Will I be able to see Scorpius when the moon is in the constellation?

(well, that's what Stellarium shows) if the sky is clear, will I still be able to see Scorpius?

And I live in a major city, but I guess most lights will be off by then..



Last night the moon is in Libra, and I had difficulty seeing Scorpius. But I guess it's not the fault of the moon, cuz I think it's hazy last night. I was only able to see the star Antares to the east of the moon.Will I be able to see Scorpius when the moon is in the constellation?Well, of course Stellarium cannot duplicate what you are actually seeing. Since Scorpius is in the South during the summer months, the Moon will always be pretty full during the days when it passes through that region of the sky. If you do not have pristine conditions, it's going to be pretty difficult to see anything but Antares. The fact that Scorpius is also pretty low in the sky does not help either (assuming you live in the northern hemisphere).



Theoretically, you could see a few stars if you know where to look. Practically, you won't really see much of anything.Will I be able to see Scorpius when the moon is in the constellation?Of course you'll be able to see it - but the moon will make it difficult to see any but the brighter stars.



Scorpius/Scorpio is a LARGE constellation, and the ecliptic (path of the sun and approximate path of the moon and planets) only shaves the corner of it. The moon does not follow the ecliptic exactly but is always close to it.

So a large part of the constellation will be a fair distance from the moon, and viewable although moonlight will interfere.



How much you'll be able to see depends on many things:

- Latitude of your city (more southerly will put Scorpius higher in the sky so you'll have less atmosphere to look through).

- Clarity of the air. If it's a night with high cirrus scattering the moonlight, this reduces star visibility.

- Phase of the moon.

- Time of viewing. Viewing is best near to the time of transit, when the constellation is highest and due south, the better. This transit time varies depending on the time of year.

- Other light pollution, especially that in the part of the sky towards your target (low in the south for N.America/Europe).



The best time to see any zodiac constellation is when the moon is far from it, preferably below the horizon!

But the bright stars are still visible when the moon is near, especially if you use binoculars.

..and if the moon is NOT full, you can even watch bright stars appear/disappear behind the moon as it moves in its orbit!!Will I be able to see Scorpius when the moon is in the constellation?No. The Moon makes all but the brightest stars disappear. This is doubly so if you are in an urban area with light pollution. Though the sky gets a little darker after midnight, unfortunately most commercial enterprises keep their lights on all night.Will I be able to see Scorpius when the moon is in the constellation?
The moonlight will wash out light from most stars no matter what constellation it is in. That is why most star parties occur near new moon phase.