On warm summer evenings, the constellation Scorpius dominates the southern sky. The brilliant star Antares, or the nearby sparkling star clouds of the Milky Way, should not be missed. Near the head of the constellation is a beautiful naked-eye double star that deserves a closer look: Omega¹ and Omega² Scorpii.
Unlike many double stars that require a telescope to separate, this pair can be seen with the unaided eye under reasonably dark skies. Through binoculars, they become one of the most attractive wide doubles of the summer season.
A Double Star for Everyone
Omega¹ and Omega² Scorpii mark the forehead of the celestial Scorpion. Together they were known to Arabic astronomers as Jabhat al-Akrab, meaning “the forehead of the scorpion.” The two stars are separated by about 0.24 degrees on the sky—less than half the apparent diameter of the Moon—which makes them an easy binocular target.
The pair sits just north of the brighter stars that outline the Scorpion’s head and claws. Once you locate Antares, sweep upward toward the northern portion of the constellation, and you’ll find the two Omegas shining side-by-side.
Omega¹ shines at magnitude 3.9, while Omega² glows at magnitude 4.3, making them similar enough in brightness to create a pleasing visual symmetry.
A Tale of Two Very Different Stars
Although they appear close together from our perspective on Earth, Omega¹ and Omega² are not actually traveling through space as a gravitationally bound pair. They are simply unrelated stars lying along nearly the same line of sight.
Omega¹ Scorpii is a hot blue-white B-type star approximately 470 light-years away. It is a young, massive star more than eleven times the mass of the Sun and belongs to the Scorpius-Centaurus stellar association, a nearby region of recent star formation.
Its companion in appearance only, Omega² Scorpii, presents a completely different personality. This star is a yellow giant roughly 290 light-years from Earth. Having exhausted the hydrogen in its core, it has expanded and evolved away from the main sequence. Today, it shines with more than a hundred times the luminosity of the Sun.
One star is a youthful blue giant still near the beginning of its stellar life, while the other is a mature yellow giant well along its evolutionary journey.
The next time Scorpius climbs into the southern sky, spend a few minutes with this overlooked pair. You may find that one of the constellation’s most rewarding targets is also one of its simplest.
My Observations
| Date | June 23, 2026 |
| Time | 10:47 p.m. |
| Location | Tampa, FL |
| Scope | Seestar S50 |
| Seeing | Average |
| Transparency | Average |
On this muggy summer evening, I’ve contended with waves of light clouds interspersed with clear patches of sky. The southern sky from my vantage point has a good bit of haze due to the lights over Tampa. Even so, I can see Antares fairly well.
With my 10×50 binoculars, I sweep toward the northern portion of the constellation and find the two Omegas shining side-by-side. Their modest separation makes them stand out as a distinct pair while still fitting comfortably in the same field of view. It’s also an attractive pair, thanks to the color contrast between blue and yellow.
During this time, I also captured the stars using a Seestar S50 with a 3-minute exposure.
Key Stats
| Constellation | Scorpius |
| Best Viewing | Summer |
| Visual Magnitude | +3.93 (Ω¹ Sco) | +4.31 (Ω² Sco) |
| Separation | ~14.6 arcminutes (876″) |
| Milky Way Location | Orion Arm |
| My Viewing Grade | A |
| Designations | Ω¹ Scorpii = HIP 78933, HD 144470, HR 5993; Ω² Scorpii = HIP 78990, HD 144608, HR 5997 |
Sources and Notes
Kaler, J. B. (2016, September 9). Omega-1 and Omega-2 Scorpii. Stars. University of Illinois. http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/sow/omegasco.html
Banner and photo by Wayne McGraw