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The [[Babylonian star catalogues]] of the [[Late Bronze Age]] name Orion ''{{lang|sux-Latn|<sup>MUL</sup>SIPA.ZI.AN.NA}}'',<ref group="note">The [[determiner (cuneiform)|determiner glyph]] for "constellation" or "star" in these lists is '''MUL''' ({{Script|Xsux|𒀯}}). See [[Babylonian star catalogues]].</ref> "The Heavenly Shepherd" or "True Shepherd of Anu" - Anu being the chief god of the heavenly realms.<ref>John H. Rogers, "[http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1998JBAA..108....9R Origins of the ancient contellations: I. The Mesopotamian traditions]", ''Journal of the British Astronomical Association'' '''108''' (1998) 9–28</ref> The Babylonian constellation was sacred to [[Papsukkal|Papshukal]] and [[Ninshubur]], both minor gods fulfilling the role of 'messenger to the gods'. Papshukal was closely associated with the figure of a walking [[bird]] on Babylonian boundary stones, and on the star map the figure of the [[Rooster]] was located below and behind the figure of the True Shepherd—both constellations represent the herald of the gods, in his bird and human forms respectively.<ref>''Babylonian Star-lore'' by Gavin White, Solaria Pubs, 2008, page 218ff & 170</ref>
The [[Babylonian star catalogues]] of the [[Late Bronze Age]] name Orion ''{{lang|sux-Latn|<sup>MUL</sup>SIPA.ZI.AN.NA}}'',<ref group="note">The [[determiner (cuneiform)|determiner glyph]] for "constellation" or "star" in these lists is '''MUL''' ({{Script|Xsux|𒀯}}). See [[Babylonian star catalogues]].</ref> "The Heavenly Shepherd" or "True Shepherd of Anu" - Anu being the chief god of the heavenly realms.<ref>John H. Rogers, "[http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1998JBAA..108....9R Origins of the ancient contellations: I. The Mesopotamian traditions]", ''Journal of the British Astronomical Association'' '''108''' (1998) 9–28</ref> The Babylonian constellation was sacred to [[Papsukkal|Papshukal]] and [[Ninshubur]], both minor gods fulfilling the role of 'messenger to the gods'. Papshukal was closely associated with the figure of a walking [[bird]] on Babylonian boundary stones, and on the star map the figure of the [[Rooster]] was located below and behind the figure of the True Shepherd—both constellations represent the herald of the gods, in his bird and human forms respectively.<ref>''Babylonian Star-lore'' by Gavin White, Solaria Pubs, 2008, page 218ff & 170</ref>


The stars of Orion were associated with [[Osiris]], the sun-god of rebirth and the afterlife, by the [[ancient Egyptian]]s.<ref name="The Oxford Guide p302-307">The Oxford Guide: Essential Guide to Egyptian Mythology, Edited by Donald B. Redford, p302-307, Berkley, 2003, ISBN 0-425-19096-X</ref><ref name="Mackenzie 1907 167–168">{{cite book |last= Mackenzie |first= Donald A. |title= Egyptian Myth and Legend |publisher= Gresham Pub. Co. |year= 1907 |isbn= 0-517-25912-5 |chapter=Triumph of the Sun God | chapterurl=http://www.sacred-texts.com/egy/eml/eml15.htm | pages=167–168}}</ref><ref>http://www.coldwaterschools.org/lms/planetarium/myth/orion.html;{{Dead link|date=September 2012}} http://www.constellationsofwords.com/Constellations/Orion.html</ref>
The stars of Orion were associated with [[Osiris]], the man-god of rebirth/[[reincarnation]] and the afterlife, by the [[ancient Egyptian]]s.<ref name="The Oxford Guide p302-307">The Oxford Guide: Essential Guide to Egyptian Mythology, Edited by Donald B. Redford, p302-307, Berkley, 2003, ISBN 0-425-19096-X</ref><ref name="Mackenzie 1907 167–168">{{cite book |last= Mackenzie |first= Donald A. |title= Egyptian Myth and Legend |publisher= Gresham Pub. Co. |year= 1907 |isbn= 0-517-25912-5 |chapter=Triumph of the Sun God | chapterurl=http://www.sacred-texts.com/egy/eml/eml15.htm | pages=167–168}}</ref><ref>http://www.coldwaterschools.org/lms/planetarium/myth/orion.html;{{Dead link|date=September 2012}} http://www.constellationsofwords.com/Constellations/Orion.html</ref>


Orion has also been identified with the [[Ancient Egypt|Egyptian]] [[Pharaoh]] of the [[Fifth Dynasty]] called [[Unas]] who, according to the ''[[Pyramid Texts]]'', became great by eating the flesh of his mortal enemies and then slaying and devouring the gods themselves. This was based on a belief in [[contagious magic]] whereby consuming the flesh of great people would bring inheritance of their power.<ref name="Mackenzie 1907 167–168"/> After devouring the gods and absorbing their spirits and powers, Unas journeys through the day and night sky to become the star Sahu, or Orion.<ref name="The Oxford Guide p302-307"/> The ''Pyramid Texts'' also show that the dead Pharaoh was identified with the god Osiris, whose form in the stars was often said to be the constellation Orion.<ref name="The Oxford Guide p302-307"/>
Orion has also been identified with the [[Ancient Egypt|Egyptian]] [[Pharaoh]] of the [[Fifth Dynasty]] called [[Unas]] who, according to the ''[[Pyramid Texts]]'', became great by eating the flesh of his mortal enemies and then slaying and devouring the gods themselves. This was based on a belief in [[contagious magic]] whereby consuming the flesh of great people would bring inheritance of their power.<ref name="Mackenzie 1907 167–168"/> After devouring the gods and absorbing their spirits and powers, Unas journeys through the day and night sky to become the star Sahu, or Orion.<ref name="The Oxford Guide p302-307"/> The ''Pyramid Texts'' also show that the dead Pharaoh was identified with the god Osiris, whose form in the stars was often said to be the constellation Orion.<ref name="The Oxford Guide p302-307"/>

Revision as of 15:55, 2 November 2014

For other uses, see Orion (disambiguation).
Orion
Constellation
Orion
List of stars in Orion
AbbreviationOri
GenitiveOrionis
Pronunciation/ɒˈraɪ.ən/
SymbolismOrion, the Hunter
Right ascension5
Declination+5
QuadrantNQ1
Area594 sq. deg. (26th)
Main stars7
Bayer/Flamsteed
stars		81
Stars with planets10
Stars brighter than 3.00m8
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly)8
Brightest starRigel (β Ori) (0.12m)
Messier objects3
Meteor showersOrionids
Chi Orionids
Bordering
constellations		Gemini
Taurus
Eridanus
Lepus
Monoceros
Visible at latitudes between +85° and −75°.
Best visible at 21:00 (9 p.m.) during the month of January.
click on to see large image
click on to see large image

Orion is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the most conspicuous and recognizable constellations in the night sky.[1] It was named after Orion, a hunter in Greek mythology. Its brightest stars are Rigel (Beta Orionis) and Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis), a blue-white and a red supergiant. Many of the other brighter stars in the constellation are hot, blue supergiant stars. The three stars in the middle of the constellation form a unique asterism known as Orion's belt. The Orion Nebula is located south of Orion's belt.

History and mythology

Star formation in the constellation Orion as photographed in infrared by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.

The earliest depiction that has been linked to the constellation of Orion is a prehistoric (Aurignacian) mammoth ivory carving found in a cave in the Ach valley in Germany in 1979. Archaeologists have estimated it to have been fashioned approximately 32,000 to 38,000 years ago.[2][3][4] The distinctive pattern of Orion has been recognized in numerous cultures around the world, and many myths have been associated with it. It has also been used as a symbol in the modern world.


Ancient Near East

The Babylonian star catalogues of the Late Bronze Age name Orion MULSIPA.ZI.AN.NA,[note 1] "The Heavenly Shepherd" or "True Shepherd of Anu" - Anu being the chief god of the heavenly realms.[5] The Babylonian constellation was sacred to Papshukal and Ninshubur, both minor gods fulfilling the role of 'messenger to the gods'. Papshukal was closely associated with the figure of a walking bird on Babylonian boundary stones, and on the star map the figure of the Rooster was located below and behind the figure of the True Shepherd—both constellations represent the herald of the gods, in his bird and human forms respectively.[6]

The stars of Orion were associated with Osiris, the man-god of rebirth/reincarnation and the afterlife, by the ancient Egyptians.[7][8][9]

Orion has also been identified with the Egyptian Pharaoh of the Fifth Dynasty called Unas who, according to the Pyramid Texts, became great by eating the flesh of his mortal enemies and then slaying and devouring the gods themselves. This was based on a belief in contagious magic whereby consuming the flesh of great people would bring inheritance of their power.[8] After devouring the gods and absorbing their spirits and powers, Unas journeys through the day and night sky to become the star Sahu, or Orion.[7] The Pyramid Texts also show that the dead Pharaoh was identified with the god Osiris, whose form in the stars was often said to be the constellation Orion.[7]

The Armenians identified their legendary patriarch and founder Hayk with Orion. Hayk is also the name of the Orion constellation in the Armenian translation of the Bible.[10]

The Bible mentions Orion three times, naming it "Kesil" (כסיל, literally - fool). Though, this name perhaps is etymologically connected with "Kislev", the name for the ninth month of the Hebrew calendar (i.e. November–December), which, in turn, may derive from the Hebrew root K-S-L as in the words "kesel, kisla" (כֵּסֶל, כִּסְלָה, hope, positiveness), i.e. hope for winter rains.): Job 9:9 ("He is the maker of the Bear and Orion"), Job 38:31 ("Can you loosen Orion`s belt?"), and Amos 5:8 ("He who made the Pleiades and Orion"). In ancient Aram, the constellation was known as Nephîlā′, the Nephilim may have been Orion's descendants.[11]

Greco-Roman antiquity

Main article: Orion (mythology)
Orion in the 9th century Leiden Aratea.

Orion's current name derives from Greek mythology, in which Orion was a gigantic, supernaturally strong hunter of ancient times,[12] born to Euryale, a Gorgon, and Poseidon (Neptune), god of the sea in the Graeco-Roman tradition. One myth recounts Gaia's rage at Orion, who dared to say that he would kill every animal on the planet. The angry goddess tried to dispatch Orion with a scorpion. This is given as the reason that the constellations of Scorpius and Orion are never in the sky at the same time. However, Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer, revived Orion with an antidote. This is said to be the reason that the constellation of Ophiuchus stands midway between the Scorpion and the Hunter in the sky.[13]

The constellation is mentioned in Horace's Odes (Ode 3.27.18), Homer's Odyssey (Book 5, line 283) and Iliad, and Virgil's Aeneid (Book 1, line 535)

Africa

In ancient Egypt, the constellation of Orion represented Osiris, who, after being killed by his evil brother Set, was revived by his wife Isis to live immortal among the stars.[14]

Middle East

In medieval Muslim astronomy, Orion was known as al-jabbar, "the giant".[15] Orion's sixth brightest star, Saiph, is named from the Arabic, saif al-jabbar, meaning "sword of the giant".[16]

East Asian antiquity

In China, Orion was one of the 28 lunar mansions Sieu (Xiu) （宿）. It is known as Shen （參）, literally meaning "three", for the stars of Orion's Belt. (See Chinese constellations)

The Chinese character 參 (pinyin shēn) originally meant the constellation Orion (Chinese: 參宿; pinyin: shēnxiù); its Shang dynasty version, over three millennia old, contains at the top a representation of the three stars of Orion's belt atop a man's head (the bottom portion representing the sound of the word was added later).[17]

The Rig Veda refers to the Orion Constellation as Mriga (The Deer).[18] It is said that two bright stars in the front and two bright stars in the rear are The hunting dogs, the one comparatively less bright star in the middle and ahead of two front dogs is The hunter and three aligned bright stars are in the middle of all four hunting dogs is The Deer (The Mriga) and three little aligned but less brighter stars is The Baby Deer. The Mriga means Deer, locally known as Harnu in folk parlance. There are many folk songs narrating the Harnu. The Malay called Orion' Belt Bintang Tiga Beradik (the "Three Brother Star").[citation needed]

European folklore

The constellation Orion as it can be seen by the naked eye.
The constellation Orion with the major stars labelled.

In old Hungarian tradition, "Orion" is known as (magic) Archer (Íjász), or Reaper (Kaszás). In recently rediscovered myths he is called Nimrod (Hungarian "Nimród"), the greatest hunter, father of the twins "Hunor" and "Magor"). The "π" and "o" stars (on upper right) form together the reflex bow or the lifted scythe. In other Hungarian traditions, "Orion's belt" is known as "Judge's stick" (Bírópálca).[19]

In Scandinavian tradition, "Orion's belt" was known as Frigg's Distaff (friggerock) or Freyja's distaff.[20]

The Finns call the Orion's belt and the stars below it as Väinämöisen viikate (Väinämöinen's scythe).[21] Another name for the asterism of Alnilam, Alnitak and Minkata is Väinämöisen vyö' (Väinämöinen's Belt) and the stars "hanging" from the belt as Kalevanmiekka (Kaleva's sword).

In Siberia, the Chukchi people see Orion as a hunter; an arrow he has shot is represented by Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri), with the same figure as other Western depictions.[22]

Americas

The Seri people of northwestern Mexico call the three stars in the belt of Orion Hapj (a name denoting a hunter) which consists of three stars: Hap (mule deer), Haamoja (pronghorn), and Mojet (bighorn sheep). Hap is in the middle and has been shot by the hunter; its blood has dripped onto Tiburón Island.[23]

The same three stars are known in Spain and most of Latin America as "Las tres Marías" (Spanish for "The Three Marys"). In Puerto Rico, the three stars are known as the "Los Tres Reyes Magos" (Spanish for The three Wise Men).[24]

The Ojibwa (Chippewa) Native Americans call this constellation Kabibona'kan, the Winter Maker, as its presence in the night sky heralds winter.[citation needed]

To the Lakota Native Americans, Tayamnicankhu (Orion’s Belt) is the spine of a bison. The great rectangle of Orion are the bison's ribs; the Pleiades star cluster in nearby Taurus is the bison’s head; and Sirius in Canis Major, known as Tayamnisinte, is its tail.

Contemporary symbolism

The imagery of the belt and sword has found its way into popular western culture, for example in the form of the shoulder insignia of the 27th Infantry Division of the United States Army during both World Wars, probably owing to a pun on the name of the division's first commander, Major General John F. O'Ryan.[citation needed]

The defunct film distribution company Orion Pictures used the constellation as its logo.[citation needed]

In fiction

In J. R. R. Tolkien's mythology surrounding Middle-earth, Orion is known as Menelvagor, which is Sindarin for "The Swordsman in the Sky."[25]

In the movie Blade Runner, the dying replicant Roy Batty introspectively delivers his "Tears in Rain" soliloquy:

I've... seen things you people wouldn't believe... Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those... moments... will be lost in time, like tears... in... rain. Time... to die...

In the sci-fi comedy Men In Black, the last words of a dying alien disguised as a human were 'To prevent war, the Galaxy is on Orion's belt'. It was later revealed that 'Orion's belt' referred to the collar of a cat named 'Orion'.

In the sci-fi television series Haven, the Orionid meteor shower is known as the Hunter Meteor Shower. It comes to Haven once every twenty-seven years when the Barn, a space between two worlds, comes to take the mysterious woman away. When the Barn leaves, the Hunter passes safely overhead and The Troubles end, making the town of Haven a haven for the Troubled again.

Depictions

In artistic renderings, the surrounding constellations are sometimes related to Orion: he is depicted standing next to the river Eridanus with his two hunting dogs Canis Major and Canis Minor, fighting Taurus He is sometimes depicted hunting Lepus the hare. He also sometimes is depicted to have a lion's hide in his hand.

There are alternative ways to visualise Orion. From the Southern Hemisphere, Orion is oriented south-upward, and the belt and sword are sometimes called the saucepan or pot in Australia and New Zealand. Orion's Belt is called Drie Konings (Three Kings) or the Drie Susters (Three Sisters) by Afrikaans speakers in South Africa[26] and are referred to as les Trois Rois (the Three Kings) in Daudet's Lettres de Mon Moulin (1866). The appellation Driekoningen (the Three Kings) is also often found in 17th- and 18th-century Dutch star charts and seaman's guides. The same three stars are known in Spain, Latin America, and the Philippines as "Las Tres Marías" (The Three Marys), and as "Los Tres Reyes Magos" (The three Wise Men) in Puerto Rico.[24]

Even traditional depictions of Orion have varied greatly. Cicero drew Orion in a similar fashion to the modern depiction. The Hunter held an unidentified animal skin aloft in his right hand; his hand was represented by Omicron2 Orionis and the skin was represented by the 5 stars designated Pi Orionis. Kappa and Beta Orionis represented his left and right knees, while Eta and Lambda Leporis were his left and right feet, respectively. As in the modern depiction, Delta, Epsilon, and Zeta represented his belt. His left shoulder was represented by Alpha Orionis, and Mu Orionis made up his left arm. Lambda Orionis was his head and Gamma, his right shoulder. The depiction of Hyginus was similar to that of Cicero, though the two differed in a few important areas. Cicero's animal skin became Hyginus's shield (Omicron and Pi Orionis), and instead of an arm marked out by Mu Orionis, he holds a club (Chi Orionis). His right leg is represented by Theta Orionis and his left leg is represented by Lambda, Mu, and Epsilon Leporis. Further Western European and Arabic depictions have followed these two models.[22]

Characteristics

Orion is bordered by Taurus to the northwest, Eridanus to the southwest, Lepus to the south, Monoceros to the east, and Gemini to the northeast. Covering 594 square degrees, Orion ranks twenty-sixth of the 88 constellations in size. The constellation boundaries, as set by Eugène Delporte in 1930, are defined by a polygon of 26 sides. In the equatorial coordinate system, the right ascension coordinates of these borders lie between 04h 43.3m and 06h 25.5m , while the declination coordinates are between 22.87° and −10.97°.[27] The constellation's three-letter abbreviation, as adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 1922, is "Ori".[28]

Orion is most visible in the evening sky from January to March,[29] winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. In the tropics (less than about 8° from the equator), the constellation transits at the zenith.

In the period May–July (summer in the Northern Hemisphere, winter in the Southern Hemisphere), Orion is in the daytime sky and thus not visible at most latitudes. However, for much of Antarctica in the Southern Hemisphere's winter months, the Sun is below the horizon even at midday. Stars (and thus Orion) are then visible at twilight for a few hours around local noon, low in the North. At the same time of day at the South Pole itself (Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station), Rigel is only 8° above the horizon, and the Belt sweeps just along it. In the Southern Hemisphere's summer months, when Orion is normally visible in the night sky, the constellation is actually not visible in Antarctica because the sun does not set at that time of year south of the Antarctic Circle.[30][31]

In countries close to the equator (e.g. Kenya, Indonesia, Colombia, Ecuador), Orion appears overhead in December around midnight and in the February evening sky.

Using Orion to find stars in neighbor constellations.

Orion is very useful as an aid to locating other stars. By extending the line of the Belt southeastward, Sirius (α CMa) can be found; northwestward, Aldebaran (α Tau). A line eastward across the two shoulders indicates the direction of Procyon (α CMi). A line from Rigel through Betelgeuse points to Castor and Pollux (α Gem and β Gem). Additionally, Rigel is part of the Winter Circle. Sirius and Procyon, which may be located from Orion by following imaginary lines (see map), also are points in both the Winter Triangle and the Circle.[32][33]

Major features

See also: List of stars in Orion
Orion as depicted in Urania's Mirror, a set of constellation cards published in London c.1825.

Orion's seven brightest stars form a distinctive hourglass-shaped asterism, or pattern, in the night sky. Four stars—Rigel, Betelgeuse, Bellatrix and Saiph—form a large roughly rectangular shape, in the centre of which lie the three stars of Orion's Belt—Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka. Descending from the 'belt' is a smaller line of three stars (the middle of which is in fact not a star but the Orion Nebula), known as the hunter's 'sword'.

Many of the stars are luminous hot blue supergiants, with the stars of the belt and sword forming the Orion OB1 Association. Standing out by its red hue, Betelgeuse may nevertheless be a runaway member of the same group.

Stars

  • Betelgeuse, alternatively by its Bayer designation Alpha Orionis, is a massive M-type red supergiant star nearing the end of its life. When it explodes it will even be visible during the day. It is the second brightest star in Orion, and is a semiregular variable star.[34] It serves as the "right shoulder" of the hunter it represents (assuming that he is facing the observer), and is the eighth brightest star in the night sky.[35]
  • Rigel, which is also known as Beta Orionis, is a B-type blue supergiant that is the sixth brightest star in the night sky. Similar to Betelgeuse, Rigel is fusing heavy elements in its core and will pass its supergiant stage soon (on an astronomical timescale), either collapsing in the case of a supernova or shedding its outer layers and turning into a white dwarf. It serves as the left foot of Orion, the hunter.[36]
  • Bellatrix was designated Gamma Orionis by Johann Bayer, but is known colloquially as the "Amazon Star". It is the twenty-seventh brightest star in the night sky.[37] Bellatrix is considered a B-type blue giant, though it is too small to explode in a supernova. Bellatrix's luminosity is derived from its high temperature rather than its radius,[38] a factor that defines Betelgeuse.[34] Bellatrix serves as Orion's left shoulder.[38]
  • Mintaka garnered the name Delta Orionis from Bayer, even though it is the faintest of the three stars in Orion's Belt.[39] Its name means "the Giant's belt".[33] It is a multiple star system, composed of a large B-type blue giant and a more massive O-type white star. The Mintaka system constitutes an eclipsing binary variable star, where the eclipse of one star over the other creates a dip in brightness. Mintaka is the westernmost of the three stars of Orion's Belt,[39] as well as the northernmost.[33]
Orion Constellation Map
  • Alnilam is designated Epsilon Orionis, a consequence of Bayer's wish to name the three stars in Orion's Belt (from north to south) in alphabetical order.[40] Also called Al Nathin, Alnilam is named for the Arabic phrase meaning "string of pearls".[33] Alnilam is a B-type blue supergiant; despite being nearly twice as far from the Sun as Mintaka and Alnitak, the other two belt stars, its luminosity makes it nearly equal in magnitude. Alnilam is losing mass quickly, a consequence of its size; it is approximately four million years old.[40]
  • Alnitak, meaning "the girdle",[33] was designated Zeta Orionis by Bayer, and is the easternmost star in Orion's Belt. It is a triple star some 800 light years distant, with the primary star being a hot blue supergiant and the brightest class O star in the night sky.
  • Saiph was designated Kappa Orionis by Bayer, and 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.

Of the lesser stars, Hatsya (or Iota Orionis) forms the tip of Orion's sword, whilst Meissa (or Lambda Orionis) forms Orion's head. Iota Orionis is also called Nair al-Saif, Arabic for "the brightest in the sword".[33]

Proper
Name		 Solar Radii Apparent
Magnitude		 ~Distance
(L Yrs)
  Betelgeuse     667       0.43    643
  Rigel     78       0.18    772
  Bellatrix     7.0       1.62    243
  Mintaka     ?       2.23 (3.2/3.3) / 6.85 / 14.0    900
  Alnilam     26       1.68    1359
  Alnitak     20       1.70/~4/4.21    800
  Saiph     11       2.06    724

Belt

Main article: Orion's Belt
Orion's Belt
Closeup Image of Orion's Belt

Orion's Belt or The Belt of Orion is an asterism within the constellation. It consists of the three bright stars Zeta (Alnitak), Epsilon (Alnilam), and Delta (Mintaka). Alnitak is around 800 light years away from earth and is 100,000 times more luminous than the Sun; much of its radiation is in the ultraviolet range, which the human eye cannot see.[41] Alnilam is approximately 1340 light years away from Earth, shines with magnitude 1.70, and with ultraviolet light is 375,000 times more luminous than the Sun.[40] Mintaka is 915 light years away and shines with magnitude 2.21. It is 90,000 times more luminous than the Sun and is a double star: the two orbit each other every 5.73 days.[39] Looking for Orion's Belt in the night sky is the easiest way to locate the constellation. In the Northern Hemisphere, Orion's Belt is best visible in the night sky during the month of January around 9:00 pm, when it is approximately around the local meridian.[1]

Just southwest of Alnitak lies Sigma Orionis, a multiple star system composed of five stars that have a combined apparent magnitude of 3.7 and lying 1150 light years distant. Southwest of Mintaka lies the quadruple star Eta Orionis.

Three stars compose a small triangle that marks the head. The apex is marked by Meissa (Lambda Orionis), a hot blue giant of spectral type O8 III and apparent magnitude 3.54, which lies some 1100 light years distant. Phi-1 and Phi-2 Orionis make up the base. Also nearby is the very young star FU Orionis.

North Arrow

Together the 'Alnitak, Alnilam, & Mintaka', the 'M42, M43' at the lower end form the tail of an arrow while 'Alnilam' form the head of the arrow. All together form an arrow that always points 'NORTH'. Therefore, it is used as navigational guide at night especially in the Sahara desert where there are not many natural signs.

Club

Stretching north from Betelgeuse are the stars that make up Orion's club. Mu Orionis marks the elbow, Nu and Xi mark the handle of the club, and Chi1 and Chi2 mark the end of the club. Just east of Chi1 is the Mira-type variable red giant U Orionis.

Shield

West from Bellatrix lie six stars all designated Pi Orionis (π1 Ori, π2 Ori, π3 Ori, π4 Ori, π5 Ori and π6 Ori) which make up Orion's shield.

Meteor showers

Around 20 October each year the Orionid meteor shower (Orionids) reaches its peak. Coming from the border with the constellation Gemini as many as 20 meteors per hour can be seen. The shower's parent body is Halley's Comet.[42]

Deep-sky objects

This view brings out many fainter features, such as Barnards loop.

Hanging from Orion's belt is his sword, consisting of the multiple stars θ1 and θ2 Orionis, called the Trapezium and the Orion Nebula (M42). This is a spectacular object that can be clearly identified with the naked eye as something other than a star. Using binoculars, its clouds of nascent stars, luminous gas, and dust can be observed. The Trapezium cluster has many newborn stars, including several brown dwarfs, all of which are at an approximate distance of 1,500 light-years. Named for the four bright stars that form a trapezoid, it is largely illuminated by the brightest stars, which are only a few hundred thousand years old. Observations by the Chandra X-ray Observatory show both the extreme temperatures of the main stars—up to 60,000 Kelvin—and the star forming regions still extant in the surrounding nebula.[43]

M78 (NGC 2068) is a nebula in Orion. With an overall magnitude of 8.0, it is significantly dimmer than the Great Orion Nebula that lies to its south; however, it is at approximately the same distance, at 1600 light-years from Earth. It can easily be mistaken for a comet in the eyepiece of a telescope. M78 is associated with the variable star V351 Orionis, whose magnitude changes are visible in very short periods of time.[44] Another fairly bright nebula in Orion is NGC 1999, also close to the Great Orion Nebula. It has an integrated magnitude of 10.5 and is 1500 light-years from Earth. The variable star V380 Orionis is embedded in NGC 1999.[45]

Another famous nebula is IC 434, the Horsehead Nebula, near ζ Orionis. It contains a dark dust cloud whose shape gives the nebula its name.

Besides these nebulae, surveying Orion with a small telescope will reveal a wealth of interesting deep-sky objects, including M43, M78, as well as multiple stars including Iota Orionis and Sigma Orionis. A larger telescope may reveal objects such as Barnard's Loop and the Flame Nebula (NGC 2024), as well as fainter and tighter multiple stars and nebulae.

All of these nebulae are part of the larger Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, which is located approximately 1,500 light-years away and is hundreds of light-years across. It is one of the most intense regions of stellar formation visible within our galaxy.

Future

Orion is located on the celestial equator, but it will not always be so located due to the effects of precession of the Earth's axis. Orion lies well south of the ecliptic, and it only happens to lie on the celestial equator because the point on the ecliptic that corresponds to the June solstice is close to the border of Gemini and Taurus, to the north of Orion. Precession will eventually carry Orion further south, and by AD 14000 Orion will be far enough south that it will become invisible from the latitude of Great Britain.[46]

Further in the future, Orion's stars will gradually move away from the constellation due to proper motion. However, Orion's brightest stars all lie at a large distance from the Earth on an astronomical scale—much farther away than Sirius, for example. Orion will still be recognizable long after most of the other constellations—composed of relatively nearby stars—have distorted into new configurations, with the exception of a few of its stars eventually exploding as supernovae, for example Betelgeuse, which is predicted to explode sometime in the next million years.[47]

See also

References

Explanatory notes
  1. ^ The determiner glyph for "constellation" or "star" in these lists is MUL (𒀯). See Babylonian star catalogues.
Citations
  1. ^ a b Dolan, Chris. "Orion". Archived from the original on 2011-11-28. Retrieved 2011-11-28. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ Rappenglück, Michael (2001). "The Anthropoid in the Sky: Does a 32,000 Years Old Ivory Plate Show the Constellation Orion Combined with a Pregnancy Calendar". Symbols, Calendars and Orientations: Legacies of Astronomy in Culture. IXth Annual meeting of the European Society for Astronomy in Culture (SEAC). Uppsala Astronomical Observatory. pp. 51–55. {{cite conference}}: Unknown parameter |booktitle= ignored (|book-title= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ "The Decorated Plate of the Geißenklösterle, Germany". UNESCO: Portal to the Heritage of Astronomy. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  4. ^ Whitehouse, David (January 21, 2003). "'Oldest star chart' found". BBC. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  5. ^ John H. Rogers, "Origins of the ancient contellations: I. The Mesopotamian traditions", Journal of the British Astronomical Association 108 (1998) 9–28
  6. ^ Babylonian Star-lore by Gavin White, Solaria Pubs, 2008, page 218ff & 170
  7. ^ a b c The Oxford Guide: Essential Guide to Egyptian Mythology, Edited by Donald B. Redford, p302-307, Berkley, 2003, ISBN 0-425-19096-X
  8. ^ a b Mackenzie, Donald A. (1907). "Triumph of the Sun God". Egyptian Myth and Legend. Gresham Pub. Co. pp. 167–168. ISBN 0-517-25912-5. {{cite book}}: External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ http://www.coldwaterschools.org/lms/planetarium/myth/orion.html;[dead link‍] http://www.constellationsofwords.com/Constellations/Orion.html
  10. ^ Vahan Kurkjian, "History of Armenia," Michigan, 1968
  11. ^ Peake's commentary on the Bible, 1962, page 260 section 221f.
  12. ^ Star Tales – Orion
  13. ^ Staal 1988, pp. 61–62.
  14. ^ Mystery of the Sphinx. Documentary 2005. Morningstar Entertainment.
  15. ^ Metlitzki, Dorothee (1977). The Matter of Araby in Medieval England. United States: Yale University Press. p. 79. ISBN 0-300-11410-9.
  16. ^ Kaler, James B., "SAIPH (Kappa Orionis)", Stars, University of Illinois, retrieved 2012-01-27
  17. ^ 漢語大字典 Hànyǔ Dàzìdiǎn (in Chinese), 1992 (p.163). 湖北辭書出版社和四川辭書出版社 Húbĕi Cishu Chūbǎnshè and Sìchuān Cishu Chūbǎnshè, re-published in traditional character form by 建宏出版社 Jiànhóng Publ. in Taipei, Taiwan; ISBN 957-813-478-9
  18. ^ Holay, P. V. "Vedic astronomers". Bulletin of the Astronomical Society of India. 26: 91–106. Bibcode:1998BASI...26...91H.
  19. ^ Toroczkai-Wigand Ede : Öreg csillagok ("Old stars"), Hungary (1915) reedited with Műszaki Könyvkiadó METRUM (1988).
  20. ^ Schön, Ebbe. (2004). Asa-Tors hammare, Gudar och jättar i tro och tradition. Fält & Hässler, Värnamo. p. 228.
  21. ^ Ismo Elo. "Tähdet ja tähdistöt". Ursa.fi. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  22. ^ a b Staal 1988, p. 63.
  23. ^ Moser, Mary B.; Stephen A. Marlett (2005). Comcáac quih yaza quih hant ihíip hac: Diccionario seri-español-inglés (PDF) (in Spanish and English). Hermosillo, Sonora and Mexico City: Universidad de Sonora and Plaza y Valdés Editores.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  24. ^ a b "Home - El Nuevo Día". Elnuevodia.com. Retrieved October 16, 2013.
  25. ^ "Encyclopedia of Arda: Swordsman of the Sky". Glyphweb.com. 1999-11-27. Retrieved 2012-05-16.
  26. ^ Three Kings and the Cape Clouds at psychohistorian.org
  27. ^ "Orion, Constellation Boundary". The Constellations. International Astronomical Union. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  28. ^ Russell, Henry Norris (1922). "The New International Symbols for the Constellations". Popular Astronomy. 30: 469–71. Bibcode:1922PA.....30..469R.
  29. ^ Ellyard, David; Tirion, Wil (2008) [1993]. The Southern Sky Guide (3rd ed.). Port Melbourne, Victoria: Cambridge University Press. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-521-71405-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  30. ^ A Beginner's Guide to the Heavens in the Southern Hemisphere
  31. ^ The Evening Sky Map Southern Hemisphere Edition
  32. ^ Orion Constellation
  33. ^ a b c d e f Staal 1988, p. 61.
  34. ^ a b "Variable Star of the Month, Alpha Ori". Variable Star of the Season. American Association of Variable Star Observers. 2000. Retrieved 2009-02-26. [dead link‍]
  35. ^ "Betelgeuse". Chris Dolan's Constellations. University of Wisconsin. 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-26.
  36. ^ "Rigel". Jim Kaler's Stars. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Campus. 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-26.[dead link‍]
  37. ^ "Bellatrix". Chris Dolan's Constellations. University of Wisconsin. 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-26.
  38. ^ a b "Bellatrix". Jim Kaler's Stars. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Campus. 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-26.[dead link‍]
  39. ^ a b c "Mintaka". Jim Kaler's Stars. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Campus. 2009. Archived from the original on 2011-11-28. Retrieved 2011-11-28. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  40. ^ a b c "Alnilam". Jim Kaler's Stars. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Campus. 2009. Archived from the original on 2011-11-28. Retrieved 2011-11-28. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  41. ^ "Alnitak". Stars.astro.illinois.edu. Retrieved 2012-05-16.
  42. ^ Jenniskens, Peter (September 2012). "Mapping Meteoroid Orbits: New Meteor Showers Discovered". Sky & Telescope: 22.
  43. ^ Wilkins, Jamie; Dunn, Robert (2006). 300 Astronomical Objects: A Visual Reference to the Universe (1st ed.). Buffalo, New York: Firefly Books. ISBN 978-1-55407-175-3. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  44. ^ Levy 2005, pp. 99–100.
  45. ^ Levy 2005, p. 107.
  46. ^ "Precession". Myweb.tiscali.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-05-16.
  47. ^ Wilkins, Alasdair. "Earth may soon have a second sun". io9. Space Porn.
Bibliography
  • Ian Ridpath and Wil Tirion (2007). Stars and Planets Guide, Collins, London. ISBN 978-0-00-725120-9. Princeton Universitl Press, Princeton. ISBN 978-0-691-13556-4.
  • Staal, Julius D.W. (1988), The New Patterns in the Sky, McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company, ISBN 0-939923-04-1
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