Summer Shueyville Night Sky

This wide-open night sky image in rural Shueyville, Iowa was loaded with stars on the clear night of Saturday, August 21, 2010. The capture was a 30-second exposure taken at f/4.0 with an ISO rating of 400. Stars making up the constellation Scorpius (the scorpion) are seen just above the tree line at center. The brightest of these stars is the red giant Antares, some 300 times larger than our sun. According to one ancient legend, Scorpius stung the legendary hunter Orion, killing him, making Orion spend eternity fleeing Scorpius in the sky. Thus, when Scorpius rises in the east, Orion sets in the west. This image looks south at 9:35 PM and also includes stars of the constellation Ophiuchus (serpent bearer) at top center.