Scorpius Constellation Myths and Facts

Scorpius: The Scorpion

Pronunciation: SCOR-pee-us
Scorpius
Scorpius as depicted by Johannes Hevelius in his Firmamentum Sobiescianum sive Uranographia (1687). Source image provided by www.RareMaps.com — Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps Inc.
Scorpius Constellation Profile
Abbreviation: Sco Genitive: Scorpii
Origin: Ancient Location: Southern Hemisphere
Best View (North):Summer Best View (South):
Bordering Constellations: Ophiuchus, Libra, Lupus, Norma, Ara, Corona Australis, Sagittarius

The Myth Behind the Constellation Scorpius

Scorpius is the scorpion sent by Hera to kill Orion, the hunter who boasted that there was no beast that could kill him.  The scorpion was crushed by Orion, but not before delivering a fatal sting.  Hera placed the scorpion in the night sky as the constellation Scorpius.

Scorpius Constellation Points of Interest

Interesting Objects in the Constellation Scorpius
Name Messier NGC Type Visibility
M4 NGC 6121 Globular Cluster Binoculars
Butterfly Cluster M6 NGC 6405 Open Cluster Naked-Eye
Ptolemy Cluster M7 NGC 6475 Open Cluster Naked-Eye
M80 NGC 6093 Globular Cluster Binoculars

Bright Stars in Scorpius

These are the stars in Scorpius with a minimum magnitude of 3.0.
Name Bayer Name Magnitude Color Luminosity Distance
Antares Alpha Scorpii 0.96  Red 387,422 suns 604 ly
Shaula Lambda Scorpii 1.62 Blue-White 57,134 suns 703 ly
Sargas Theta Scorpii 1.86  Yellow 1,104 suns 272 ly
Dschubba Delta Scorpii 2.28  Blue-White 3090 suns 403 ly
Wei Epsilon Scorpii 2.29  Red 87 suns 65 ly
Girtab Kappa Scorpii 2.39  Blue 6,130 suns 464 ly
Graffias Beta Scorpii 2.53  Blue-White 3,025 suns 530 ly
Lesath Upsilon Scorpii 2.68  Blue 6,267 suns 522 ly
Tau Scorpii Tau Scorpii 2.82  Blue 5106 suns 432 ly
Vrischika Pi Scorpii 2.89  Blue 4,109 suns 459 ly
Alniyat Sigma Scorpii 2.90  Blue 18,000 suns 734 ly
Apollyon Iota Scorpii 2.99  Yellow-White 35,000 suns 1791 ly
Denebakrab Mu Scorpii 3.00  Blue 28,000 suns 821 ly