Constellation Scutum (Shield)

Scutum
Scutum: IAU Constellation Map [150]

Properties

Scutum is a small and expressionless constellation between Aquila and Sagittarius with almost 4 stars. Size; but it is located in a very star-rich area of the Milky Way. In the northern part of the constellation lies the large, bright Scutum Star Cloud, also called Barnard's Gem of the Milky Way, a star cloud of the Milky Way whose light can sometimes even be seen at night through a blanket of fog is when no stars are otherwise visible. [9, 15, 53]

Data for constellation Scutum [150]
IAU NameScutum
IAU GenitiveScuti
IAU Abbr.Sct
English NameShield
Opposition30 June
Season (47° N)April … September
Right Ascension18h 21m 36s … 18h 59m 10s
Declination-15° 56' 37" … -03° 50' 01"
Area109 deg2
Neighbours (N↻)Ser, Sgr, Aql

Deep-Sky Object Descriptions

Catalogues

Scutum Star Cloud
Scutum Star Cloud: Constellation Scutum with Wild Duck Cluster M 11 and misc. dark nebulae (B 103, B 110, B 111, LDN 582); Carl Zeiss Apo Sonnar T* 135 mm f/2.0 ZE f/2.8; Canon EOS 6Da; Astro-Physics 1200GTO; 25 x 5 @ 800 ASA; Namibia, Tivoli Southern Sky Guest Farm, 1360 m AMSL; © 27. 8. 2016 Manuel Jung [45]

History

The constellation Scutum was first mentioned in 1690 by the Danzig astronomer Johannes Hevelius in his work Firmamentum Sobiescii. He named it Scutum Sobieskii (Shield of Sobieski) in honor of his King John Sobieski III, who supported him strongly and in memory of the liberation of Vienna from the Turkish siege. [7, 10]

References

  • [7] «Der grosse Kosmos-Himmelsführer» von Ian Ridpath und Wil Tirion; Kosmos Verlag; ISBN 3-440-05787-9
  • [9] «Drehbare Sternkarte SIRIUS» von H. Suter-Haug; Hallwag-Verlag, Bern
  • [10] «dtv-Atlas zur Astronomie» von Joachim Herrmann; Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag; ISBN 3-423-03006-2
  • [15] «Hartung's Astronomical Objects for Southern Telescopes» by David Malin and David J. Frew; Melbourne University Press 1995; ISBN 0-522-84553-3
  • [45] Astro-, Landschafts- und Reisefotografie sowie Teleskopbau, Manuel Jung; sternklar.ch
  • [53] Exploring The Wonders Of Scutum by Robert Garfinkle; Astronomy 7/92, p.67
  • [150] IAU: The Constellations, 11. Oktober 2020; iau.org/public/themes/constellations