The constellation created to honor King John III Sobieski’s shield is Scutum.
Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius introduced it in 1684 as Scutum Sobiescianum, Latin for “Shield of Sobieski.” The name commemorated the Christian victory led by King John III Sobieski at the 1683 Battle of Vienna, a major turning point in the Ottoman-Habsburg wars.
Hevelius later shortened the name to Scutum, and the constellation became one of the 88 officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union in 1922. It is a small constellation near the celestial equator, between Aquila, Sagittarius, and Serpens Cauda.
A common mix-up is confusing Scutum with the shield depicted inside Orion. Orion’s shield is an asterism made from stars within Orion; Scutum is a separate constellation whose entire symbolism refers to Sobieski’s heraldic shield. Its brightest stars form a narrow diamond, and the region also contains the Wild Duck Cluster, Messier 11.