It is a joy to know Scorpio, quite aside from its connection with the
path of the planets. It is a brilliant constellation, best seen during
the summer and autumn, as it passes across the southern sky. It is the
most southerly of any of the constellations of the zodiac; but the
ecliptic passes through only a very small portion of the northern part
of it, so the sun does not reach the most southerly point in its path
while it is in this constellation.
Scorpio may be best identified by its brilliant deep-red star
Antares,[5] which is supposed to lie in the heart of the Scorpion. The
whole figure makes a splendid serpent-like sweep toward the southern
horizon, and is one of the most conspicuous objects just west of the
Milky Way in the south in summer.
[5] See “Antares” in _The Friendly Stars_.
The line of the ecliptic runs about three degrees north of Antares;
hence the planets in their course sometimes pass very near it. Jupiter
has been in that region all this year (1912), and will not be far from
there the early part of 1913. Mercury and Mars both have something the
color of Antares; but this is not likely to result in any confusion.
The star is always there, and in the same relative situation with
reference to the other stars. When Mars is there, it will always be
above the star. Mercury can seldom be seen when he is in Scorpio. If he
is in greatest elongation while there, he will still be near the sun,
and the sun, as seen from the middle latitudes, is so far south and so
near the horizon when in that part of the ecliptic that the situation
will not be favorable for seeing the planet. Farther south, and
particularly in high altitudes, Mercury could be well seen in Scorpio,
but if the position of Antares is kept in mind, Mercury will easily be
recognized as a stranger in the constellation.
The sun enters Scorpio about November 21st, and the constellation then
ceases to be visible in the evening sky until the following May. It is
in its greatest glory during the summer and early autumn.