The fifth-smallest constellation in the
sky, introduced in 1684 by the Polish astronomer Johannes
Hevelius under the title Scutum Sobiescianum, Sobieski’s
Shield, in honour of King John III Sobieski of Poland who
helped Hevelius rebuild his observatory after a disastrous fire
in 1679. Hevelius’s description and chart of the
constellation first appeared in 1684 in Acta Eruditorum, a leading
scientific journal of the day. Scutum is the only constellation
introduced for political reasons that is still in use.
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Scutum shown under the name Scutum Sobiesii in the Uranographia of Johann Bode. For Hevelius’s original depiction of it, see here.
Scutum lies in a bright area of the Milky
Way and is distinctive despite its small size. Its brightest
stars are of only fourth magnitude, and none are named, but the
constellation contains a celebrated cluster of stars popularly
known as the Wild Duck cluster because its fan-shape resembles
a flight of ducks.
© Ian Ridpath. All rights reserved
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