Properties

Scutum is a small and expressionless constellation between Aquila and Sagittarius with almost 4 stars. Size; but it is located in a very star-rich area of the Milky Way. In the northern part of the constellation lies the large, bright Scutum Star Cloud, also called Barnard's Gem of the Milky Way, a star cloud of the Milky Way whose light can sometimes even be seen at night through a blanket of fog is when no stars are otherwise visible. ^{[9, 15, 53]}

Catalogues

• Yale Bright Star Catalog (HR)
• New General & Index Catalogue (NGC/IC)
• Galactic Planetary Nebulae (PNG)
• Milky Way Globular Clusters
• Principal Galaxies Catalogue (PGC)

History

The constellation Scutum was first mentioned in 1690 by the Danzig astronomer Johannes Hevelius in his work Firmamentum Sobiescii. He named it Scutum Sobieskii (Shield of Sobieski) in honor of his King John Sobieski III, who supported him strongly and in memory of the liberation of Vienna from the Turkish siege. ^{[7, 10]}