Orion easy to hunt down in winter night sky

William Atkins
Saturday, 17 January 2009 20:05

Science - Space

Orion (“The Hunter”) is a prominent constellation that is easily visible throughout the world. As one of the largest and most recognizable constellations in the winter night sky, the three stars that make up Orion’s Belt are easily conspicuous in the southeastern night sky.



The name Orion comes from Greek mythology, the hunter Orion or the Celestial Warrior.

The bright and distinctive configuration that makes up Orion has been around for over 1.5 million years. Consequently, it is a part of the long history and colorful mythologies of ancient human observations of the night sky.

For instance, according to Greek mythology, the hunter Orion died after being stung by a scorpion. Consequently, he was placed in the night sky so that he sets in the west while Scorpius, his scorpion slayer, comes up in the eastern sky.

While in the sky, Orion is now seen fighting Taurus the Bull.

In the mid-northern latitudes of Earth, Orion is visible in the evening from October to January.

For a sky map of Orion, please go to EarthSky.org.

The three bright bluish stars that make up Orion’s Bel (or asterism)—Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka—point south to the star Sirius (the Dog Star) and in the opposite direction, northward, to the Hyades and Pleiades of Taurus.

Page two continues with more stars and nebulae that comprise Orion the Hunter.