Starship Asterisk*

I was wondering if anyone else sees the scorpion claw as a Moray Ell getting ready to attack the belly of a giant Groper?

Is this ...

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap061220.html

... the photo you are talking about? How are we supposed to know what photo you are talking about when you don't say? I know of no actual "Scorpion Nebula", and a search of all APOD descriptions for those words yields only the picture linked above.

A google search for "Scorpion Nebula" yields one from Star Wars, one from the Warhead computer game, several others from fiction, works of art, and unofficial names for unnamed nebulae - but no real one. If you are talking about something from fiction, you are in the wrong forum.

apodman wrote:http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap061220.html

... a search of all APOD descriptions for those words yields only the picture linked above ...

And that only because it is a nebula in the constellation of the Scorpion (although it does look somewhat like a scorpion).

(initially) bystander wrote:... Scorpio ...

I've tried not to reply, but it's like nails on a blackboard. Of the 12 constellations of the zodiac, 10 have the same names as their corresponding astrological signs. The two that differ are Capricornus for us astronomers (Capricorn for those other people) and Scorpius for us astronomers (Scorpio for those other people). When I see "Scorpio", I picture someone like Herb Tarlek asking "what's your sign".



... or maybe Disco Stu ...

As Steve Martin might have said, "Wellll, excuuuuusse me!"

I had initially quoted APOD, the constellation of the Scorpion, and then just shortened it. Perhaps I should have left it alone.

Funny how I find Capricorn less painful, probably because of the Tropicus.

I don’t believe in astrology but I do believe in scorpions… especially after stepping on one bare footed… I mean, I was bare footed… of course the scorpion was bare footed. I’ve never heard of scorpions wearing shoes. I’m not sure it’s possible to make scorpion shoes. Even if we could make scorpion shoes who’s gonna help ‘em try them on… not me… no sir! If the shoes turned out to be too tight I expect it would irritate the scorpion and you know what that means… like when I stepped on that scorpion bare footed… I mean, I was bare footed… of course the scorpion was bare footed. I’ve never heard of scorpions wearing shoes. I’m not sure it’s possible to make scorpion shoes. Even if we could make scorpion shoes who’s gonna help ‘em try them on… not me… no sir! If the shoes turned out to be too tight I expect it would irritate the scorpion and you know what that means… like when I stepped on that scorpion bare footed… I mean, I was bare footed… and no I’m not gonna make you read it three times. What was that about pain?

MrEd(2)

emc wrote:What was that about pain?

It was reportedly so bad that Orion the Hunter took his dogs (Siriusly) and moved to the opposite side of the sky, leaving Sagittarius the Archer with his arrow aimed at the Scorpion just in case.

emc- Maybe in Georgia you can see the full Scorpion? Way up here in sub-arctic Maryland, I get Antares in technicolor but the tail of Scorpius is down in the haze. My loss, because it's an impressive constellation when you can see the whole thing.

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Note that the Scorpion can't give as much pain as it could long ago. Its sting remains, but the Romans stole its claws (including stars Zubeneschamali the northern claw and Zubenelgenubi the southern claw) to create the constellation Libra (the scales of justice) and promote their legal system. It was the largest billboard in the Roman Empire.

apodman wrote:emc- Maybe in Georgia you can see the full Scorpion? Way up here in sub-arctic Maryland, I get Antares in technicolor but the tail of Scorpius is down in the haze. My loss, because it's an impressive constellation when you can see the whole thing.

Perhaps late February or early March I will be able to see the entirety?? At least according to Starry Night (computer planetarium)

apodman wrote:

emc wrote:What was that about pain?

It was reportedly so bad that Orion the Hunter took his dogs (Siriusly) and moved to the opposite side of the sky, leaving Sagittarius the Archer with his arrow aimed at the Scorpion just in case.

That's why Orion the Hunter and his dogs captured that unicorn:
"The unicorn's horn was believed to neutralize poison, following classical authors."

apodman wrote:emc- Maybe in Georgia you can see the full Scorpion? Way up here in sub-arctic Maryland, I get Antares in technicolor but the tail of Scorpius is down in the haze. My loss, because it's an impressive constellation when you can see the whole thing.

That's not haze; it's just Foggy Bottom.

apodman wrote:Note that the Scorpion can't give as much pain as it could long ago. Its sting remains, but the Romans stole its claws (including stars Zubeneschamali the northern claw and Zubenelgenubi the southern claw) to create the constellation Libra (the scales of justice) and promote their legal system. It was the largest billboard in the Roman Empire.

The Roman legal system apparently didn't believe in any Sanity Claws.