Skorpion
Scorpion (Scorpii)
Scorpius is one of the few constellations that actually resembles its namesake - a scorpion with its distinctive curved tail and claws. Dominating the summer sky in the Southern Hemisphere, it features the brilliant red supergiant Antares at its heart and lies within one of the richest regions of the Milky Way. The constellation contains numerous star clusters and nebulae, making it a favorite target for amateur astronomers.
📜 Mythologie
In Greek mythology, Scorpius represents the giant scorpion sent by Gaia (or by Artemis in some versions) to kill the boastful hunter Orion after he claimed he could kill any animal on Earth. The scorpion succeeded in its mission, and both were placed among the stars. Zeus positioned them on opposite sides of the sky so they would never meet again - as Scorpius rises in the east, Orion sets in the west.
💡 Fakten
- ✦Antares means 'rival of Mars' in Greek, named for its striking red color that resembles the planet
- ✦Antares is a red supergiant approximately 700 times the Sun's diameter and 10,000 times as luminous
- ✦The constellation contains the beautiful open clusters M6 (Butterfly Cluster) and M7 (Ptolemy's Cluster)