Astronomy · Stars
Antares
The red supergiant heart of Scorpius.
- Constellation
- Scorpius
- Type
- Red supergiant
- Name meaning
- 'Rival of Mars' (for its reddish color)
- Variability
- Semiregular variable
NASA/Johnson · NASA media (public domain)
Gallery
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 Preflight
The Moon and the star Antares are seen in the sky above a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Dragon spacecraft on top is seen on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A, Thursday, Aug.
2023
NASA · NASA media (public domain)
The Scorpion's heart
Antares is a red supergiant that marks the heart of Scorpius, a prominent summer constellation in the Northern Hemisphere. Its strong reddish color makes it easy to identify.
Rival of Mars
The name Antares derives from a Greek phrase meaning 'rival of Ares' — Ares being the Greek counterpart of the Roman god Mars. When the planet Mars passes nearby, the two reddish objects can be confused, which is the origin of the name.
A massive star near its end
Antares is an enormous, cool supergiant nearing the end of its life. Like other massive supergiants, it is expected eventually to end as a supernova.
Knowledge connections
How this connects across Asteria Star — scientific, cultural, and astrological links are kept separate.
Scientific connections
- Belongs toScorpius