The Scorpius constellation has intrigued people for centuries, not only for its distinctive shape, but also because it is one of the brightest constellations in the sky. 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.
The name is Latin for scorpion, or literally translated as the "creature with the burning sting." However, Scorpius is not a scorpion to everyone. The Javanese people of Indonesia call this constellation Banyakangrem, meaning "the brooded swan" or Kalapa Doyong, meaning "leaning coconut tree." In Hawaii, it is known as the demigod Maui's Fishhook. In Chinese mythology, the constellation was part of the Azure Dragon.
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.
Major Stars in Scorpius
- Antares
- Shaula
- Acrab
- Dschubba
- Sargas
- Epsilon Scorpii
- Girtab
- Pi Scorpii
- Jabbah
- Xi Scorpii
- Iota Scorpii
- Sigma Scorpii
- Tau Scorpii
- Upsilon Scorpii
- Omega Scorpii
- Eta Scorpii
- Rho Scorpii
- Zeta Scorpii
- Mu Scorpii