✧ Scorpius

  Scorpius is an asterism in Scorpius.

                                      •
                                      ⡇
                                     ⣠•
                                  ⣠⠴⠋⠁⡇
                               ⢀•⠋⠁   •
                              ⢠⠞      ·
                             ⣠⠏
                            ⣰⠃
                           •⠁
                           ⡇
                  ⣠•       ·
                 •⡁       ⢠⠇
                  ⢳⡀     ⣠·
                   •⠤⠤⠤·⠋⠁

  Type            Asterism
  Constellation   Scorpius
  Stars           13

  More information about Scorpius

  Scorpius is a curving line of stars with red Antares in the middle and a
  genuine hook of a tail at the end, low in the south from Europe and
  passing overhead in the tropics. It has been a scorpion for at least
  three thousand years: the Babylonians drew the same animal in the same
  stars, and the Greeks and Romans took it over unchanged. The one thing
  that did change is the claws. They were cut off and made into a separate
  constellation, Libra, which is why the two brightest stars of Libra are
  still named the northern claw and the southern claw.

  Etymology
  From        Latin, from Greek
  Reading     Scorpius  ·  Σκορπίος
  Literally   the scorpion

  ┌ Babylon
  │ Girtab, the scorpion
  │
  ├ Greece
  │ Skorpios
  │ Σκορπίος
  │
  ├ ✕ 1st c. BC
  │ the claws are cut off to make Libra
  │
  ├ Rome
  │ Scorpius, without them
  │
  └ English · now
    Scorpius

  The evolution of Scorpius over time

  -50,000 years
  
  
                                                                ⢠
                                                          Acrab •⡇
                                                                ⢀⣸
                                                Antares     ⣀⡠⠔⠊⠁⢸• Dschubba
                                                       ⢀⣀⠤⠒⠉     ⢸
                                                  ⣀⡠⠴⠒⠊⠉•        ⢸•
                                            ⣀⡠⠤⠒⠊⠉               ⢸
                                      ⣀⡠⠤⠒⠊⠉                     ⠈·
                                      •⠢⣀
                                        ⠈⠲⢄
                                           ⠙⢤⡀
                                             ⠈⠢⣀
                                    ⢀⡔• Shaula ⠈⣱⠄
                            Girtab ⡠⠊       ⣀⡠⠴⠊ ·
                                  ⢰•      ⡠⠊· ·
                                  ·⠙⢄  ⢀⠔⠋
                                     ⠑•⠁
                                        Sargas
  
  
  now
  
  
                                                                ⢠
                                                          Acrab •⡆
                                                                ⢀⣹
                                                            ⢀⡠⠔⠚⠉⢸• Dschubba
                                                Antares ⣀⠤⠔⠊⠁    ⢸
                                                       ⡔•        ⢸•
                                                     ⢀⡞          ⢸
                                                    ⢠⠊           ⠘·
                                                   ⣰⠃
                                                  ⡰⠁
                                                 ⢸•
                                                 ⣸
                                     ⡠• Shaula   ⡇
                                   ⢀⠞            ·
                                  ⢠• Girtab     ⢰⠁
                                  ·⠓⣄   Sargas ⣀⡸
                                    ⠈⠱•⠤⠒⠒⠒⠒·⠉⠉ ·
  
  
  
  +50,000 years
  
                                                                • Acrab
                                                                ⠘⡆
                                                               ⣀⡤⢾• Dschubba
                                                           ⣀⠤⠖⠋⠁ ⢸
                                                        ⡤⠒⠉      ⢸
                                                Antares •        •
                                                         ⢧       ⢸
                                                         ⠈⣆       ·
                                                          ⠘⡄
                                                           ⢳
                                                            ⢇
                                                            ⠘⡆
                                     ⡴• Shaula   ·⠤⠖⠒⠒⠒⠒⠒⠊⠉⠉⠉•
                                   ⢀⠎            ⢸
                                  ·⡁• Girtab      ⡇
                                   ⠘⠦⡀            ⢱
                              Sargas •⠢⡀          ⠸⡄
                                       ⠈⠓⢄⡀     ⢀⣀⠤·
                                          ⠙⢤⣀⠤⠔⠊⠁
                                            ·

  Over 50,000 years either way the longest side of this figure changes by 51%, and the furthest
  any of its stars travels is 9.2 degrees. HR 6241 and Sargas drift the opposite way to the
  other 11, which travel together. Proper motion only: this is the shape changing, not the sky
  turning or the pole moving.

  curl 'skymap.sh/Scorpius/evolution.gif'

  where it is tonight:  skymap.sh/Scorpius