Antares (α Scorpii) is the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius. It is about 600 light-years (ly) away and has an apparent magnitude of about 1 mag.
Antares has a similar color as Mars, so they could be mixed up easily because they are both always near the ecliptic and have similar brightness periodically.
| Antares | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Scorpius |
| Right ascension | 16h 29m 24.461s |
| Declination | −26° 25′ 55.21″ |
| Apparent magnitude | 0.91 bis 1.07 mag |
| Distance | approx. 600 ly |
| Bayer designation | α Scorpii |
| Bright Star Catalogue | HR 6134 |
| Hipparcos Catalogue | HIP 80763 |
| SAO Catalogue | SAO 184415 |
