In July, find the Scorpius constellation to identify the reddish supergiant Antares, which will lead you to discover a trio of globular star clusters. Keep watching for space-based views of these densely packed, spherical collections of ancient stars, as well as three nebulas: the Swan Nebula, the Lagoon Nebula, and the Trifid Nebula.
Credit: NASA and the Office of Public Outreach (STScI) http://www.stsci.edu/
Credit: NASA and the Office of Public Outreach (STScI) http://www.stsci.edu/
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00:00July. Tonight's sky. Constellations.
00:20The warm nights of July provide endless summer treasures to enjoy.
00:31Scuttling above the southern horizon is Scorpius, the scorpion,
00:36who in Greek mythology stung Orion to death before being crushed.
00:43Scorpius' prominent fishhook star pattern resembles the creature's outline.
00:52The heart of the scorpion is marked by Antares,
00:56a reddish supergiant star nearing the end of its life.
01:03Antares is one of the largest known stars.
01:10If placed at the center of our solar system,
01:13its bloated bulk would extend past the orbit of Mars.
01:23Next to Antares lies the globular star cluster M4.
01:34NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has resolved the center of the cluster,
01:39filled with thousands of ancient stars,
01:42all of which formed around the same time and are aging together.
01:50Two other star clusters, the butterfly cluster and the Ptolemy cluster,
01:55can be found on the other end of Scorpius, just above the stinger.
02:04These are known as open clusters
02:06because they are much less compact than globular clusters.
02:13Each of these contains only about a hundred stars,
02:17most of which are hot, blue, and much younger
02:21than those in globular clusters.
02:30East of Scorpius is Sagittarius, the archer.
02:41The glowing star clouds in Sagittarius are filled with star clusters,
02:47including M22, one of the nearest globular star clusters to Earth.
03:00A Hubble image shows the core of the cluster.
03:08Interactions in this crowded environment
03:11cause the massive corpses of stars,
03:14including black holes and neutron stars, to move toward the core.
03:22Strung along the Milky Way, above the teapot, are numerous nebulas,
03:28glowing clouds of gas and dust, where new stars are forming.
03:37Three of the most prominent are the Swan Nebula,
03:41the Lagoon Nebula, and the Trifid Nebula.
03:48NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope collects infrared light from these regions,
03:54revealing cool and warm gas that is otherwise invisible to human eyes.
04:02Over millions of years, the gas and dust in stellar nurseries like these
04:08will eventually come together to form new stars,
04:12adding to the constellations in the sky.
04:16Explore our galaxy's glittering star clusters,
04:21glowing nebulas, and legendary figures from your own backyard.
04:29Celestial wonders await you in tonight's sky.
04:38Transcription by ESO. Translation by —