Antares region

This region of the sky near the bright star Antares (lower left), in the constellation Scorpius, has an amazing collection of multicolored nebulosity that becomes apparent in long exposure photographs.  The Greek name Antares is derived from the words anti, meaning against, plus the word Aries, the Greek name for Mars.  Antares was compared to Mars because of it's reddish color.   Hence the name Antares, the "rival of Mars".  Before the Greeks, this star was know to the Babylonians, Assyrians, and later the Romans, as the "Heart of the Scorpion".

This region of Scorpius has a beautiful collection of various nebulae.  Emission and reflection nebulae are punctuated by dark dust lanes in this area of the sky.  Sh2-9 is the red emission nebula of glowing hydrogen in the upper right.  IC 4605 is the blue reflection nebula in the upper left.  A reflection nebula is dust being illuminated by a nearby star.  Also near the center of the photograph are two globular clusters M4 (larger) and NGC 6144.  The yellow region is a rare yellow reflection nebula around the star Antares.  Follow some of the links to other astrophotographers who have beautiful pictures of this region of our Milky Way.

Film:    Kodak PPF 120        Exposure:    2 x 60 min.         Equipment:    AP 155  f7