Scutum

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Abbreviation:  Sct (Scutum)
English Name:  The Shield
Genitive:  Scuti
Hemisphere: Southern Hemisphere (Parts visible from the UK)
Location: Between the constellations of Sagittarius and Serpens.
Visible between latitudes:  +70 and -90 degrees
Best season: Summer
Seen in three seasons: Spring, Summer and Autumn
Best seen in:  Late July (map), and August (map)
Seen between: Late May and early October
Right Ascension (RA): 19 hour
Declination (DEC): -10 degrees
Area (square degrees):  475 (84th)

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Scutum (The Shield)

  • Scutum is not a large constellation that lies just south of the celestial equator in a rich area of Milky-Way.
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  • This constellation has some of the brightest star clouds of the Milky-Way, and has 15 Open Clusters there.

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Messier Objects in Scutum

  • Messier 11
    one of the most massive and compact open clusters in the Milky Way. Also known as The Wild Duck Cluster – readily clearly visible with binoculars and magnificent objects with large telescopes; one of the most compact of all the Open Clusters.
  • Messier 26
    Very Large Open Cluster, almost the diameter of the Full Moon – hazy spot in binoculars, but resolves into a large numbers of stars by a telescope.

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    Features of Interest

    • NGC 6712 – Globular Cluster; detectable with 4-inch telescope, but still poorly resolved with 8-inch telescopes.
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    Named Stars

    • R Scuti – yellow supergiant and variable star; changing from magnitude +5.7 to magnitude +8.4 and back over period of about five months, about 1º degree northwest of the Wild Duck Cluster (M11).
    • more list of stars in Scutum.

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    Planetarium / Constellation Map

    Live constellation visible
    from the UK :- Planetarium (Scutum)    		Best Seen in:
    Late July (map), and August (map)    		Seen between:
    Late May and early October

    IAU Sky Chart: Scutum

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    Constellations – Visible from the UK

    AndromedaAquariusAquilaAriesAuriga
    BoötesCamelopardalisCancerCanes VenaticiCanis Major
    Canis MinorCapricornusCassiopeiaCepheusCetus
    Coma BerenicesCorona BorealisCorvusCraterCygnus
    DelphinusDracoEquuleusGeminiHercules
    HydraLacertaLeoLeo MinorLepus
    LibraLynxLyraMonocerosOphiuchus
    OrionPegasusPerseusPiscesSagitta
    ScutumSerpens CaputSerpens CaudaSextansTaurus
    TriangulumUrsa MajorUrsa MinorVirgoVulpecula
    (50 constellations above are visible from the United Kingdom.)

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    Parts visible from the UK

    AntliaColumbaEridanusFornaxMicroscopium
    Piscis AustrinusPuppisPyxisSagittariusScorpius
    Sculptor
    (11 constellations above are partially visible from the United Kingdom.)

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    Constellations: Southern Celestial Hemisphere
    …..– never seen from the UK

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    Back to Constellation Names

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