Scorpius, the Scorpion, and the surrounding sky // Lukasz Remkowicz
Click below for an annotated image and some info about the stars that make up Scorpius!
In order of brightness:
Antares (α Scorpii) is the brightest star in Scorpius and is the "heart of the scorpion." Antares is a red supergiant star, about 100,000 times brighter than the Sun and somewhere around 680 times larger than the Sun. It lies about 550 light years away. The name comes from the Ancient Greek word Ἀντάρης meaning "rival to Ares."
Shaula (λ Scorpii) is at the tail end of Scorpius, a triple star system about 570 light years away. The primary grouping is two blue giant stars. The name comes from the Arabic word al-šawlā meaning "the raised [tail]."
Sargas (θ Scorpii) is also near the tail of Scorpius, a binary star about 329 light years away. The primary is a yellow-white giant star. Its name comes from the Sumerian language, perhaps a weapon wielded by Marduk, the city god of Babylon.
Dschubba (δ Scorpii) is a binary star system consisting of two blue giants about 136 light years away. The name comes from the Arabic phrase jabhet al-aqrab meaning "the forehead of the scorpion," symbolizing it's place in Scorpius.
Larawag (ε Scorpii) is another binary star consisting of at least one orange giant star. The system lies about 64 light years away. The name comes from the Wardaman people in the Northern Territory of Australia, a word that means "clear sighting."
κ Scorpii is a binary star system about 480 light years away. The primary is a blue giant star.
Acrab (β Scorpii) is a sextuple system about 400 light years away. It consists of several blue giant stars. The name comes from the Arabic word al-'Aqrab meaning "the scorpion."
Lesath (υ Scorpii) is located in the stinger of Scorpius, a solitary blue giant about 580 light years away. Its name comes from the Arabic word al laţkha meaning "the foggy patch," referring to the nearby open star cluster, the Ptolemy Cluster (M7).
Paikauhale (τ Scorpii) is a solitary blue giant star about 470 light years away. Its name comes from the Hawaiian word meaning "to go gadding about from house to house."
Fang (π Scorpii) is a binary star system of two blue giant stars about 590 light years away. The name comes from the Chinese words Fáng Xiù yī (房宿) meaning "the first star of Room," where Room is a Chinese asterism.
ι Scorpii is a blue-white supergiant star about 1,900 light years away.
Xamidimura (μ¹ Scorpii) is a binary star system of two blue giants about 500 light years away. The name comes from the Khoikhoi people of South Africa, it being their phrase xami di mura meaning "eyes of the lion."
Fuyue (G Scorpii) is a solitary orange giant star about 126 light years away. Its name comes from the Chinese word Fuyue (傅说), a former slave that became a high-ranking minister to the Shang dynasty ruler Wu Ding.
η Scorpii is a solitary yellow-white giant star about 74 light years away.
Pipirmia (μ² Scorpii) is a blue giant star about 474 light years away. Its name comes from Polynesian mythology, referring to a Tahitian story where two children become separated from their parents. Their parents call them Pipiri ma while chasing them into the sky.
ζ Scorpii is a solitary orange giant star about 135 light years away.
Iklil (ρ Scorpii) is a binary star system consisting of two blue giant stars about 470 light years away. The name comes from the Arabic word al-ʼiklīl meaning "the crown."
Jabbah (ν Scorpii) is a septuple star system about 470 light years away. The primary star is a blue giant. Is name comes from the Arabic phrase Iklīl al Jabhah meaning "the crown of the forehead."
Not part of the lines that mark the constellation is Alniyat (σ Scorpii), a binary star system about 570 light years away. Its name comes from the Arabic word al-niyāţ meaning "the arteries," referring to its position on one side of the "heart" of Scorpius, Antares.
