Scorpio (constellation)
Scorpio (the scorpion) is one of the 88 modern constellations. In the past, this constellation was represented together with what is now known as Libra (which did not exist, it is believed that it was the Romans who first imagined it). The stars known today as alpha and beta Librae represented the southern and northern claws of the scorpion, giving them their current name: alpha Librae is Zubenelgenubi (southern claw) and beta Librae is Zubeneschamali (northern claw). Represented in this way, the scorpion dangled peacefully.
Notable features
The main star of the constellation is α Scorpii, known as Antares. It is a cool red supergiant of spectral type M0.5Iab whose diameter, measured by interferometry, is 3.4 AU; if it were at the center of the solar system, its surface would extend beyond the orbit of Ceres. The supergiant forms a binary system with a bluish-white star of type B3V, from which it is visually separated by 3 arcseconds. This star owes its name to the red color that in ancient times associated it mythologically with Mars (Ares); it was believed that, due to its resemblance to it, both were rivals, for which reason it was given the name "rival of Ares": Anti-Ares or Antares.
The second-brightest star in Scorpio is Shaula (λ Scorpii), a star system with at least three components. Around the main component, cataloged as a B2IV type subgiant, orbits a companion of unknown nature, which could well be a T Tauri star. The third component, type B2, completes one orbit around the inner pair every 2.96 years.
The third brightest star is Sargas (θ Scorpii), a luminous white-yellow giant 960 times more luminous than the Sun and 3.7 times more massive than the Sun. Next in brightness is Dschubba (δ Scorpii), a distant multiple star more than 400 light-years whose main component is a hot bluish-white subgiant of type B0.2IVe. Similar to it, τ Scorpii—officially called Paikauhale, name of Hawaiian origin—is a B0.2V type star with a moderately strong magnetic field of approximately 0.5 kG, whose structure has been reconstructed using Zeeman-Doppler images. Likewise, π Scorpii —which receives the name of Fang— is a spectroscopic and eclipsing binary whose components, of type B1V and B2V, move along a circular orbit that they complete every 1.570103 days. The system It is located 520 light years from Earth.
Closer to us—65 light-years—is ε Scorpii, officially called Larawag and also known by its Chinese name Wei, an orange giant of spectral type K1III some 15 times larger than the Sun. Very similar to the latter, although twice as far away, is Fuyue —name of G Scorpii—, also an orange giant of type K2III.
Another star of interest in Scorpio is 18 Scorpii, a yellow dwarf with characteristics very similar to the Sun, which is why some astronomers consider it to be the closest solar twin. Of spectral type G2V, its age is estimated at about 4.2 billion years, barely 350 million years younger than the Sun.
In this constellation falls V856 Scorpii, a Herbig Ae/Be star that has not yet begun to fuse its hydrogen. With a mass of 3 - 4 solar masses, it is already rotating at a high speed (204 km/s) and will enter the main sequence as a medium B-type star.
GJ 620.1 B, framed in Scorpio, is the youngest white dwarf within 25 parsecs of the solar system. With an age of only 20,000 years—as a stellar remnant—its effective temperature is still nearly 26,000 K.
Of contrasting characteristics, Trumpler 27-1, a member of the massive and possible open cluster Trumpler 27, is one of the largest known stars; its radius can be up to 1330 times larger than that of the Sun.
Scorpio has two globular clusters in the Messier catalogue, M4 and M80. M4 was the first cluster where individual stars were discovered and is located 7,200 light-years from the solar system, making it the second closest globular cluster to us behind the faint FSR 1767. For its part, M80 is one of the densest globular clusters that are known, containing a good number of blue straggling stars. Two other open clusters are found within the limits of the constellation: M6 or Butterfly Cluster —with its brightest star, the orange supergiant and semiregular variable BM Scorpii—, and M7, an open cluster already known to Claudius Ptolemy in the year 130 that today receives, in his honor, the name of Ptolemy Cumulus.
The planetary nebula NGC 6302, also called the Butterfly Nebula, is located in this constellation. Distant about 4,000 light-years, it is one of the most complex planetary nebulae known. Its central star is one of the hottest objects in the universe, with a temperature greater than 250,000 K, which could not be observed as it was surrounded by a dense equatorial disk of dust and gas that hides it at all wavelengths. On the other hand, NGC 6334 and IC 4628 are emission nebulae and regions of active star formation. NGC 6334 is located in the Carina-Sagittarius arm of our galaxy at a distance of approximately 5,500 light-years.
Scorpio includes several supernova remnants. CTB 37A is a supernova remnant of mixed morphology: in the radio band it shows a shell-like structure in the northern part, with a "rupture" zone to the southwest, while in X-rays the emission is centralized, with emission predominating. thermal. The search for gamma-ray pulses in this region of the sky led to the discovery of the pulsar PSR J1714−3830. On the other hand, G350.1-0.3 is another supernova remnant, with an elongated and distorted shape. Its age has been estimated between 600 and 1,200 years, making it the remnant of one of the most recent supernovae.
Main Stars
- α Scorpii, known as Antares.
- β Scorpii, known as Acrab or Graffias.
- δ Scorpii, known as Dschubba.
- ε Scorpii, known as Wei.
- Scorpii.
- θ Scorpii.
- θ Scorpii, known as Sargas.
- ι1 Scorpii.
- ι2 Scorpii.
- λ Scorpii, known as Shaula.
- κ Scorpii, known as Girtab.
- Scorpii.
- μ1 Scorpii.
- Scorpii, known as Jabbah.
- Scorpii.
- π Scorpii.
- Scorpii.
- σ Scorpii, known as Al Niyat.
- τ Scorpii.
- Scorpii, known as Lesath.
- G Scorpii.
- k Scorpii.
- Q Scorpii.
- 18 Scorpii, a star whose characteristics are equal to those of the Sun.
- U Scorpii, the fastest recurring rookie known.
- BM Scorpii, brightest star of M6.
- FV Scorpii, eclipsing binary whose main component is a B6V star.
- AH Scorpii, one of the greatest known hypergiant stars and one of the most luminous.
- V856 Scorpii (HR 5999), one of the best studied Herbig Ae/Be stars.
- V1034 Scorpii, eclipsing binary.
- V1075 Scorpii, hot blue star of magnitude 5.61.
- HD 144432 (Hen 3-1141), also a star Herbig Ae/Be.
- HD 145825, solar analog.
- HD 147513, yellow dwarf with an extrasolate planet.
- Gliese 682, red dwarf at 16,34 light years.
- Gliese 667, triple star system formed by low-mass stars.
- HIP 79431, red dwarf with a planet.
- 1RXS J160929.1-210524, young star with a possible extrasolar planet.
- Pismis 24-1 (HD 319718), one of the most massive star systems known.
- HD 160529, hypergigante star and blue luminous variable.
- HD 149404, double star only separable by spectroscopic methods formed by two very massive components.
Deep Sky Objects
- M4 (NGC 6121), distant 7200 light-year globular cluster; contains some white dwarfs that are among the oldest objects in the Milky Way with an estimated age of 13 billion years. It is visible with prismatics.
- M6, open cluster known as the Butterfly Cluster.
- M7, open cluster already known by Claudio Ptolomeo in the year 130; today he receives the name of Ptolemy Cluster.
- M80, globular cluster located east of M4.
- NGC 6302 (Insect Nebula), one of the most complex planetary nebulae known, whose central star has a temperature of more than 200 000 K.
- Nebula Sugar Cotton (IRAS 17150-3224), planetary protonebulous. It was discovered by the IRAS infrared space observatory.
- Open clusters NGC 6124 and NGC 6231. The latter contains a large number of supergiant young and hot stars much brighter than the Sun included two stars Wolf-Rayet.
- Remains of supernova CTB 37A, CTB 37B, SNR G344.7-00.1, SNR G349.7+00.2 and SNR G352.7-00.1.
- G350.1-0.3, young remaining supernova whose morphology is strangely asymmetric.
- Tornado Nebula, also a complex rest of supernova.
Mythology
The origin of the constellation is found in the legend of Orion. According to one version of him, Orion the hunter gouged out his eyes in a fit of jealousy, and while blindly wandering the world he stepped on a scorpion that stung him, causing his death. The gods raised Orion and the scorpion to the heavens, placing them at opposite ends of the celestial vault, so that when Scorpio rises over the horizon, Orion hides, fleeing from the animal that caused his death.
A broader version suggests that Orion tried to rape Artemis, since she was hunting in the middle of the forest when she was seen by the giant Orion and Artemis in her desire to defend herself called for the help of a scorpion, which stung the giant deadly and freed her, which is why the goddess Artemis placed him in heaven.
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