Why Antares the red giant star of Scorpio constellation does mean anti-Ares to Hamal of Aries rival of Mars?

Answer 1

Just to add a bit for the uninitiated. Though Antares and Mars look very similar when close together in the sky, Antares is about 600 light-years away, while Mars is only light-minutes away.

As there are about 1/2 million minutes in a year, you can easily see that Antares is hundreds of millions of times as far away as Mars.

It is also one of the largest stars, and tens of thousands of times brighter than our sun.

That means that when it appears to sit by Mars, it is actually billions of times brighter, since Mars only reflects sunlight.

Also Antares color is due to its temperature (red giant). Mars color is due to its largely ferrous-based surface material, which reflects red light, like rust.

so, the ancients misnamed it "rival of Mars", since in real terms there is no comparison - Mars to Antares is like a microbe to a large beach ball. But the poor souls 2500 years ago had no idea, and as far as they were concerned, the stars and the planets were all at similar distances.

How lucky we are that we can be in awe of the size of the universe.

Answer 2

Have you ever seen Mars near Antares? It's a pretty neat sight - they are of similar brightness in the sky, and just about the same color. Those facts, combined with the fact that Antares is near the ecliptic (the path that the Sun and Moon and all the planets appear to travel across the sky) are why that star was named the "Rival of Mars".

Answer 3

I have Aries on the Midheaven and Mars in Scorpio in the 4th house making lots of aspects to other planets. I have a Sagittarius sun with Leo in Uranus in the first house. -good question, and I think there is truth to it. Edit: Sarah might be right about the Cancer thing - I have a Cancer ascendent.

Answer 4

In ancient mythology Ares and Scorpio were kept apart because of rivalry

Answer 5

I am ex planetarium worker and that is a fine answer.