Scorpius and the Scorpion’s Stinger stars
The zodiacal constellation Scorpius the Scorpion is among the few constellations that appears like its title. That’s as a result of it has a swish, J-shaped sample of stars resembling an actual scorpion’s curved tail. And on the finish of this swish line of stars are two stars noticeable for his or her nearness to one another. They’re Shaula and Lesath, which characterize the Scorpion’s Stinger stars. It’s enjoyable to see the curved tail of Scorpius. And Shaula and Lesath make an ideal celestial Stinger!
Though Shaula and Lesath seem shut collectively, they’re solely shut alongside our line of sight. In actuality, these two stars are separated by about five light-years.
Shaula, the second brightest star within the constellation Scorpius, is a triple star system that shines at magnitude of +1.62.
Lesath, the fainter star of the Stinger pair, doesn’t have any identified companions. Its magnitude is at +2.7.
How you can see Shaula and Lesath
The perfect time to see Scorpius and its Stinger stars within the night sky is through the Northern Hemisphere summer time and early autumn. In the meantime, within the Southern Hemisphere, these stars are a function of winter and spring.
Shaula is the second brightest star within the constellation Scorpius, after Antares. Plus, Shaula can also be the twenty fourth brightest star within the sky. However it’s laborious to think about Shaula with out Lesath. These two stars are very noticeable on the sky’s dome, glittering collectively, brighter than most different stars. They’re additionally conspicuously situated in an easy-to-see constellation.
From the Northern Hemisphere, Scorpius can be in your southern sky. In that case, Shaula is the star on the left. Shaula can also be the brightest of the 2 stars. These two noticeable stars are typically known as the Stinger of Scorpius, and typically because the Cat’s Eyes.
At mid-northern latitudes, Lesath and Shaula by no means climb very excessive within the sky. They’re highest within the sky once they’re due south. Even then, from the northern U.S., Scorpius’ Stinger stars are barely a fist-width above your horizon (maintain your fist an arm’s size away). They’re greater within the sky as seen from the southern U.S., the place Scorpius turns into an excellent sight. And from the Southern Hemisphere, all of Scorpius prominently arcs excessive overhead.
Shaula and Lesath all year long.
Within the Northern Hemisphere, Scorpius is highest within the night sky and is subsequently considered a summer time constellation. And within the Southern Hemisphere, it’s thought-about a winter constellation.
For each hemispheres, Scorpius and its Stinger stars are highest within the sky round midnight native time in mid-June. Then by mid-July, Lesath and Shaula are at their highest within the sky round 10 p.m. When mid-August arrives, they’re highest within the sky round 8 p.m. And by mid-September, at 6 p.m. Keep in mind, the time will fluctuate by as much as an hour, relying on how far east or west you’re in your time zone.
Science of Shaula and Lesath
Though these two stars appear to be a close-knit pair, they’re far aside in space. Shaula is about 571 light-years distant, whereas Lesath lies some 576 light-years away. Like all particular person stars we see in our evening sky, these two are members of our Milky Way galaxy.
Shaula, also referred to as Lambda Scorpii, is a triple system. The biggest star, which has a blue-white shade, is about 9 instances the sun’s diameter in measurement and has 14 instances the sun’s mass. It’s a Beta Cephei variable star, a category of stars characterised by fast however small variations in brightness. There’s one other blue-white star in that system. Its diameteer is nearly 5 instances that of the sun and it has over 10 instances the sun’s mass. The third object within the system is what’s often known as a pre-main sequence star, an object that has sufficient mass from the encircling dust and gasoline to change into a star. However it has not but began nuclear fusion at its core, which might outline it as a star.
Lesath’s different title is Upsilon Scorpii. Additionally it is a sizzling blue-white star, with about six instances the sun’s diameter, and has 11 instances the sun’s mass.
The Milky Way runs by means of the stinger
On a darkish, moonless evening, you possibly can see a glowing band of stars operating from Scorpius’ Tail and upward by means of the Summer Triangle. It’s known as the Milky Way, a roadway of stars arcing throughout the sky from horizon to horizon within the northern summer time. What you’re seeing is the edgewise view of our galaxy’s flat disk. The “haze” is actually the mixed gentle of hundreds of thousands upon hundreds of thousands of stars.
Whereas Earth has an equator, the Milky Way galaxy does, too. The galactic equator runs by means of Scorpius and in addition its neighboring constellation to the east, Sagittarius the Archer.
The ecliptic is close by
And now shift your perspective from our nice galaxy to our personal native solar system, our sun’s household in space. The ecliptic is our sun’s annual path in entrance of the background stars. It additionally runs by means of Scorpius and Sagittarius. Try the star chart under to see the whereabouts of the ecliptic with respect to this constellation.
Historical past of the names Shaula and Lesath.
Shaula is an Arabic title that means the Scorpion’s Stinger. Lesath’s title is much less simple. Based on Paul Kunitach and Tim Sensible, authors of “A Dictionary of Modern Star Names,” the title Lesath is the ultimate results of an extended and convoluted historical past, initially derived from a Greek phrase that means a (foggy) conglomeration.
Backside line: Shaula and Lesath, often known as the “stinger stars,” mark the placement of the scorpion’s stinger within the zodiacal constellation Scorpius.
