An Example
One of the most famous constellations is Orion, which can be seen in most of the
Northern hemisphere in the winter.
When the ancient Greeks saw Orion, the shape reminded
them of a hunter. They told the story of Orion, a brave but arrogant hunter who was
killed by a scorpion. The gods put Orion in the sky, where he chases his prey but
runs away from Scorpius, the Scorpion.
The image below shows how the stars connect to form the shape of Orion
the hunter:
The bright stars Betelgeuse and Bellatrix mark Orion's shoulders, while Saiph and
Rigel mark his feet. The three bright stars between his shoulders and feet are his
belt, and three fainter stars below the belt are his sword. The stars above Betelgeuse form
his raised right arm, while the six stars to the right of Bellatrix form his bow.
Name |
Part of Orion |
Magnitude |
Distance (light-years) |
Betelgeuse |
Left shoulder |
0.45 |
427 |
Rigel |
Right foot |
0.18 |
773 |
Bellatrix |
Right shoulder |
1.64 |
243 |
Mintaka |
Right star in belt |
2.41/3.76 (binary) |
916 |
Alnilam |
Center star in belt |
1.69 |
1,350 |
Alnitak |
Left star in belt |
1.82/3.95 (binary) |
815 |
Saiph |
Left foot |
2.07 |
720 |
Lambda Orionis |
Head |
3.50 |
1,055 |
|