Early risers should look south this week for a nice view of blood-red Antares above the horizon. Often referred to as the heart of the scorpion, Antares is the brightest star in the constellation Scorpio, the scorpion.
The star is a red supergiant about 12 times the mass of the sun, 750 times the diameter of the sun, and more than 75,000 more luminous than the sun. Despite being 550 light years away from the sun, its huge luminosity still makes it the 15th brightest star in the night sky.
Its name derives from the ancient Greek word meaning “rival to Ares” where Ares is the planet Mars. This is because the star appears similar in colour and brightness to Mars in the night sky.
The chart shows the view looking south from London at 05:00 GMT on 15 March. On this morning, Antares will be joined by a waning gibbous moon. From Sydney, Australia, the conjunction will take place high in the eastern sky.
