Starwatch: look out for Antares, a true jewel of the night sky
by Stuart Clark from on (#6PX8K)
The red supergiant is the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius and will be visible all week from the UK
Summer in the northern hemisphere brings with it the best chance to see one of the true jewels of the night sky. Antares is the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius, the scorpion. It is a red supergiant, about 15 times more massive than the sun, and is about 550 light years away from us.
Antares shines a spectacular red colour. It is visible all week, and on the evening of 13 August the moon makes a close pass. At 8.5 days old, the moon is just past its first quarter phase and has 61.8% of its surface illuminated.
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