Scutum

Meaning

Proper Noun

• A small autumn constellation of the northern sky, said to resemble a shield. It lies between the constellations of Aquila, Sagittarius, and the tail of Serpens.

Origin

• Named by the astronomer Johannes Hevelius in 1687, from Latin scūtum ("shield"). The original name given was Scutum Sobiescianum (Sobieski's Shield) in commemoration of the victory of the Polish, Austrian, and German forces led by the Polish king Jan III Sobieski at the battle of Vienna.