Scorpius constellation

Scorpius is a zodiac constellation that truly lives up to its name: a curving chain of stars forms head, body and sting. According to Greek myth it killed Orion the hunter, which is why the two stand on opposite sides of the sky. At the Scorpion’s heart shines the red supergiant Antares, whose name means “rival of Mars” because it resembles the red planet in colour and brightness. Acrab, Dschubba and Fang form the head, while Shaula, Lesath and Sargas lie in the tail and sting. Near Antares sits the globular cluster M4, and further south lie the open clusters M6 and M7. From Central Europe Scorpius only appears low in the south on early-summer evenings; Antares is easy to see, but most of the tail and sting stay below the horizon.