.F. (2011). Exploring Ancient Skies: A Survey of Ancient and Cultural Astronomy. New York, New York: Springer. p. 344. ISBN978-1-4419-7623-9.
scorpius, this, article, about, astronomical, constellation, astrological, sign, scorpio, astrology, other, uses, disambiguation, zodiac, constellation, located, southern, celestial, hemisphere, where, sits, near, center, milky, between, libra, west, sagittari. This article is about the astronomical constellation For the astrological sign see Scorpio astrology For other uses see Scorpius disambiguation Scorpius is a zodiac constellation located in the Southern celestial hemisphere where it sits near the center of the Milky Way between Libra to the west and Sagittarius to the east Scorpius is an ancient constellation that pre dates the Greeks 1 it is one of the 48 constellations identified by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century Its old astronomical symbol is ScorpiusConstellationList of stars in ScorpiusAbbreviationScoGenitiveScorpiiPronunciation ˈ s k ɔːr p i e s genitive ˈ s k ɔːr p i aɪ Symbolismthe ScorpionRight ascension16 8875hDeclination 30 7367 QuadrantSQ3Area497 sq deg 33rd Main stars18Bayer Flamsteedstars47Stars with planets14Stars brighter than 3 00m13Stars within 10 00 pc 32 62 ly 3Brightest starAntares a Sco 0 96m Messier objects4Meteor showersAlpha ScorpiidsOmega ScorpiidsBorderingconstellationsSagittariusOphiuchusLibraLupusNormaAraCorona AustralisVisible at latitudes between 40 and 90 Best visible at 21 00 9 p m during the month of July Contents 1 Notable features 1 1 Stars 1 2 Deep sky objects 2 Mythology 2 1 Origins 2 2 Astrology 3 Culture 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksNotable featuresStars See also List of stars in Scorpius The constellation Scorpius as it can be seen by naked eye with constellation lines drawn in Scorpius contains many bright stars including Antares a Sco rival of Mars so named because of its distinct reddish hue b1 Sco Graffias or Acrab a triple star d Sco Dschubba the forehead 8 Sco Sargas of unknown origin n Sco Jabbah 3 Sco p Sco Fang s Sco Alniyat and t Sco Paikauhale Marking the tip of the scorpion s curved tail are l Sco Shaula and y Sco Lesath whose names both mean sting Given their proximity to one another l Sco and y Sco are sometimes referred to as the Cat s Eyes 2 The constellation s bright stars form a pattern like a longshoreman s hook Most of them are massive members of the nearest OB association Scorpius Centaurus 3 The star d 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 4 This means that at its brightest it is the second brightest star in Scorpius Stars of the constellation by distance red green 3D view and the brightness of each star star size U Scorpii is the fastest known nova with a period of about 10 years 5 The close pair of stars w1 Scorpii and w Scorpii are an optical double which can be resolved by the unaided eye One is a yellow giant 6 while the other is a blue B type star in the Scorpius Centaurus Association 7 The star once designated g Sco despite being well within the boundaries of Libra is today known as s 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 westernmost stars during later Greek times The division into Libra was formalised during Roman times citation needed Deep sky objects Scorpius and the Milky Way with M4 and M80 visible near Antares M6 and M7 just below centre NGC 6124 at the top of the frame and NGC 6334 just above centre Due to its location straddling 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 NGC 6231 by z Sco and the globular clusters Messier 4 and Messier 80 Messier 80 NGC 6093 is a globular cluster of magnitude 7 3 33 000 light years from Earth It is a compact Shapley class II cluster the classification indicates that it is highly concentrated and dense at its nucleus M80 was discovered in 1781 by Charles Messier It was the site of a rare discovery in 1860 when Arthur von Auwers discovered the nova T Scorpii 8 NGC 6302 also called the Bug Nebula is a bipolar planetary nebula NGC 6334 also known as the Cat s Paw Nebula is an emission nebula and star forming region The heart of Scorpius M4 is visible near the left of center Portions of the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex are illuminated by Antares and the other neighboring stars MythologyThis section is written like a personal reflection personal essay or argumentative essay that states a Wikipedia editor s personal feelings or presents an original argument about a topic Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopedic style March 2015 Learn how and when to remove this template message Scorpius as depicted in Urania s Mirror a set of constellation cards published in London c 1825 In Greek mythology several myths associated with Scorpius attribute it to Orion According to one version Orion boasted to the goddess Artemis and her mother Leto that he would kill every animal on Earth Artemis and Leto sent a scorpion to kill Orion 9 Their battle caught the attention of Zeus who raised both combatants to the sky to serve as a reminder for mortals to curb their excessive pride In another version of the myth Artemis twin brother Apollo was the one who sent the scorpion to kill Orion after the hunter earned the goddess favor by admitting she was better than him After Zeus raised Orion and the scorpion to the sky the former hunts every winter but flees every summer when the scorpion comes In both versions Artemis asked Zeus to raise Orion In a Greek myth without Orion the celestial scorpion encountered Phaethon while he was driving his father Helios Sun Chariot 10 Origins The Babylonians called this constellation MUL GIR TAB the Scorpion the signs can be literally read as the creature with a burning sting 11 In some old descriptions the constellation of Libra is treated as the Scorpion s claws Libra was known as the Claws of the Scorpion in Babylonian zibanitu compare Arabic zubana and in Greek xhlai 12 Astrology Main article Scorpio astrology The Western astrological sign Scorpio differs from the astronomical constellation Astronomically the sun is in Scorpius for just six days from November 23 to November 28 Much of the difference is due to the constellation Ophiuchus which is used by few astrologers Scorpius corresponds to the Hindu nakshatras Anuradha Jyeshtha and Mula citation needed CultureThe Javanese people of Indonesia call this constellation Banyakangrem the brooded swan 13 or Kalapa Doyong leaning coconut tree 14 due to the shape similarity In Hawaii Scorpius is known as the demigod Maui s Fishhook 15 or Ka Makau Nui o Maui meaning the Big Fishhook of Maui and the name of the fishhook was Manaiakalani 16 Scorpius was divided into two asterisms which were used by Bugis sailors for navigation The northern part of Scorpius a b g or s Lib d e z m s and t Scorpii was called bintoeng lambarue meaning skate stars The southern part of Scorpius h 8 i k l and n Scorpii was called bintoeng bale mangngiweng meaning shark stars 17 See alsoScorpius Chinese astronomy References Knight J D Constellation Scorpius The Constellations on Sea and Sky www seasky org Retrieved 2017 02 11 Fred Schaaf Macmillan 1988 40 Nights to Knowing the Sky A Night by Night Sky Watching Primer p 79 ISBN 9780805046687 Preibisch T Mamajek E 2009 The Nearest OB Association Scorpius Centaurus Sco OB2 Handbook of Star Forming Regions 2 0 arXiv 0809 0407 Bibcode 2008hsf2 book 235P Delta Scorpii Still Showing Off Archived from the original on 2007 06 06 Retrieved 2008 06 28 AAVSO Variable Star of the Season U Scorpii Houk N Smith Moore M 1988 Michigan Catalogue of Two dimensional Spectral Types for the HD Stars Declinations 26 0 to 12 0 vol 4 Bibcode 1988mcts book H Jilinski E et al March 2006 Radial velocity measurements of B stars in the Scorpius Centaurus association Astronomy and Astrophysics 448 3 1001 1006 arXiv astro ph 0601643 Bibcode 2006A amp A 448 1001J doi 10 1051 0004 6361 20041614 S2CID 17818058 Levy 2005 pp 166 167 Scholia on Homer Iliad 18 486 citing Pherecydes Scorpio The Legend and Myth Archived 2008 07 20 at the Wayback Machine Woolfolk Joanna 2011 Scorpio Lanham Taylor Trade Publishing p 81 ISBN 978 1589795600 Babylonian Star lore by Gavin White Solaria Pubs 2008 page 175 Daldjoeni N 1984 Pranatamangsa the javanese agricultural calendar Its bioclimatological and sociocultural function in developing rural life The Environmentalist 4 15 18 doi 10 1007 BF01907286 S2CID 189914684 Jejak Langkah Astronomi di Indonesia 2 January 2011 Hawaiian Astronomical Society Constellations Scorpius The Scorpion who Killed Orion Hawaiian Star Lines and Names for Stars Star Line 3 Manaiakalani Kelley David H Milone Eugene F Aveni A F 2011 Exploring Ancient Skies A Survey of Ancient and Cultural Astronomy New York New York Springer p 344 ISBN 978 1 4419 7623 9 Levy David H 2005 Deep Sky Objects Prometheus Books ISBN 1 59102 361 0 Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion 2007 Stars and Planets Guide Collins London ISBN 978 0 00 725120 9 Princeton University Press Princeton ISBN 978 0 691 13556 4 External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Scorpius category The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations Scorpius The clickable Scorpius Star Tales Scorpius Warburg Institute Iconographic Database medieval and early modern images of Scorpius Portals Astronomy Stars Spaceflight Outer space Solar System Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Scorpius amp oldid 1158248740, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
