Scorpius-Centaurus Association

The Scorpius-Centaurus Association is a nearby OB association (stellar association with OB stars) near enough that its stars cover a good bit of the sky. Its early stars comprise many of the brighter stars in the constellations Scorpius, Centaurus, Lupus, and Crux. Three subgroups (often referred to as individual associations) are Upper Scorpius (US), Upper Centaurus-Lupus (UCL), and Lower Centaurus-Crux (LCC). The stars vary in age from 11 to 15 million years. The association has been spread by a shell, presumed to have been the result of supernovae. The general designator-prefix USco has been used for some discoveries within Upper Scorpius, followed by some type of identification, sometimes a J designator.