The asterism is easy to find because is part of one of the most prominent stellar patterns in the northern sky, the hourglass-shaped constellation figure of Orion. The asterism and the constellation dominate the evening sky from November to February. Robert Bauval has noticed that the least bright star in the western side of Orion’s Belt, Mintaka, is slightly out of line from the two. To prove his theory, Bauval used modern astronomical computer programs to see the position of the sky in Giza. He tried to look into the position of the sky in the supposed time when the Pyramids were being built, in 2500BC.

  • The Horsehead is backlit by the emission nebula IC 434 and is part of a large dust cloud catalogued as Lynds 1630 (LND 1630).
  • They culminate highest when seen from locations near the equator.
  • Therefore, Orion is visible from late autumn to the beginning of spring in both hemispheres.
  • Maybe while you’re stargazing you spot some of your favorite constellations.
  • Near Sirius and further up in the sky are the two brightest stars in Orion — the red supergiant star Betelgeuse, and Rigel, a blue supergiant star.

Why Choose Orion Stars Casino?

Aldebaran the brightest star in the constellation of Taurus the Bull. We can find this red star if we draw a line connecting Orion’s Belt and extending it to the side of Mintaka. There are about 6,000 in the night sky that are visible to the naked eye but only 58 are selected. Two of these stars orbit each other and the third component orbits the pair. It only takes 5.7 days for the first two stars to orbit around one another because they are close. Since these stars orbit each other, there will be times when one passes in front of the other and covers it from our line of sight here on Earth.

Alnitak  (ζ Orionis)

  • Another noticeable star you can find using Orion’s Belt is Aldebaran, a red giant star located in the constellation Taurus.
  • It’s one of the most recognizable constellations in the night sky and can be seen from around the world.
  • The young Trapezium Cluster at the centre of the nebula can be observed in small telescopes.
  • The belt is perhaps the most recognizable feature of Orion.
  • Rigel is also a young star, estimated to be 8 million years old.
  • If we extend the line forming Orion’s Belt, it does not exactly point to Aldebaran anymore, but to Mercury.
  • To prove his theory, Bauval used modern astronomical computer programs to see the position of the sky in Giza.

He dialed to the time in the Age of Leo, basing to the structure of the Sphinx, and found the exact alignment in 10500BC. One of the most fascinating mysteries related to Orion’s Belt is the Pyramids of Giza. This idea was popularized by Robert Bauval in the Orion Correlation Theory.
For observers in the southern hemisphere, the hourglass figure of Orion appears upside down. In January, Orion’s Belt appears high in the northeastern sky, parallel to the horizon, around 10 Orion’s Bet pm. By April, it moves to the northwest and sets earlier in the evening, appearing perpendicular to the horizon.

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In the Southern Hemisphere, it will be high above the northern horizon — Massey. During the winter months, Orion’s Belt and the Big Dipper are both prominent in the night sky. The constellations appear in different parts of the sky, with the bright Gemini and the faint Lynx between them. A line extended through the Big Dipper’s bowl leads to Castor, the second brightest star in Gemini. The brighter Pollux is part of the Winter Circle, a large hexagonal asterism also formed by Capella in Auriga, Aldebaran in Taurus, Rigel in Orion, Sirius in Canis Major, and Procyon in Canis Minor.

Names Related to Orion’s Belt

A line drawn through the Belt stars to the northwest leads to Aldebaran, the luminary of the constellation Taurus and the 14th brightest star in sky. Aldebaran appears as a member of the V-shaped Hyades cluster, which outlines the head of the Bull, but is much closer to us than the cluster. Rigel is also a young star, estimated to be 8 million years old. Like Betelgeuse, Rigel is much larger and heavier than our Sun.

What does the Orion constellation look like?

Continue from Orion’s Belt drawing a straight line until you reach a bright star — that’s Sirus. In Western culture, you may sometimes hear Orion’s Belt referred to as the Three Kings in a biblical reference or the three sisters. In Chinese mythology, Orion’s Belt goes by The Weighing Beam. Two books of the Bible — the Book of Job and the Book of Amos — mention Orion’s Belt, along with another well-known asterism, the Pleiades.

It shines at magnitude 6.85 and consists of a spectroscopic binary pair. The two components orbit each other with a period of about 30 days. Even though it is a young star, Alnilam is already approaching the end of its life.