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July’s Night Sky Notes: Spy the Scorpion

Near-infrared image of Rho Opiuchi outlined in white, set on a black background. Red dual opposing jets coming from young stars fill the darker top half of the image, while a glowing pale-yellow, cave-like structure is bottom center, tilted toward two o'clock, with a bright star at its center. At the top right of the poster is the blue, red, and white NASA logo, with the words "National Aeronautics and Space Administration", in white text to its left. The words "NIRCam Image" are set in a small white type on the bottom right of the image. The title is set below the image, along the bottom of the poster: "James Webb Space Telescope" appears in small orange type on the top line with "Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex" in large white type on the bottom line.
Poster featuring the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex captured by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope
Credits: Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI. Designer: Elizabeth Wheatley (STScI)
The headshot image of Kat Troche

Kat Troche

Jul 01, 2025
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by Kat Troche of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific

As summer deepens in the Northern Hemisphere, a familiar constellation rises with the galactic core of the Milky Way each evening: Scorpius the Scorpion. One of the twelve zodiacal constellations, Scorpius contains many notable objects, making it an observer's delight during the warmer months. Here are some items to spy in July:

The star map of the Scorpius constellation shows several notable deep-sky objects and stars. Major stars like Antares, Tau Scorpii, and Shaula are labeled. Three key deep-sky targets are highlighted with yellow circles and labeled in yellow text: the "Rho Ophiuchi Complex" near Antares along with Messier 4, the "Cat’s Paw Nebula" near the star Shaula, and the "Baby Scorpion Cluster (C76)" near the bottom of the image. The background includes a rich star field and dark nebulae, indicating the Milky Way’s dense core region. The constellation’s main star pattern is outlined with connecting lines that resemble a hook.
This star map of the Scorpius constellation highlights the star Antares and several notable deep-sky objects like the Rho Ophiuchi Complex, Messier 4, the Cat’s Paw Nebula, and Caldwell 76, the Baby Scorpion Cluster.
Credit: Stellarium Web
  • Antares: referred to as “the heart of the scorpion,” this supergiant has a distinct reddish hue and is visible to the naked eye. If you have good skies, try to split this binary star with a medium-sized telescope. Antares is a double star with a white main-sequence companion that comes in at a 5.4 magnitude.
  • Messier 4: one of the easiest globular clusters to find, M4 is the closest of these star clusters to Earth at 5,500 light years. With a magnitude of about 5.6, you can spot this with a small or medium-sized telescope in average skies. Darker skies will reveal the bright core. Use Antares as a guide star for this short trip across the sky.
  • Caldwell 76: If you prefer open star clusters, locate C76, also known as the Baby Scorpion Cluster, right where the ‘stinger’ of Scorpius starts to curve. At a magnitude of 2.6, it is slightly brighter than M4, albeit smaller, and can be spotted with binoculars and the naked eye under good sky conditions.
A digital map of the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex, a colorful star-forming region in the constellation Ophiuchus. The image showcases the bright yellow-orange glow of the red supergiant star Antares at the center, surrounded by dusty dark nebulae and vibrant reflection nebulae. To the right, blue and red clouds indicate regions of reflection and emission, respectively, with multiple bright stars embedded in the clouds. The background is filled with a dense field of stars, contrasting with the dark dust lanes and colorful gas clouds.
A digital map of the Rho Ophiuchi Complex.
Credit: Stellarium Web

Lastly, if you have an astrophotography set up, capture the Cat’s Paw Nebula near the stinger of Scorpius. You can also capture the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex in the nearby constellation Ophiuchus. Brilliant Antares can be found at the center of this wondrous structure.

Manaiakalani

While many cultures tell tales of a ‘scorpion’ in the sky, several Polynesian cultures see the same stars as the demigod Māui's fishhook, Manaiakalani. It is said that Māui didn’t just use his hook for giant fish in the sea, but to pull new islands from the bottom of the ocean. There are many references to the Milky Way representing a fish. As Manaiakalani rises from the southeast, it appears to pull the great celestial fish across a glittering sea of stars.

Measure Your Darkness

While you can use smartphone apps or dedicated devices like a Sky Quality Meter, Scorpius is a great constellation to measure your sky darkness with! On a clear night, can you trail the curve of the tail? Can you see the scorpion’s heart? Use our free printable Dark Sky Wheel, featuring the stars of Scorpius on one side and Orion on the other for measurements during cooler months. You can find this resource and more in the Big Astronomy Toolkit.