Constellations · Constellation · Scorpii · Sco
Constellation
Scorpius
The scorpion that killed Orion, still chasing him across the sky — one of the few constellations that looks exactly like its name.
- Genitive
- Scorpii
- Area
- 497 square degrees · 33rd of 88
- Brightest star
- Antares · magnitude 1.06
- Naked-eye stars
- 172 brighter than magnitude 6.5
- Highest at midnight
- late May
Myth
Sent by Gaia to stop Orion’s boasting, the scorpion stung him to death. Now Orion always sets in the west as the scorpion rises in the east.
Look for
At its heart is Antares, “rival of Mars”, a red supergiant so big it would swallow the orbit of Mars. The planet often passes nearby, and the two compare colours.
Other skies
In Hawaiian and Polynesian tradition the curve of the tail is Maui’s fishhook, which pulled the islands up from the sea.