2.5 KiB
| name | created_by | created_date | updated_by | updated_date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scorpius | skybber | 2021-07-25 07:37:03.465607 | skybber | 2021-07-25 07:37:48.254753 |
A very prominent constellation of the southern sky's zodiacal constellation, stretching between Sagittarius and Libra. In our latitudes, it cannot be seen in its entirety, as part of the tail does not extend above the horizon. Scorpio peaks in our country at midnight in early June. The entire constellation can be well observed from about 40 degrees north latitude and south. Scorpio is one of the few constellations whose actual shape resembles the creature it is also meant to represent. The bright stars render the body, the dangerously curved tail dipped in the clouds of the Milky Way, and the outstretched claws once "robbed" by the stars of Libra (Libra was once part of Scorpio, as documented by the names of its brighter stars). The heart is represented by the red Antares, which Sagittarius points its bow at in the sky.
The star pattern of Scorpio is not the work of mere coincidence. In fact, most of the constellation's bright stars belong to the vast Scorpio-Centaurus association, a movement group that also includes many of the bright stars of the Wolf or Southern Cross. Antares is the most evolved known member of this vast OB stellar association. The other members are mostly main sequence stars B0, B1, B2, B3, giants and supergiants There are also several bright and dim nebulae around Antares, which lie roughly on the northeastern boundary of this association. A number of globular clusters can also be observed in the constellation, as most globular clusters are concentrated towards the centre of the Galaxy. However, the most beautiful object in the constellation is the open cluster NGC 6231.
Scorpius is located in one of the richest and most visually beautiful stellar regions of the Milky Way. Viewing the constellation in binocular is worthwhile and a feast for the eyes in the form of clouds of stars, clusters and glowing nebulae. In its southern part, a prominent concentrated, central brightening spot is visible to the naked eye above G Scorpii, which is actually the very striking open cluster M7 (3.3mag). It represents one of the brightest spots in the Milky Way ever. Slightly to the north of it is another cluster, M6, which is smaller and less concentrated, looking more like a blurred star. More visually interesting, however, is the surroundings of the open cluster NGC 6231, which lies in a magnificent field of bright stars often called the False Comet.
