Orion (constellation) facts for kids

This article is about Orion (disambiguation). For other uses, see Orion (constellation) (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids
Orion
Constellation
List of stars in Orion
Abbreviation	Ori
Genitive	Orionis
Symbolism	Orion, the Hunter
Right ascension	5^h
Declination	+5°
Quadrant	NQ1
Area	594 sq. deg. (26th)
Main stars	7
Bayer/Flamsteed stars	81
Stars with planets	10
Stars brighter than 3.00^m	8
Stars within 10.00 pc (32.62 ly)	8
Brightest star	Rigel (β Ori) (0.12^m)
Messier objects	3
Meteor showers	Orionids 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.

Orion is a very famous group of stars you can see in the night sky. It looks like a giant hunter! It's one of the 88 modern constellations. Ancient astronomers, like Ptolemy in the 2nd century, also knew about it. Orion is named after a mighty hunter in Greek myths.

You can see Orion best during winter evenings if you live in the Northern Hemisphere. Its two brightest stars are Rigel and Betelgeuse. Both are among the brightest stars we can see. They are also supergiant stars, which are huge and very bright. Orion also has a famous group of three stars called Orion's Belt. Plus, it's home to the Orionids, a meteor shower linked to Halley's Comet. You can also find the amazing Orion Nebula here, which is one of the brightest nebulae (clouds of gas and dust) in the sky.

What is the Orion Constellation?
How to Find Stars Using Orion
Main Features of Orion
Orion in History and Mythology
How Orion is Depicted
The Future of Orion
Images for kids
See also

What is the Orion Constellation?

The constellation of Orion, as it can be seen by the naked eye. Lines have been drawn.

Orion is surrounded by other constellations. To its northwest is Taurus, and to its southwest is Eridanus. Lepus is to the south, Monoceros to the east, and Gemini to the northeast.

Orion covers a large area of the sky, making it the twenty-sixth largest constellation. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) gave it the short name "Ori" in 1922.

You can see Orion most clearly from January to April. This is winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. If you live near the equator, Orion appears directly overhead in December around midnight.

How to Find Stars Using Orion

Using Orion to find stars in neighbor constellations

Orion is super helpful for finding other bright stars in the sky.

If you draw a line from Orion's Belt towards the southeast, you'll find Sirius. Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky and is part of Canis Major.
If you extend the line of the Belt northwest, you'll find Aldebaran. This bright star is in the constellation Taurus.
A line drawn across Orion's two shoulders points towards Procyon. This star is in Canis Minor.
A line from Rigel (Orion's foot) through Betelgeuse (Orion's shoulder) points to Castor and Pollux. These are the two brightest stars in Gemini.

Rigel is also part of a larger pattern called the Winter Hexagon.

Main Features of Orion

Orion as depicted in Urania's Mirror, a set of star chart cards published in London c. 1825

Orion's seven brightest stars create a unique hourglass shape in the sky. Four stars – Rigel, Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, and Saiph – form a large rectangle. In the middle of this rectangle are the three stars of Orion's Belt: Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka.

Above the belt, a star called Meissa marks Orion's head. Hanging below the belt is a smaller line of three stars, known as Orion's Sword. The middle "star" in the sword is actually not a star at all, but the famous Orion Nebula!

Many of Orion's stars are very hot, bright blue supergiants. The stars in the belt and sword are part of a group called the Orion OB1 association. Betelgeuse, with its reddish color, might also be a part of this group.

Stars of the constellation by distance (red-green 3D view) and the brightness of each star (star size)

Brightest Stars in Orion

Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis) is a huge red supergiant star. It's almost at the end of its life. It's the second brightest star in Orion and acts as the hunter's right shoulder. Betelgeuse is usually the eleventh brightest star in the night sky. Scientists think it will explode as a supernova sometime in the next 100,000 years. When it does, it will be so bright it might even be seen during the day!
Rigel (Beta Orionis) is a blue supergiant star. It's the seventh brightest star in the night sky. Like Betelgeuse, Rigel is also nearing the end of its life. It might also explode as a supernova or become a white dwarf star. Rigel marks the hunter's left foot.
Bellatrix (Gamma Orionis) is the twenty-seventh brightest star in the night sky. It's a blue giant star, but it's not big enough to explode as a supernova. Bellatrix is known as Orion's left shoulder. Its name means "female warrior." It's the closest major star in Orion, about 245 light years away.
Mintaka (Delta Orionis) is the faintest of the three stars in Orion's Belt. Its name means "the belt." Mintaka is actually a multiple star system, meaning it's made of several stars orbiting each other. It's also an eclipsing binary star, which means its brightness changes when one star passes in front of another. Mintaka is the westernmost star in Orion's Belt.
Alnilam (Epsilon Orionis) is the middle and brightest star in Orion's Belt. Its name means "string of pearls." Alnilam is a blue supergiant. Even though it's very far away (about 1,344 light years), it's incredibly bright.
Alnitak (Zeta Orionis) means "the girdle" and is the easternmost star in Orion's Belt. It's a triple star system. Its main star is a very hot blue supergiant.
Saiph (Kappa Orionis) marks Orion's right foot. It's similar in size and distance to Rigel, but it appears much fainter. Its name means "sword of the giant."
Meissa (Lambda Orionis) forms Orion's head. It's also a multiple star system. Its name means "the shining one."

8 Brightest Stars of Orion
Proper name	Bayer designation	Light years	Apparent magnitude
Betelgeuse	α Orionis	548	0.50
Rigel	β Orionis	863	0.13
Bellatrix	γ Orionis	250	1.64
Mintaka	δ Orionis	1,200	2.23
Alnilam	ε Orionis	1,344	1.69
Alnitak	ζ Orionis	1,260	1.77
Saiph	κ Orionis	650	2.09
Meissa	λ Orionis	1,320	3.33

Orion's Belt

Orion's Belt Orion's Belt is a famous asterism (a recognizable pattern of stars) within the constellation. It's made of three bright stars: Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka.

Alnitak is about 800 light years away. It's 100,000 times brighter than our Sun.
Alnilam is about 2,000 light years away. It's 375,000 times brighter than the Sun.
Mintaka is 915 light years away. It's 90,000 times brighter than the Sun.

In the Northern Hemisphere, Orion's Belt is easiest to see in January around 9:00 pm.

Orion's Sword

Orion's Sword hangs from the belt. It contains the famous Orion Nebula, the Messier 43 nebula, and the Running Man Nebula. It also includes the stars Theta Orionis, Iota Orionis, and 42 Orionis.

Other Parts of Orion

Head: Three stars form a small triangle for Orion's head. The brightest is Meissa (Lambda Orionis).
Club: Stars stretching north from Betelgeuse form Orion's club. Mu Orionis is the elbow, and other stars like Nu and Xi make up the handle.
Shield: West of Bellatrix are six stars called Pi Orionis. These stars form Orion's shield.

Meteor Showers from Orion

Around October 20 each year, the Orionid meteor shower reaches its peak. You can see up to 20 meteors per hour. These meteors are tiny pieces of dust left behind by Halley's Comet.

Amazing Deep-Sky Objects in Orion

This view brings out many fainter features, such as Barnard's Loop.

Hanging from Orion's belt is his sword, which includes the amazing Orion Nebula (M42). You can see this nebula with your bare eyes as a fuzzy patch, not just a single star. If you use binoculars, you can see its clouds of gas and dust where new stars are being born. The Orion Nebula is about 1,500 light-years away. It's lit up by very young, bright stars inside it.

M78 (NGC 2068) is another nebula in Orion. It's dimmer than the Great Orion Nebula but is about the same distance from Earth.

Another famous nebula is IC 434, known as the Horsehead Nebula. It's near the star Alnitak. It has a dark cloud of dust shaped like a horse's head.

All these nebulae are part of a huge area called the Orion molecular cloud complex. This area is about 1,500 light-years away and is one of the most active places in our galaxy where new stars are forming.

Orion in History and Mythology

The unique shape of Orion has been recognized by many cultures around the world. Many myths and stories are linked to it.

Ancient Stories of Orion

Orion (constellation) Art

Babylonians: In ancient Babylon, Orion was called The Heavenly Shepherd.
Ancient Egypt: The Egyptians saw Orion's stars as a god named Sah. Sah was often linked to Osiris, a very important god.
Armenians: The Armenians connected Orion with their legendary ancestor, Hayk.
Bible: The Bible mentions Orion three times, calling it "Kesil."
Greek Mythology: In Greek mythology, Orion was a giant, super-strong hunter. One story says that Gaia, the Earth goddess, sent a scorpion to kill Orion because he boasted he would hunt every animal. This is why the constellations of Scorpius (the scorpion) and Orion are never seen in the sky at the same time.

Orion Around the World

As depicted in the 962 A.D. Persian astronomical text Book of Fixed Stars. In this representation Orion is shown as on a globe, so it appears reversed by comparison with its appearance in the sky.

Medieval Muslim Astronomy: In the Middle East, Orion was known as al-jabbar, meaning "the giant."
China: In China, Orion was called Shen, meaning "three," referring to the three stars of Orion's Belt.
India: The ancient Indian text Rigveda calls Orion Mriga (The Deer). Some also see Nataraja, a cosmic dancer, as a representation of Orion.
European Folklore: In Hungary, Orion is known as "Archer" or "Reaper," or even Nimrod, a great hunter. In Scandinavia, Orion's belt was called "Frigg's Distaff" or "Freyja's distaff." The Finns call Orion's belt "Väinämöinen's Belt."
Americas: The Seri people in Mexico call the belt stars Hapj (a hunter) and his prey. In many Spanish-speaking countries, the three belt stars are called "Las tres Marías" (The Three Marys). In Puerto Rico, they are "Los Tres Reyes Magos" (The Three Wise Men). The Ojibwa Native Americans call Orion "Kabibona'kan," the Winter Maker. The Lakota see Orion's Belt as the spine of a bison.
Austronesian: In Polynesia, the seven main stars of Orion form a child's string figure. In the Philippines, the belt was called "balatik," like a pig trap. The Māori connect the star Rigel (Puanga) with the start of their new year. In Java, Orion is called Lintang Waluku or Bintang Bajak, meaning "paddy field plow."

Orion in Modern Times

Orion's image is used in popular culture. For example, the film company Orion Pictures uses the constellation as its logo.

How Orion is Depicted

Orion in the 9th century Leiden Aratea

In art, Orion is often shown standing near the river Eridanus. He is usually with his two hunting dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor, and fighting Taurus the Bull. Sometimes, he is shown hunting Lepus the hare.

People in the Southern Hemisphere see Orion upside down compared to those in the north. There, the belt and sword are sometimes called the "saucepan" or "pot." In South Africa, the belt is known as Drie Konings (Three Kings).

The Future of Orion

Orion is currently located near the celestial equator. However, because of Earth's slow wobble (called precession), Orion will slowly move further south in the sky. By the year 14000 AD, people in Great Britain won't be able to see Orion anymore.

Even further in the future, the stars of Orion will move away from each other due to their own motion. But because Orion's brightest stars are so far away, the constellation will still be recognizable long after many other constellations have changed their shapes. Some of its stars, like Betelgeuse, are expected to explode as supernovae within the next million years.

Images for kids

Click on to see large image.