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History of Scorpius • Scorpius and Orion are often intertwined in Greek mythology. According to one myth, Orion boasted that he would kill every animal on the earth. The goddess-hunter Artemis and her mother, Leto, dispatched a scorpion to kill Orion. Zeus put the scorpion in the heavens after it won the battle. In another myth, the god Apollo, Artemis's twin brother, grew angry and sent a scorpion to attack Orion because he claimed to be a better hunter than Artemis. Zeus put Orion and Scorpius in the sky, but they are visible at different times of the year.
What Scorpius means Scorpius represents the scorpion that stung and killed Orion, the mythical hunter who boasted that he could kill any wild animal. The Earth sent the scorpion to kill Orion after hearing what he had said. In another version of the Greek tale, it was the goddess Artemis who sent the scorpion after Orion had tried to ravish her. Even today, it is said that Orion flees under the horizon whenever Scorpius rises in the sky. The two constellations are placed opposite each other. The Sumerians also identified the constellation with the scorpion, or Gir-tab. Scorpius is depicted with its tail and sting poised in the air, ready to strike.
What is scorpius • In Greek Mythology the myths associated with Scorpio almost invariably also contain a reference to Orion. According to one of these myths it is written that Orion boasted to goddess Artemis and her motherScorpius has many bright stars, including Antares (α Sco), β1 Sco (Graffias), δ Sco (Dschubba), θ Sco (Sargas), λ Sco (Shaula), ν Sco (Jabbah), ξ Sco (Girtab), π Sco (Iclil), σ Sco (Alniyat), τ Sco (also known as Alniyat) and υ Sco (Lesath).
Part 2 of What is scorpius • Scorpius has many bright stars, including Antares Scorpius has many bright stars, including Scorpius has many bright stars, including Antares (α Sco), β1 Sco (Graffias), δ Sco (Dschubba), θ Sco (Sargas), λ Sco (Shaula), ν Sco (Jabbah), ξ Sco (Girtab), π Sco (Iclil), σ Sco (Alniyat), τ Sco (also known as Alniyat) and υ Sco (Lesath).
What does scorpius look like. • One of the most beautiful of all the zodiacal constellations is now visible, emerging from beyond the southeast horizon as darkness falls. This is Scorpius, the scorpion. • Here is a star pattern that really does look like what it supposedly represents: a scorpion, formed by a number of fairly bright stars. Its body is formed by the upper stars of this star pattern; its tail slants toward the horizon, then curves to the left and upward, a fine stream of stars ending in a wide pair that marks the Scorpion's stinger. • George Lovi, a well-known astronomy lecturer and author, used to say that it always bothered him that a striking star pattern such as Scorpius was made to represent "a lowly, creepy-crawly thing that has few friends." • There were mythological connections to Scorpius'
Location of scorpius • In the Northern Hemisphere, Scorpius lies close to the southern horizon; in the Southern Hemisphere, it lies high in the sky near the center of the Milky Way. • • Right Ascension: 17 hours • • Declination: minus 40 degrees • • Visible between latitudes 40 and minus 90 degrees • • Best seen in July at 9 p.m. • Scorpius used to be larger. The ancient Greeks considered the Libra constellation to be the claws of the scorpion.
What time of year is scorpius visible. • The best time for viewing the Scorpion, if you're in the Northern Hemisphere, would be on July evenings, when all of the stars of the constellation have cleared the southern horizon. • In the Southern Hemisphere, the answer is more complicated because in mid-winter the constellation is nearly overhead, and therefore hard to see. The best time will be in mid-evenings of early May, when the Scorpion is just coming up along the eastern horizon. • You can see the constellation tonight (early April), even in the Northern Hemisphere, if you wait until the wee hours of the morning to go stargazing. In the north, the claws of the Scorpion and the brightest star, Antares, rise up above the horizon first, then the body and the tail about three hours later. I find that effect charming. If you go outside around 1:00 a.m. Daylight Saving Time tonight, you'll see what I mean.
