Globe at Night 2018 Scorpius and Second Hercules Campaigns Begin July 4

Summary: The Globe at Night 2018 Scorpius and second Hercules campaigns begin Wednesday, July 4, in the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere, respectively.

Bright Antares pinpoints constellation Scorpius and represents the Scorpion's heart: Learn to Skywatch @Learntoskywatch, via Twitter July 25, 2017

The Globe at Night 2018 Scorpius and second Hercules campaigns begin Wednesday, July 4, and close Friday, July 13, to check light pollution effects on visibility of Scorpius the Scorpion constellation in the Southern Hemisphere and on Hercules the Hero in the Northern Hemisphere.

The June campaign is the first of Globe at Night’s two 2018 campaigns concerning Scorpius the Scorpion constellation. The second 2018 Scorpius campaign begins in August.

Scorpius the Scorpion is an equatorial constellation in the Southern Celestial Hemisphere. The arachnid constellation’s northernmost boundary extends to its equatorial-straddling northern neighbors of Serpens Caput the Serpent Head and Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer constellations. Scorpius stretches southward to border Norma the Rule and Ara the Altar constellations.

The Scorpion’s western neighbors are Libra the Scales and Lupus the Wolf constellations. Sagittarius the Archer, the largest Southern Hemisphere constellation, defines Scorpius the Scorpion’s eastern border.

Globe at Night suggests looking south toward the Milky Way as a finding aid for Scorpius. The bright constellation rests high in the sky, near the center of the Milky Way.

The Milky Way constellation stands out with its distinctive shape and its brightest star. Three asterisms, or star patterns, frame Scorpius the Scorpion. The Scorpion’s curved tail composes the Fish Hook asterism. Lesath (υ Scorpii, Upsilon Scorpii; υ Sco, Upsilon Sco) and the triple star system of Shaula (λ Scorpii, Lambda Scorpii; λ Sco, Lambda Sco), which compose the Cat’s Eyes asterism, lie in the stinger at the tail’s tip.

The Scorpion’s outstretched pincers angle outward from its upper body to form the Crown of the Scorpion asterism. The Crown fans out from Scorpius the Scorpion’s brightest star, Antares (Alpha Scorpii, α Scorpii, Alpha Scorpii; α Sco, Alpha Sco). The distinctively reddish, variable star represents the scorpion’s heart.

The Scorpius campaign also includes a sky map as a finding aid. The campaign’s map offers sky views of the constellation at four south latitudes (10, 20, 30, 40).

Globe at Night’s website includes seven magnitude charts for each campaign. The charts range in magnitude from zero for cloudy sky to seven for star-filled sky.

Magnitude charts indicate the faintest visible stars for participants’ latitudes. Antares is visible on magnitude one through seven charts at the four targeted south latitudes for the Scorpius campaign.

The magnitude zero chart reveals that a cloudy sky obscures Antares at 10 to 40 degrees south latitudes. Only Jupiter, Mars and Centaurus the Centaur’s brightest star, Toliman (α Centauri, Alpha Centauri; α Cen, Alf Cen), are visible at latitudes 10, 20 and 40 degrees south. Arcturus (α Boötis, Alpha Boötis; α Boo, Alpha Boo), brightest star in Bootes the Herdsman constellation, joins Jupiter, Mars and Toliman in visibility in a cloudy sky for Scorpius campaign participants at 30 degrees south latitude.

Globe at Night conducts the Southern Hemisphere’s first 2018 Scorpius campaign simultaneously with the second Hercules campaign for Northern Hemisphere participants. The second Hercules campaign succeeds the first 2018 Hercules campaign, which ran from Monday, June 4, to Wednesday, June 13.

As with constellation Scorpius, Hercules the Hero constellation lacks visibility on the magnitude zero chart for the targeted latitudes. The Hero’s finding aid, Vega, is visible in a cloudy sky. Vega (α Lyrae, Alpha Lyrae; α Lyr, Alpha Lyr) is the brightest star in one of the Hero’s neighbors, Lyra the Lyre.

The takeaways for the Globe at Night 2018 Scorpius and second Hercules campaigns, which begin Wednesday, July 4, are that the Southern Hemisphere’s Scorpius campaign is the first of two 2018 Scorpius campaigns and the Northern Hemisphere’s July Hercules campaign is the second of two 2018 Hercules campaigns.

Contact details for Globe at Night:

email: globeatnight@noao.edu
website: https://www.darksky.org

Bootes the Herdsman's Arcturus and Lyra the Lyre's Vega diagonally frame Hercules the Hero's distinctive, quadrangular Keystone asterism: Learn to Skywatch @Learntoskywatch, via Twitter Aug. 5, 2016

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Bright Antares pinpoints constellation Scorpius and represents the Scorpion's heart: Learn to Skywatch @Learntoskywatch, via Twitter July 25, 2017, @ https://twitter.com/Learntoskywatch/status/889908184961437697

Bootes the Herdsman's Arcturus and Lyra the Lyre's Vega diagonally frame Hercules the Hero's distinctive, quadrangular Keystone asterism: Learn to Skywatch @Learntoskywatch, via Twitter Aug. 5, 2016, @ https://twitter.com/Learntoskywatch/status/761622851501826048

For further information:

“Can You Find Hercules?” Globe at Night > Finding Constellations.
Available @ https://www.globeatnight.org/finding/hercules

“Can You Find Scorpius?” Globe at Night > Finding Constellations.
Available @ https://www.globeatnight.org/finding/scorpius

Learn to Skywatch ‏@Learntoskywatch. “Tonight's Target: Antares Supergiant red star in Scorpius Hint: Look due South around 9pm.” Twitter. July 25, 2017.
Available @ https://twitter.com/Learntoskywatch/status/889908184961437697

Learn to Skywatch @Learntoskywatch. "Tonight's Target: The constellation Hercules Look High Overhead halfway between the bright stars Vega and Arcturus." Twitter. Aug. 5, 2016.
Available @ https://twitter.com/Learntoskywatch/status/761622851501826048

Marriner, Derdriu. “Cat’s Eyes Asterism in Scorpius Rises Above Horizon in Northern Summer.” Earth and Space News. Wednesday, July 5, 2017.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2017/07/cats-eyes-asterism-in-scorpius-rises.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Crown of the Scorpion Asterism Is Visible During Northern Summers.” Earth and Space News. Wednesday, July 19, 2017.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2017/07/crown-of-scorpion-asterism-is-visible.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Curious George Co-Creator Hans Rey Drew Keystone as Head of Hercules." Earth and Space News. Wednesday, July 9, 2014.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2014/07/curious-george-co-creator-hans-rey-drew.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Globe at Night 2018 Hercules and Third Crux Campaigns Begin June 4.” Earth and Space News. Wednesday, May 30, 2017.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/05/globe-at-night-2018-hercules-and-third.html