Scorpio Constellation

Scorpius — popularly known by its astrological name, Scorpio — is one of the few constellations that genuinely resembles the creature it's named for: a long, curving hook of stars sweeping from bright red Antares at its heart down to a stinger-tipped tail. In Greek myth it is the scorpion sent to kill the boastful hunter Orion, and the two are still kept apart in the sky today, rising and setting on opposite sides of the heavens so they can never meet again. Antares itself, a swollen red supergiant, gives the whole constellation a fittingly dramatic, fiery glow.

Scorpio at a Glance

• AbbreviationSco
• Genitive FormScorpii
• MeaningThe Scorpion
• Constellation FamilyZodiac
• Area497 sq. degrees (33rd largest of 88)
• Right Ascension15h 45m – 17h 55m
• Declination-8.1° to -45.5°
• Brightest StarAntares (magnitude 0.96)
• Best Evening ViewingJuly, visible 40°N to 90°S
• Sun's Actual TransitNovember 23 – November 29 (astrology: October 23 – November 21)

Mythology and History

According to the most common version of the myth, the hunter Orion boasted that he could kill any animal on Earth, provoking Gaia (or, in some tellings, Artemis) to send a scorpion to humble him. The scorpion succeeded where Orion's confidence failed, stinging him fatally, and Zeus placed both combatants among the stars — but on opposite sides of the sky, so that as Scorpius rises in the east, Orion sets in the west, forever fleeing his killer. Scorpius was one of the 48 constellations described by Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD, though its recognition as a scorpion predates Greek culture, appearing in Babylonian astronomy as well. Its brightest star, Antares, takes its name from the Greek "anti-Ares," or "rival of Mars," for its similarly fiery red color.

Notable Stars in Scorpio

Antares is one of the largest stars visible to the naked eye, a red supergiant roughly 550 light-years from Earth that, if placed at the center of our solar system, would swallow the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Mars, and possibly Jupiter. It shines at magnitude 0.96 and pulses irregularly in brightness as it nears the end of its life. Shaula, a hot blue-white star at the tip of the scorpion's curled tail, marks the mythological stinger and is the second-brightest star in the constellation.

Deep-Sky Objects

Few constellations reward binocular observing like Scorpius. The Butterfly Cluster (M6) and Ptolemy Cluster (M7), both bright open clusters near the tail, are visible to the naked eye under dark skies and were recorded by ancient astronomers long before telescopes existed. M4, one of the closest globular clusters to Earth, sits near Antares itself and is an easy target even for small telescopes, resolving into thousands of ancient stars.

• Butterfly Cluster (M6) — a bright open cluster whose stars form a rough butterfly shape, visible to the naked eye near the scorpion's tail
• Ptolemy Cluster (M7) — a large, bright open cluster recorded as far back as the 2nd century AD by Ptolemy himself, and one of the easiest naked-eye clusters in the sky
• M4 — a loose globular cluster of ancient stars, one of the closest globulars to Earth and an easy target for small telescopes

Neighboring Constellations and How to Find It

Scorpius is easiest to find by locating Antares, a distinctly red star that stands out from its neighbors, then tracing the curved hook of fainter stars that sweeps down and around to form the tail. It climbs highest in the evening sky around July and is best seen from tropical and southern latitudes, where the entire curved shape clears the horizon. Scorpio borders Sagittarius, Ophiuchus, Libra, Lupus, Norma, Ara, and Corona Australis.

Scorpio is also associated with the Alpha Scorpiids and Omega Scorpiids meteor showers, visible to observers who track where these annual displays radiate from.