One of the largest and most impressive constellations in the sky, Scorpius actually looks very much like a scorpion, and has been recognized as such since the beginning of recorded history. In Greek mythology, the constellation represents the scorpion sent by Apollo to kill Orion, to stop him from making advances towards his sister, Diana. It is said that when Zeus (Jupiter) put the members of the Orion Story in the heavens, he made sure to place the scorpion in the opposite side of the sky from the others, so that Orion would be safe from its lethal sting. As a result, Orion and his companions are winter constellations (in the northern hemisphere), while Scorpius graces the sky during the summer months.

The brightest star in Scorpius is Antares, which is Greek for rival of Mars, because of its deep red colour. The Romans referred to the star as Cor Scorpionis, the heart of the scorpion. Antares is an enormous red giant star with a diameter 700 times larger than our Sun. The photo below was taken at the Cariboo Skies Observatory in Mexico. The bright "star" to the upper left of Antares is the planet Jupiter.

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