Abbreviation: Sco
Genitive: Scorpii
Origin: [antiquity]
Scorpius is a member of the zodiac. This is one of the most ancient of constellations, harking back to Babylonia. In Greek mythology, the scorpion is inevitably associated with Orion. There are several variations of the story but Orion and the scorpion fight to the death and Zeus places them in opposite sides of the sky afterwards.
Designation | Name | Description |
---|---|---|
α Sco | Antares | This first magnitude star has a distinctly reddish hue. |
β Sco | Acrab | |
δ Sco | Dschubba | |
ε Sco | Larawag | |
θ Sco | Sargas | |
λ Sco | Shaula | |
ν Sco | Jabbah | |
μ1 Sco | Xamidimura | |
μ2 Sco | Pipirima | |
π Sco | Fang | |
ρ Sco | Iklil | |
σ Sco | Alniyat | |
τ Sco | Paikauhale | |
υ Sco | Lesath | |
G Sco | Fuyue | |
M4 | This was the first globular cluster in which individual stars were resolved. It appears as a fuzzy ball in a small telescope. | |
M6 | Butterfly Cluster | This open star cluster is visible to the naked eye but binoculars will reveal the fainter members. |
M7 | Ptolemy's Cluster | Easily detectable by the naked eye, this cluster has been known since ancient times. |
M80 | A medium-size telescope can be used to observe this globular cluster. | |
C69 | Bug Nebula | This bipolar planetary nebula has an incredibly complex structure. At its heart lies a white dwarf star. |
C75 | This large open cluster is accessible through binoculars. | |
C76 | Northern Jewel Box | This is a distant open star cluster, easily visible through binoculars. |