Constellation
Scutum
Start with the two brightest anchor stars. Follow the highlighted lines to recognise the figure. Darker surroundings reveal its fainter stars.
Preview: Barcelona · 12 Nov · 22:00. Change your location in Sky Timeline.
Modern astronomical convention
Scutum
Scutum is one of the 88 named regions used by astronomers to describe locations in the sky. Its familiar connecting lines are a visual guide, rather than the official boundary of the constellation.
The lines connect selected stars as seen from Earth; they do not mean that the stars are physically next to one another.
People around the world have given these stars different figures and stories. This is one interpretation. Lines are recognition aids, rather than official constellation boundaries.
International Astronomical Union · Constellations ↗Finding Scutum
Below the horizon at this time.
Use the bright reference stars below to recognise the shape. A complete drawing can extend outside the current camera window, even when its stars are above the horizon. Open its guide in Sky Timeline to compare the stars with an illustrated interpretation where available.
Bright reference stars
- HR 6973
- Magnitude 3.9
- HR 7063
- Magnitude 4.2
Lower magnitude numbers mean brighter stars. Clouds, nearby lighting and moonlight change what your eyes can pick out.
Explore another night
Visibility changes with place, season and time. Move through the night to see the object rise, cross the sky and set, while weather remains a separate estimate.
Open this sky → · Calculations and limitations