Scutum - The Shield

Scutum is a small summer constellation. It lies directly north of Sagittarius in a particularly rich region of the Milky Way. The best time to view Scutum is from June to September.

History and Mythology

Scutum was created by Johannes Hevelius. It commemorated King Sobieski's victory over the Turks, who laid siege to Vienna in 1683.

Notable Objects

The stars of Scutum are all 4th magnitude and fainter. Alpha Scuti is an orange giant of magnitude 3.9. Delta Scuti is a variable star which pulsates in size every few hours, and is the prototype of the Delta Scuti class of variable stars.

The most prominent deep sky object in Scutum is M 11, the Wild Duck Cluster. It gets its name from its fan-shaped appearance, which resembles a flight of wild ducks. M 11 is about 1/3 the size of the full moon, and it is visible with binoculars. It is probably the richest open cluster in the summer sky. In an 8 inch telescope at low power, it is a remarkable object.

M 26 is an 8th magnitude cluster southwest of M 11. NGC 6664 is a 9th magnitude open cluster consisting of about 25 stars. It is over 4,000 light-years from Earth. NGC 6712 is a globular cluster of 9th magnitude located 25,000 light-years away. There are no prominent galaxies in Scutum.