History

The constellation Scutum was first introduced by the Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius in the 17th century. Scutum is Latin for “shield”, and the constellation represents the coat of arms and shield of King Sobieski of Poland. Hevelius created the constellation to honor King Sobieski’s victories in battles against the Ottoman Empire.

Despite being a relatively new constellation, Scutum has become a popular target for amateur astronomers due to its location in the Milky Way. In 1764, French astronomer Charles Messier included the globular cluster Messier 11, also known as the Wild Duck Cluster, in his catalog of astronomical objects.

Features

Scutum is a small constellation located in the southern sky. It is bordered by Aquila the eagle to the north, Sagittarius the archer to the south, Serpens the serpent to the east, and Ophiuchus the serpent-bearer to the west.

One of the most prominent features of Scutum is the open cluster NGC 6712, which is located about 6,000 light-years away from Earth. NGC 6712 is one of the most accessible globular clusters for amateur astronomers due to its brightness and location in Scutum.

Stars

Scutum contains several stars, but none of them are particularly bright or well-known. The brightest star in Scutum is Alpha Scuti, which has a magnitude of 3.84 and is located about 174 light-years away from Earth.

Another notable star in Scutum is Delta Scuti, which is a variable star that exhibits small, rapid fluctuations in brightness over a matter of hours. Delta Scuti is of particular interest to astronomers studying the properties of stars and their evolution.

Conclusion

Constellation Scutum may not be as well-known as some of the other constellations in the night sky, but it is nevertheless a fascinating and important part of our universe. From its history as a symbol of victory to the globular clusters and variable stars within it, Scutum has much to offer to anyone interested in astronomy and the mysteries of the cosmos.