Find Mars, Saturn, and Scorpius Tonight!

All summer long, a vast starry scorpion sweeps along our southern horizon. This year, he is flanked by two bright planets, Mars and Saturn. Find the celestial grouping tonight!

As the Sun sets, the brightest stars, planets, and the Moon are the first objects visible. Look to the south at sunset to find Mars and Saturn. Scorpius' head is in between the two planets.

Click on image to enlarge. Look for the three stars in a line between Mars and Saturn to find Scorpius' head. The bright reddish star Antares is below Saturn.

When it is fully dark, it will be easier to see the whole constellation. Find the three stars the mark the scorpion's head in between Mars and Saturn, then find the fishing-hook shape below Saturn. You've found Scorpius! 

The curved body of Scorpius looks like a fishing hook, low on the southern horizon at this latitude. In the city, the lower part of the body will likely be blocked by trees or buildings. 

If you are having trouble finding the fishing hook shape, check out the constellation lines in the image below. 

Scorpius is a nice example of how people around the world saw different shapes in the stars to help illustrate their legends. The people of the Polynesian islands saw a great fishing hook in the sky. They named the constellation Manaiakalani, the name of the god Maui's magical fishhook. According to their legends, Maui used the great hook to pull the Hawaiian islands off the ocean floor. He also used it to snare the Sun, slowing it down to create longer days in the summer.

Maui Snaring the Sun, pen and ink drawing by Arman Manookian, circa 1927, Honolulu Academy of Arts.

The ancient Babylonians and Greeks saw a different shape in the sky: a scorpion.  The reddish star Antares (Greek for "like Mars") is a supergiant star, hundreds of times larger than our Sun. Antares marks the heart of the scorpion. Travel down the trail of stars to find the stinger at the end of his tail. His claws and head are marked by three bright stars above Antares.

Scorpius as depicted in Johannes Hevelius' Firmamentum Sobiescianum sive Uranographia.

 As the summer moves on and the Earth orbits the Sun, the summer constellations will appear to move westward each evening. In a month, Scorpius will be lying on his side. By September, he will be very difficult to see from this latitude. 

Scorpius after sunset in mid-August.

Have fun watching Mars and Saturn slowly move against the backdrop of Scorpius' stars this summer! Remember, you can always learn what's happening in the sky and get the latest news from space at the Dome Planetarium at the Peoria Riverfront Museum. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for daily updates!  

There are still seats left for the upcoming Wine and Cheese Under the Stars, but they are going fast!