Scorpius

Home > ... > Science and Technology > Astronomy and Space Exploration > Constellations > ...

Essential reading Compare
side-by-side A Dictionary of Astronomy World Encyclopedia The Columbia Encyclopedia, ...

Scorpius

Scorpius or Scorpio [Lat.,=the scorpion], conspicuous southern constellation lying on the ecliptic (the sun's apparent path through the heavens) between Sagittarius and Libra; it is one of the constellations of the zodiac . Scorpius contains the bright stars Antares (Alpha Scorpii) and Shaula (Lambda Scorpii); a recurrent nova that flared up in 1863, 1906, and 1936; and Scorpius XR-1, the strongest X-ray source in the sky. The constellation reaches its highest point in the evening sky in July.

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1E1-Scorpius" title="Facts and information about Scorpius">Scorpius</a>

Give this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"Scorpius." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 4 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Scorpius." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (December 4, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Scorpius.html

"Scorpius." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Retrieved December 04, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Scorpius.html

Learn more about citation styles

Scorpius

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Â© World Encyclopedia 2005, originally published by Oxford University Press 2005. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Scorpius (Scorpio, scorpion) Constellation of the s sky, situated on the ecliptic between Libra and Sagittarius. The Milky Way passes through the region. The brightest star is the first-magnitude Alpha Scorpii (Antares).

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1O142-Scorpius" title="Facts and information about Scorpius">Scorpius</a>

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"Scorpius." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 4 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Scorpius." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (December 4, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Scorpius.html

"Scorpius." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved December 04, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Scorpius.html

Learn more about citation styles

Scorpius

A Dictionary of Astronomy | 1997 | Â© A Dictionary of Astronomy 1997, originally published by Oxford University Press 1997. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Scorpius (abbr. Sco, gen. Scorpii) A constellation of the zodiac, representing a scorpion. The Sun passes through Scorpius for a week at the end of November. Its brightest star is Antares. Beta Scorpii (Graffias or Acrab) is a double star of magnitudes 2.6 and 4.9; the stars are unrelated. Another optical double is the naked-eye pair Zeta Scorpii, magnitudes 3.6 and 4.7. Nu Scorpii is a notable quadruple star. M4, a 6th-magnitude globular cluster nearly ½° wide, is 7000 l.y. away, one of the closest globulars to us. M6 is a 4th-magnitude open cluster ¼° wide, and M7 is a 3rd-magnitude open cluster more than 1° across. Scorpius X-1 is the brightest X-ray source in the sky.

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

<a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/.aspx#1O80-Scorpius" title="Facts and information about Scorpius">Scorpius</a>

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"Scorpius." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 4 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Scorpius." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (December 4, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-Scorpius.html

"Scorpius." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Retrieved December 04, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-Scorpius.html

Learn more about citation styles

Related entries from encyclopedias, dictionaries and thesauruses

Rate these entries|See all related entries

Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Topform Studio Adopts Tiger Technology's MetaSAN/MetaLAN for Streamlined SAN Management. Business Wire; 3/29/2005
	Farscape's Latest 3-Episode Story Arc, Look At the Princess, Begins July 21. Business Wire; 7/11/2000
	Hiro Yamagata at Ace. (New York).(Brief Article) Magazine article from: Art in America; 3/1/2002

Facts and information from other sites

Related articles from newspapers, magazines, and more

	MOON POINTS THE WAY TO SCORPIUS Newspaper article from: The Boston Globe; 7/11/2000; ; 700+ words ; ...tomorrow and Thursday night the moon shines above Scorpius. On a clear night you can spot Scorpius's winding star pattern even through the...star here - bright Antares, the heart of Scorpius, glimmering fiery orange-red. Our place...
	D&R introduces Scorpius console. (Audio For Broadcast). Magazine article from: Pro Sound News Europe; 8/1/2002; ; 681 words ; ...Following the recent launch of the Scorpius console, D&R's Duco de Rijk has spoken to PSNE about its origins. The Scorpius has largely evolved from the company...what kind of features were needed." "Scorpius addresses special demands from broadcasters...
	Scorpius. Magazine article from: Playboy; 7/1/1988; 424 words ; just in time for the beach comes Scorpius (Putnam's), John Gardner's seventh...Walther PPK from the late Ian Fleming. In Scorpius, Bond, it seems, is up to his ASP...nodding acquaintance with one Vladimir Scorpius, the evil genius of international terrorism...
	EASTERN ARIZONA COLLEGE'S DISCOVERY PARK CAMPUS TO PRESENT 'SCORPIUS,' FIRST IN SERIES OF ASTRONOMY LECTURES News Wire article from: US Fed News Service, Including US State News; 8/8/2008; 458 words ; ...activity of the Phoenix Mars probe. The Scorpius constellation will be the topic of the...the Greek goddess of the Earth, sent Scorpius to kill the mighty hunter Orion for fear...placed Orion at one end of the sky and Scorpius at the other end, to prevent them from...
	With Scorpius, Libra and Sagittarius, summer is in the stars Newspaper article from: Intelligencer Journal Lancaster, PA; 7/8/2006; ; 695 words ; ...these constellations are Sagittarius, Scorpius and Libra. The word "zodiac" in some...constellations." Begin by locating Scorpius - the giant Greek mythological scorpion...locate in a dark summer night sky by using Scorpius as a guidepost. Long ago, some of these...
	Scorpius and Sagittarius creep low but bright in summer sky Newspaper article from: The Boston Globe; 7/4/2009; ; 700+ words ; ...and the stars of the constellation Scorpius will glimmer into view around it. The...pretty low at nightfall, but both it and Scorpius rise somewhat higher later in the night...constellations. In a truly dark sky, Scorpius is the brightest, most dazzling constellation...
	Signed, sealed and almost delivered.(fully automatic 'Scorpius' tray sealer)(Brief article) Magazine article from: Food Trade Review; 3/1/2006; 700+ words ; ...with a high speed, fully automatic 'Scorpius' tray sealer for its new 22,000 sq...equipment in the UK and Ireland. D2's Scorpius unit will be installed as part of CPF...equipment and complete lines. D2's Scorpius tray sealer is ideal for frozen and chilled...
	SCORPIUS WINS AT CHURCHILL.(Sports) Newspaper article from: The Kentucky Post (Covington, KY); 6/1/2007; 530 words ; Byline: From Post news services Scorpius beat Art and Soul by 4 3/4 lengths Thursday in the $50,000 feature race at Churchill Downs in Louisville. Scorpius, ridden by Calvin Borel, ran six furlongs in 1:09.15 and paid $3.60, $2...
	Glow in the Dark Constellations.(Review) Magazine article from: Children's Digest; 7/1/2000; 700+ words ; ...SUMMER CONSTELLATIONS SCORPIUS (the Scorpion) The Story of Scorpius: Scorpius* was a giant scorpion with a painful, poisonous sting. Scorpius wanted to stop the hunter Orion from killing so many animals. When Scorpius found...
	TIME RIGHT TO SEE `RIVAL OF MARS' Newspaper article from: The Boston Globe; 7/3/2004; ; 700+ words ; ...July evenings is the bright constellation Scorpius, shining at its highest in the south. Scorpius is most familiar (under the name Scorpio...from our viewpoint on Earth. Right now Scorpius doesn't contain any planets, and the...