Determine The Coordinates of a Place with GPS.

In the calculation of Islamic Astronomy, the thing that is always required is the coordinates of a place. Many ways and tools can be used to know these coordinates. One of the most famous ways is using GPS (Global Positioning System)

GPS is a navigation and positioning radio system that utilizes satellites as a means of communication. This tool is usually used in vehicle navigation, be it land, sea or air vehicle. Ship and aircraft communication with the station is needed, in order to avoid accidents. GPS is used to know each ship or aircraft position, then reported to the tower / station supervisor at the nearest port or airport.

This GPS will monitor signals from satellites, then GPS will accept the position of the place be it latitude, longitude or altitude place on Earth.

In the Islamic Astronomy, GPS that easy to use is a type of handheld GPS that can be taken anywhere.

GPS has a different level of accuracy, depending on the brand and type of GPS. but overall the tool is quite accurate in determining the coordinates of a place or area.

In this explanation, I will practice using GPS Garmin 72H, but overall, various GPS has a similar way to operate GPS for coordinate determination. The way is :

1. Turn on the GPS in the field, not in the room, around tall buildings, tunnels, and dense forests.

2. Wait a while, about 1-3 minutes, so that GPS receives satellite to make configuration latitude, longitude and altitude data complete.

3. The minimum number of satellites captured to generate coordinates is 4 satellites. And wait a while until the "Location" or "Accuracy" sign shows the smallest number. That sign is the maximum error of the GPS point being, which is predicted by GPS satellite.

4. Then record the coordinates that appear.

Garmin GPS 72H
Souce : https://www.amazon.com

Example image above, the resulting coordinates are 38 degrees 51,498 minutes North Latitude (N) and 94 degrees 47.838 minutes West Longitude (W).

5. if you want to know the height of the place, press the "page" several times until entering on the page high information place.

Good luck!

Islamic Astronomy Tools : Celestron Nexstar 4 SE

In studying a science, of course there are theories and also field practice, studying physics and biology must definitely practice in the laboratory, learning sports science should definitely practice in the field, learning the language of science should also practice in the language laboratory.

The need for practice in learning a science is a necessity, as well as the science of Islamic Astronomy. according to some people's understanding, Islamic Astronomy deals with the calculations of heavenly bodies, but they are useless if they are not applied in the field. there are several tools that become the needs of the astronomers, one of which is the telescope. In Islamic Astronomy the telescope is usually used for rukyatul hilal (observing the crescent) in the determination of lunar calendar, or for eclipse observation.

Source : https://www.celestron.com

This time I will discuss a bit about the use and specifications of Celestron Nexstar 4 SE telescope.

CELESTRON NEXSTAR 4 SE

The telescope has two functions, the first of which serves as a horizontal telescope, and the second serves as an equatorial telescope. This is one of the advantages of this telescope. for the tube type is a reflector telescope with a cassegrain telescope design.

Telescope parts:

Source : https://www.celestron.com

1. Optical Tube, the main part of the telescope, in this section will occur light reflection, which will then produce images of distant objects.

2. Star Pointer Finderscope, this section serves to make it easier when shooting sky objects.

3. Eyepiece, this part is the ocular lens of the telescope, this lens can also be changed to adjust the magnification of the telescope.

4. Focuser Knob, this section is used to adjust the focus of the telescope image. This section should always be arranged, especially if we replace eyepiece or change of observer, so that picture is always sharp.

5. Threaded Photographic Adapter, an adapter for SLR / DSLR cameras that have been connected by T-ring

6. Flip Mirror Control, Flip Glass used for image selection, whether light is forwarded to the camera ?, or is reflected to eyepiece ?.

7. Battery Compartment, Battery Place, this telescope needs 8 batteries to run it.

8. Tripod, this part is the foot of the telescope that supports mounting and tubes. This section is also commonly used to regulate the flatness of the telescope.

9. Accessory Tray, place to put various accessory, like eyepiece, T-ring. On the side of the Accessory Tray there is a vertical stick, this stick is used to support when we will use the telescope with equatorial model.

Source : https://www.celestron.com

10. ON / OFF Switch, the button to turn the telescope on and off, beside this button is also an AC Adapter input which is used to run telescope without battery.

11. Hand Control, this part is a remote used to control the telescope.

12. Liquid Crystal Display, Screen on the remote, inside is also usually listed coordinates of the telescope and also objects observed celestial objects.

For how to use? please visit this link Operational Celestron NexStar 4SE.

ISS Satellite

You must know satellite already? A satellite is an orbiting object on a celestial body, including the Earth. There are two kinds of satellites, natural satellites and artificial satellites. Earth has a natural satellite, one of its functions on Earth is a marker of time for Muslims. While artificial satellites quite a lot, its function is diverse, such as as a means of communication, as weather research, means of transmission of military equipment, and others. More details refer to the following description:

Astronomy Satellite
Used to study planets, stars, and other objects. One example is the Hubble satellite used to photograph the Red Rose Nebula.

Communications Satellite
It is functional for telecommunication, radio, and television purposes using microwave frequencies.

Earth Monitor Satellite (GPS)
Used for navigation and map creation. Radio age conditions that let users know their exact position through the GPS system.

Weather Satellite
Serves to record and submit information about the weather and climate conditions of the Earth. It is a "building" that allows people to live in outer space. This station has been specially designed, so it can be inhabited for several months or even years.

Military Satellite
Is a telegraph satellite or an Earth monitor used for military purposes.

Small Satellites
Small super satellites are flown in space. For example mini-satellites (500-2000kg), micro satellite (10-200kg) and nano satellites (below 10kg).
To be able to operate satellites launched into orbit with the help of rockets. Developed countries such as the United States, Russia, France and Lately China, already have stations to catapult satellites into orbit.

Source : http://www.infoastronomy.org

ISS (International Space Station) is one of the first satellite launched on November 20, 1998. The launch of ISS is a project of 13 countries, which is used for various functions such as research of various disciplines, Biography, Biotech Geography, Geodesy, Physics, Astronomy, Space Science and others.

ISS has another name "Zarya", designed with a very large size, ISS becomes the largest satellite when compared with other satellites. And has many rooms, including 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and 1 gym, there are also several laboratories specifically designed for research. Many astronauts from various countries who have successfully stop off this ISS satellite, spend many days even for months there, carry out research tasks.

Inside ISS
Source : http://schools-wikipedia.org

Inside ISS
Source : http://schools-wikipedia.org

Inside ISS
Source : http://schools-wikipedia.org

ISS when viewed from the earth has a special and interesting position when compared to other satellites, the ISS can be seen from Earth, because of its large size and has a low orbit about 380 km from Earth, so the orbit of ISS is almost round.

Have you ever been watching the sky, then seeing bright spots like a walking star? Is it a meteor? Is that a plane? It turns out not both, but one of the largest human-made satellites, the International Space Station (ISS).

At certain times, the ISS will be visible in the night sky of your area. ISS will look like a bright star that moves fast over the horizon. ISS is so bright, it can even be seen from downtown though.

Capture ISS with Long Exposure
Source : https://www.universetoday.com

Ever seen ISS? please try it! You can register directly to this Link to get a notification when ISS will pass the sky where you are. Or you can detect through simulation software like stellarium.

Good luck!

Prayer Times Marker

Source : http://www.algonaefree.org

One of the valid conditions of prayer/salat is in time. The times of prayer have been arranged in the Qur'an and Hadith, namely in Surat al-Isra ': 78:

أقم الصلاة لدلوك الشمس إلى غسق الليل وقرءان الفجر إن قرءان الفجر كان مشهودا

Meaning:
Establish prayer from after the sun slip until dark of night and time of the Qur'anal Fajri. The Qur'anal Fajri is actually witnessed (Surat al-Isra`: 78)

According to the commentators, in this verse is mentioned the time of prayer that is after the sun slipped, the prayers of Dhuhur and Asr. While the dark night is the prayer of Maghrib and Isha` and Qur`anal Fajri is the prayer of Shubuh .

Whereas if you want to more specifically know the theorem about the times of prayer, we can refer to the hadith of Rasululah that saheeh and qath`i. Among these are the following hadith, which means:

From Jabir bin Abdullah ra. That the Prophet was approached by Gabriel and said to him, "Rise up and do the prayer." So he did the Dhuhur prayer when the sun slipped. Then as Asr approaches and Gabriel says, "Wake up and do the prayer." So he did the Asr prayer when the length of the shadow of all things equal to the length of the object. Then the time of Maghrib approaches and Gabriel says, "Wake up and do the prayer." So he performed the Maghrib prayer when the sun sets. Then Isha time comes and Gabriel says, "Wake up and do the prayer." Then he SAW perform the Isha' prayer when syafaq (red clouds) disappears. Then when Shubuh comes and Gabriel says, "Wake up and do the prayer." So he did the Shubuh prayer when dawn broke. (Ahmad, Nasai and Tirmizy.)

1. Fajr Prayer Time (Shubuh)

Starting from the appearance of "Fajr Shadiq/True Dawn" until the rising of the sun. The dawn in Arabic is not the sun. So when mentioned dawn, it is not sunrise. Dawn is a rather bright white light that spreads on the eastern horizon that comes just before sunrise.

There are two kinds of dawn, namely "Fajr Kazib/ False Dawn" and "Fajar Shadiq/ True Dawn". "Fajr Kazib" is the dawn that "lying" as the name implies. That is, in the early hours of the morning, there is a light that extends and leads up in the middle of the sky. Shaped like a wolf's tail, then the sky becomes dark again. That is "Fajr Kazib".

While the second dawn is "Fajr Shadiq", which is the dawn of a really dawn which is a rather bright white light that spreads on the eastern horizon that appears shortly before sunrise. This dawn marks the entry of the Shubuh time.

Simulation of Shubuh Time

While the end of the Shubuh time is the rising of the Sun.

In the science of astronomy, the position of the Sun is usually denoted in an altitude value. For the beginning of dawn itself varies, some are wearing a sun-height value of -20 degrees to -15 degrees below the horizon.

Difference of Shubuh Height Value

2. Dhuhur Prayer Time

Starting from the sun is just above the head but has started to slightly leaning towards the west. The term often used is the slipping of the sun. As free translation of the word "Zawalus Syamsi". But this term is often confusing because if it says that the "sun is slipping", some people will wrinkle his forehead, "What is the slipping of the sun?".

"Zawalus Syamsi" is the time at which the position of the sun is above our heads, but a little has begun to move westward. So not right above the head. Or in Arabic terms also known as Istiwa'.

Simulation of Dhuhur Time

The end of the prayer time of Dhuhur is when entering the time of the Asr prayer.

The value of the sun's height at the time of entry Dhuhur prayer is approaching 90 degrees.

3. Asr Prayer Time

There are some differences in starting this Asr prayer :

First opinion, Asr prayer begins when the shadow of an object is equal to the height of the object plus the shadow of the object when time Dhuhur. The value of the sun's height at this position is less than 45 degrees.

Second opinion, Asr prayer starts when the shadow of an object is equal to 2x height of the object plus the shadow of the object when time Dhuhur. The value of the sun's height at this position is about 26 degrees 34 minutes

Simulation of Asr Time

The third opinion of Asr prayer is Wustha prayer is the prayer performed in the middle between Dhuhr and Maghrib prayer. The value of the sun's height at this position is more or equal to 45 degrees

But the most famous opinion is the first opinion.

4. Maghrib Prayer Time

Starting from the setting of the sun and this has become the ijma` (agreement) of the scholars. That is since the loss of all the solar spheres in the swallow of the earth. And ended up entering the time Isha'.

Simulation of Maghrib Time

The value of the sun's height at the time of Maghrib prayer is approximately -1 degrees.

5. Isha' Prayer Time

Isha' prayer begins when the emergence of red clouds in the sky.
The value of the height of the sun is also different, there is a opinion that the height of the Sun during Isha' is -18 to -15 degrees below horizon.

Simulation of Shubuh Time

And the end of the Isha' prayer is when entering the time of Shubuh prayer.

Difference of Isha Height Value

Determine The Direction of Qibla with Google Earth

What's interesting about Google Earth? Of course a lot. For the layman, Google Earth is often used to look at photos of his house, or hometown through space. Of course it's nice to see his hometown clearly visible through Google Earth. Everyone in the world will be able to see it. But not the least disappointed, his hometown was not visible at all, whether it is covered by cloud or satellite has not updated the image.

But different from the astronomers. Google Earth is also usually used by them. The ability of Google Earth to identify the surface of the Earth and define it with the value of latitude and longitude make Google Earth useful as a pointer coordinate of a place and determining the direction of Qibla in some places.

How to find the coordinates and direction of Qibla?, Let's see the following explanation! Previously downloaded Google Earth software first! visit this link! Download.

Looking for coordinates somewhere.
1. Go to Google Earth
2. Search the city name in the search field
3. Move the pointer or mouse to where to look for the coordinates
4. See the coordinate values ​​at the bottom of the screen

Examples of searching for the coordinates of Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta, Indonesia and Ka'ba, Mecca, Saudi Arabia:

Coordinate of Istiqlal, Jakarta, Indonesia

Coordinate of Ka'ba, Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

Looking for a Qibla direction somewhere
1. Open Google Earth
2. Find the place to search for the direction of the Qibla, also look for the Ka'ba.
3. Move to place area (place to search direction of Qibla)

4. Press the "ruler" button

5. Click on the area of ​​the mosque and drag the line to the ka'ba

6. Move to the place area again

7. see the results, we can also see the value of the azimuth Qibla in the column.

Good luck!

Rules facing to The Qiblah

Source : Google Earth Software

Understanding of the direction of Qiblah is very simple, because the problem of the direction of Qibla is only a directional problem, is the direction of the Ka'ba which is in Mecca and each place must have different direction in facing Qibla.

In simple terms it can be seen that the area in the South Kabah facing to the North, the area located in the North Kabah facing to the South, the area in the East Kabah facing to the West, the area in the West Kabah facing East,

If further clarified then the area located in the North East Kabah facing to the South West, the area located in the South East of the Kabah facing to the North West, the area located in the South West Kabah facing the North East and the area located in the North West Kabah facing South East.

It can be a bit complicated if we further see that the earth is round, then there must be a special calculation for it, but if in a state of urgency can use the logic above.

The meaning of Qiblah in language is derived from the word قبل- يقبل - قبلة, which means facing, whereas in term, the islamic astronomers define with the Direction closest to the Ka'ba, The direction in which Muslims confront their faces during the prayer.

So why should we face qibla ???

The scientist of the fiqh agree that facing the Qiblah in the prayer is a requirement of the validity of the prayer, as the syar'I proposition exists:

Allah has commanded this three times, namely in Al-Baqarah: 144,149 and 150:

قد نرى تقلب وجهك في السماء فلنولينك قبلة ترضاها فول وجهك شطر المسجد الحرام وحيث ما كنتم فولوا وجوهكم شطره وإن الذين أوتوا الكتاب ليعلمون أنه الحق من ربهم وما الله بغافل عما يعملون

and in the hadith :

 قال أبو هريرة رضي الله عنه: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: اذا قمت الي الصلاة فاسبغ الوضوء ثم استقبل القبلة وكبر. رواه   البخارى ومسلم

For people around the holy mosque overlooking the Ka'ba is not a problem because they easily do that. Then what about the people who are far away with the Grand Mosque even outside the city of Mecca. Are we still required to face the true Ka'ba? Or just with an estimate only?

The opinion of the scholars:

Imam As Syafi'i & Shi'a Imamiyah:
Obligatory to the Ka'ba itself, both for the near and far.
If you can know the direction of the Ka'ba itself (exact), then it must face in that direction. If not, then just with an estimate only. (az-Zuhaily, Tafsir Al-Munir, p. 234)

Imam Hambali, Maliki, Hanafi & some scholars of Shi'a Imamiyah:
The direction of qibla is the direction in which the Ka'ba is located, not the Ka'ba itself. (As Suyuthiy, Al Asybah Wa An Nazair, p. 116)

The clerical agreement
All scholars agree that the Ka'ba is a qibla for those who are close and can see it. But they differ on the qibla for the distant and can not see it. (as-Sya'rani, Al-Miizaan Al-Kubra p. 116)

Based on the strongness of prejudice, there are 3 methods in determining the direction of Qibla
1. Overlooking Qibla Sure
A person who is inside the Grand Mosque (Masjidil Haram) and sees the Ka'ba directly, must face himself to Qibla with confidence. This is also referred to as "Ain al-Ka'ba".

2. Overlooking Qibla Estimates
Someone who is outside the Grand Mosque so that they can not see the Ka'ba building, they are obliged to face the Grand Mosque as the intent of facing Qibla in a dzan or approximation is called "Jihat al-Ka'ba"

3. Facing Qibla with Ijtihad
Ijtihad can be used to determine the direction of Qibla from a place far from the Holy Mosque, such as someone outside the holy land of Mecca or even outside Saudi Arabia, the method used is "Jihat al-Qiblah"

Why should a mathematical approach in determining the direction of Qibla?
As long as there is a more accurate way why choose another less accurate way, In a qaidah ushul fiqh

لا عبرة بالظن البين خطؤه

"The theory or practice that is based on the zan (allegation) that is clearly wrong is not considered"

Total Solar Eclipse August 21, 2017

Today (August 22, 2017) is a special day for the United States and its surrounding communities, there will be a very rare eclipse of the Sun Total, among the cities that passed are Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illionis, Kentucky, Tennesse, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

The partial eclipse phase will begin at 12:01 UTC-4. It reaches a maximum around 13:33 UTC-4 when the sun is 81% blocked by the moon. Partial eclipse ends at 15:00 UTC-4. For more details please visit NASA.

Total solar eclipse in the United States described the American Space Agency (NASA) through a video duration 04 minutes 25 seconds. The visualization contains details of eclipse location and explanation of why eclipses can occur. According to NASA, the eclipse will occur along 112 kilometers. In the video looks the line that seemed to divide the Land of Abang Sam from Oregon on the west coast of lau, to South Carolina on the northeast coast. See the following vidio:

One of the greatest features of a total solar eclipse happening in the United States today is to be the last eclipse for a long time, an eclipse of this type will happen 600 million years.

When the sky is dark you will feel the temperature down slightly. You may also be able to see and hear animals and insects going into their nightly cycles or nighttime routines. Remember that it can be a cloudy day but where you are, the sky will remain dark. More than a few days before, it would be difficult to know whether the sky might be cloudy or not.

Some things need to be a concern when the solar eclipse. Do not look directly at a partial solar eclipse. It can cause permanent damage to your eyes. Do not look through sunglasses, binoculars, or telescopes. You have to get special glasses known as "eclipse viewing glasses", if using binoculars or a telescope should also be equipped with special filters. Here's what you need to know in order to keep your eyes safe during an eclipse.

Do not forget also to perform the eclipse prayer !, please visit the following page for the Procedure of Performing The Eclipse Prayer.

Accurate Times

The Accurate Times application is a well-known application amongst the astronomers, this software is made by Mohammad Syawkat Audah. In this application there are several calculation programs, such as the program of Salat Time, Moon and Moon Setting program, Moon Phase, Hilal Visibility, Sun Ephemeris program, Hijriah-Masehi (Lunar-Sun) Calendar, Qibla Direction and also Solar and Moon position guidance program for telescope operation.

This application was originally a prayer time application adopted by the Jordanian Ministry of Religious Affairs for the early determination of the prayer time in Jordan, but at a later stage it developed to the point of calculating the conversion of the Hijriah-Mashi-Hijri date and the determination of the beginning of the continuing month on the visibility of the new moon .

The front view of the Accurate Times application

One of these in-app programs that reflects his thoughts is the Crescent Visibility or Visibility Hilal program the author has described in the previous chapter.

Crescent Visibility program display in the Accurate Times application

In this program provided several options for the determination of criteria:
- Waxing / Waning Crescent
This option is used to select the object we will look for visibility, whether young moon or old moon.
- Calculations
This option is used to select the basic reference of calculation, whether the calculation based on the geosentric point that will produce the essential moon, or from the surface of the earth (Toposentric) that will produce the hilal mar'i.
- Day of Calculations
This option is used to determine the state of visibility, at day of intent, 1 day or 2 days after.
- Time of Calculations
This option is used to select the visibility reference time, at sunset, when the Moon is set, or when the Best time, which is one of Mohammad Odeh's formulas also that the author has described in the previous discussion.

Map of Hilal Accurate Times Visibility

The above picture is the moon visibility map of the Beginning Moon of Shawwal 1438 in the Accurate Times application with youthful hilal, topocentric hilal, hilal on the day of ijtimak and hilal at best time.

Visit this link to download it. Download

When did 1 Dhul-Hijjah 1438 Begin?

The month of Dhul-Hijjah, or the month of Hajj in 2017 coincides with the year 1438. Ijtima' or the conjunction of the signing of the month of Dhul-Hijjah 1438 according to the book of Ittifaq Dzatil Bain happened on: Monday, 21 August 2017 18:35 UTC (Tuesday, 22 August 2017, 01:35 UTC+7). This conjunction coincides with the 17,256th month round in the Islamic date (Islamic Lunacy Number - ILN). In the evening of Tuesday, the crescent moon (hilal) will be visible in almost all parts of the world (see Hilal Visibility Map below).

Map of Crescent Visibility

Source : Accurate Times M. Odeh

Map of Hilal Visibility (Crescent) for 1 Dhul-Hijjah 1438. Most of the world will be able to see the moon on the evening of Tuesday, August 22, 2017. Thus calculation, 1 Dhul-Hijjah 1438 will fall on Wednesday, August 23, 2017.

In Indonesia, Insha Allah, there is no difference between the government and Islamic Organizations, especially Muhammadiyah and PERSIS. Likewise Saudi Arabia, which usually uses rukyatul hilal for the determination of the Wukuf date in Arafat and Eid al-Adha, will begin 1 Dhul-Hijjah 1438 H on the same day. The Ummul Qura calendar of Saudi Arabia shows 1 Dzulhijjah 1438 H falls on Wednesday, August 23, 2017.

If there is no official change from the government, then the following is the date of Wuquf and the holy day of Qurban, Eid al-Adha 2017 :
- Wukuf, 9 Dhul-Hijjah 1438 H is calculated on Thursday, August 31, 2017
- Eid al-Adha, 10 Dhul-Hijjah 1438 H is calculated on Friday, September 1, 2017
- Arafah Fasting year 1438 is calculated on Thursday, August 31, 2017

Below is a simulation of the moon's new state during the evening tuesday :

Calculation in the book of Ittifaq Dzatil Bain at Condrodipo, Gresik, Indonesia.

Ghurub (Sunset) Simulation at Condrodipo

Source : Stellarium 

Rukyatul Hilal Simulation at Condrodipo

Source : Stellarium

Souvenir from Space Day

Last night I joined the space day, I am from Indonesia and the day of space is celebrated on last night (07 August 2017). On that day people in Indonesia is recommended to turn off the lights at 20.00 pm. until 21:00 pm.

I took part to capture the beauty of the sky that night, albeit somewhat disappointingly, because the condition of the sky last night was not so dark due to 2 factors, the first not everyone turned off the lights of his house, and the moon before the full moon, so the rays of the sun that bounced off the moon Generated by stars.

But it's okay, I still managed to immortalize the constellation of scorpio stars.

Scorpio (Scorpion) is one of the constellations of the zodiac. In Javanese tradition, this constellation is known as "Banyakangrem (Geese incubate)".

This constellation is between Libra to the west and Sagittarius to the east and is one of the great constellations located in the southern hemisphere near the center of the Milky Way. As one of the zodiac constellations, it is bypassed by an imaginary ecliptic line. It is easily recognizable from a series of stars that form like a large S or A in the southern hemisphere.

There are some stars in this constellation. that is :

1. α Sco (Antares, Cor Scorpii / Qalb al-Aqrab / Vespertilo)
2. λ Sco (Shaula)
3. θ Sco (Sargas, Girtab)
4. δ Sco (Dschubba, Al Jabba, Iclarkrau)
5. E Sco (Wei)
6. κ Sco (Girtab)
7. β1 Sco (Acrab, Elacrab, Graffias, Grafias, Grassias)
8. υ Sco (Lesath, Lesuth)
9. τ Sco (Alniyat, Al Niyat)
10. π Sco (Vrischika)
11. σ Sco (Alniyat, Al Niyat)
12. ι1 Sco (Apollyon)
13. μ1 Sco (Denebakrab)
14. G Sco (Basanismus, Chuen Shwo)
15. ω1 Sco (Jabhat al Akrab)
16. ν Sco (Jabbah, Jabah)
17. ω2 Sco (Jabhat al Akrab)

Explanation of the constellation of scorpio:
The constellation Scorpio has the abbreviation "Sco", symbolized by the scorpion animal, the position of this constellation is approximately in the coordinates of Right Ascension 16j 53m 15d and Declination -30° 44 '12 ", the area is 496,783 square degrees. The bright star is about 13 stars, with the brightest star Antares (α Sco) (0.96m). In this constellation also often occur meteor shower, the meteor Alpha Scorpiids and Omega Scorpiids. This constellation is adjacent to 7 constellations (Sagittarius, Ofiukus, Libra, Lupus, Norma, Ara, Corona Australis)