Scorpius
The scorpion of the summer sky
Best on June–August evenings · southern sky.
Scorpius is one of the few constellations that actually looks like what it's supposed to be — a scorpion, with a curved tail, raised stinger, and bright heart all clearly traced in stars. It sprawls across the southern summer sky in a long, sweeping arc, and its brilliant red star Antares makes it impossible to miss once you know where to look.
How to find it
On summer evenings, Scorpius crawls low across the southern sky for northern hemisphere observers and rides high and proud from southern latitudes. Start with the planet-bright orange-red star Antares at the scorpion's heart, then trace the curve of bright stars arcing away to the south and east — that long hook of stars ending in the tight double-stinger is the tail. From the northern hemisphere, look due south after dark in June and July, keeping low to the horizon.
Brightest stars
Antares (α Sco) burns at the scorpion's heart at magnitude 0.96, one of the reddest and most distinctly colored stars in the entire sky. Close behind are blue-white Shaula at magnitude 1.63 — one of the stinger stars at the tail's tip — and Sargas at 1.87 further along the tail.
Worth seeing
The tail itself is the showpiece: a graceful hook of bright stars sweeping down and curving back up to the stinger, with Shaula and Girtab marking the tip in a tight, satisfying pair that rewards even a quick naked-eye look.
Frequently asked
When is Scorpius visible?
Summer evenings, roughly June through August. Northern hemisphere observers catch it low in the southern sky; from the southern hemisphere it passes nearly overhead, making it a spectacular sight.
What are the brightest stars in Scorpius?
Antares leads at magnitude 0.96, glowing distinctly orange-red at the scorpion's heart. Then come Shaula (1.63) and Sargas (1.87) in the tail, followed by Dschubba (2.32) at the head, Girtab (2.41), and Acrab (2.62).
Which hemisphere sees Scorpius best?
The southern hemisphere by a clear margin — Scorpius climbs high overhead from southern latitudes and is one of that sky's signature summer sights. Northern observers can see it, but it stays low to the southern horizon and some of the tail can hide in the haze.
Nearby constellations
Libra · Ophiuchus · Serpens · Sagittarius · Triangulum Australe · Centaurus · Crux · Virgo