Starwatch: blood-red Antares, the brightest star in Scorpio

This week will offer an opportunity to see the giant star that is 750 times the diameter of the sun

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.