Scorpius

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The constellation Scorpius, the scorpion, is located in the southern hemisphere of the sky. It can be seen in summer from the northern hemisphere, but is low in the sky and is best seen from the southern hemisphere or southern United States. It is visible at latitudes between 40 degrees and -90 degrees. It lies between Libra to the west and Sagittarius to the east. It is a medium-sized constellation that occupies 497 square degrees of the sky. It ranks 33rd in size among the 88 constellations of the night sky. Scorpius is easy to find due to its distinct "J" shape, also described as a fishhook. It is one of the thirteen constellations of the zodiac. This means it lies along the path the Sun travels in the sky during the year.

Scorpius is one of the 48 constellations identified by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy in the second century. It is an ancient constellation that pre-dated the Greeks. The Sumerians called it GIT-TAB, which means “the scorpion.” In Greek mythology, it represented the scorpion sent by a jealous Artemis to slay Orion. It was this scorpion's sting that caused Orion's death. In another version, it was the Earth that sent the scorpion to kill Orion after he bragged about being able to kill any wild beast. The scorpion still chases Orion across the heavens, but will never catch him because it rises in the East after Orion has set in the West.