The heart of the Milky Way is in the constellations Sagittarius and Scorpius. When we look at this region, we look toward the center of our galaxy. Both Sagittarius and Scorpius move low across the southern horizon.

The stars of Scorpius make a fish-hook shape, with the bright red star Antares on the end. Antares is Arabic meaning rival of Mars. Every two years, Mars passes very close to Antares, and the red planet looks very similar to the red star in both brightness and color.

To the left of Scorpius is the teapot of Sagittarius, which appears to pour tea on the stinger of Scorpius, the Scorpion. The center of the Milky Way lies in Sagittarius. To find the center, look for the place where steam would rise out of the teapot's spout.

Sagittarius is a spectacular region filled with telescopic objects. A few to look for are the Eagle Nebula, the Lagoon Nebula, and the Butterfly Cluster, but there are dozens more.