Antares
Where is Antares?
Below the horizon after dark tonight in Scorpius. Rises 13:04.
- Rises
- 13:04
- Highest
- 16:34
- Sets
- 20:03
- Best after dark
- —
Can I see Antares tonight?
From London tonight, Antares isn’t above the horizon while the sky is dark. It rises at 13:04 and sets at 20:03, in daylight or twilight.
At magnitude 1.0 it is one of the brighter points in the sky, easy to see by eye when it’s clear.
This is position and timing only: clouds, haze and light pollution aren’t included.
What does Antares look like?
Antares looks orange-red to the eye. Its spectral type is M0.5Iab+B3V:: cool red supergiant (much cooler than the Sun).
Eyes
A bright reddish-orange star at the center of a curving line of stars.
Binoculars
A rich orange point. The globular cluster M4 lies just to its west, a faint fuzzy patch.
Telescope
A bright orange point. With steady air and a good telescope, its faint companion may be glimpsed close beside it. M4 is an easy target nearby.
About Antares
Antares is the red heart of Scorpius, the Scorpion. It is a red supergiant, hundreds of times wider than the Sun, and its color rivals Mars. Its name means “rival of Mars”.
Antares lies close to the ecliptic, so the planets, including Mars, regularly pass near it, inviting direct comparison. The Moon also occults it at times.
It has a hot blue companion that is very close and difficult to see in its glare.
Antares is roughly 700 times wider than the Sun. If it took the Sun’s place, its surface would reach beyond the orbit of Mars. Like Betelgeuse, it is expected to end its life as a supernova.
It is the brightest member of the Scorpius–Centaurus association, the nearest region where massive stars have formed recently.
Its companion, about three arcseconds away, often looks greenish next to the red supergiant, an effect of color contrast.
Antares in Scorpius
Questions
Why is Antares called the rival of Mars?
Is Antares a single star?
Sources: SkyMate; Wikidata (CC0). Positions computed for your place and time with astronomy-engine. Data & Licences