There are several ways to envision the celestial scorpion. The main way is to look for the outline of the scorpion, which is low in the south at nightfall at this time of year. Its curving body really does resemble the nasty little arachnids. Its head is to the upper right of the body, the tail and stinger to the lower left, with the bright orange star Antares between them.

Then there’s the scientific way. Astronomers have divided the sky into 88 official constellations, including Scorpius. Each one has precisely defined borders. Scorpius, for example, is bounded by 18 facets. So the constellation looks a bit like an off-center tower of boxes.

Finally, there’s the astrological way – the sign of Scorpio. It’s one of the signs of the zodiac – sections of the Sun’s path across the sky.

About 2500 years ago, the astrologers of ancient Babylon split the zodiac into 12 signs, all of the same width. So the Sun spent roughly the same amount of time in each sign. It was “in” Scorpio from about October 23rd to November 21st. And at the time, that was a fairly close match to the physical pattern of the scorpion.

Over the centuries, though, the dates at which the Sun appears in front of a given star pattern have changed. Today, the Sun enters Scorpius several weeks later than it did centuries ago. But the astrological signs have remained fixed – away from the constellations for which they’re named.

Script by Damond Benningfield