Discussion Topics Locating OrionMythology of OrionBrightest Stars in OrionOrion NebulaHorsehead NebulaDouble stars in Orion
Locating Orion
In Greek mythology, Orion was a great hunter who eventually offended the gods, especially Apollo. Apollo tricked Artemis, the Goddess of the hunt, into shooting Orion on a bet. When she discovered that she had shot Orion, she quickly lifted him to the heavens and made him immortal, where he now hunts eternally with his two dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor. In front of him is his prey Taurus the Bull.
Betelgeuse: "Alpha Orionis" is a massive red supergiant star nearing the end of its life. It is the second brightest star in the Orion constellation and the twelfth brightest star in the night sky.Rigel: "Beta Orionis" is a blue supergiant that is the seventh brightest star in the night sky. Bellatrix: "Gamma Orionis“ is the twenty-second brightest star in the night sky. Bellatrix is considered a blue giant, though it is too small to explode in a supernova. Its luminosity is derived from its high temperature rather than its radius. Bellatrix serves as Orion's "left shoulder.Mintaka: "Delta Orionis“ is the faintest of the three stars in Orion’s belt. It is a multiple star system composed of a large blue giant and a more massive white star. Mintaka is the westernmost of the three stars that constitute Orion's Belt.Alnilam: "Epsilon Orionis," is a blue supergiant, despite being nearly twice as far from the Sun as Mintake and Alnitak, the other two belt stars. Alnitak: "Zeta Orionis" is the easternmost star in Orion's Belt. It is a triple star 800 light years distant, with the primary star being a hot blue supergiant.Saiph: "Kappa Orionis“ serves as Orion's right foot. It is of a similar distance and size to Rigel, but appears much fainter, as its hot surface temperature (46,000°F or 26,000°C) causes it to emit most of its light in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum.
The Horsehead Nebula
Double Stars in Orion
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