May 12, 2022
Tonight at 10 pm, the bright red star Antares is rising just above the southeastern horizon. Antares is often depicted as the heart of Scorpius the Scorpion. The name Antares comes from the Latin for “Rival of Mars”, likely in reference to the star’s red hue. This star has been viewed as important throughout many cultures. For example, in Egypt the star represented Serket, the scorpion goddess. The Maori people called Antares Rēhua and viewed it as one of the most important stars in the sky.
The bright star Antares rising over the southeastern horizon at 10 pm tonight. On the top right is an 1825 etching of the constellation “Scorpio” which accompanied A familiar treatise on astronomy by Jehoshaphat Aspin. On the bottom right is a depiction of Serket as found in the Tomb of Nefertari. Star map created using Stellarium. Image credit (top): Wikicommons, (bottom): Wikipedia/unknown