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Bellatrix is the third-brightest star in the constellation of Orion, positioned 5° west of the red supergiant Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis). It has the Bayer designation γ Orionis, which is Latinized to Gamma Orionis. With a slightly variable magnitude of around 1.6, it is typically the 25th-brightest star in the night sky.
Jan 24, 2024 · The star’s surface is heated to a roaring 21,750 kelvin (40,000°F) — a difficult quantity to comprehend even though there are plenty of stars even hotter. By comparison, the Sun’s surface is about 5800K, giving it a white/yellow color. If Earth were orbiting Bellatrix, lighting conditions would be unusually blue.
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Bellatrix is a bluish main sequence star with the stellar classification B2 V. It has the spectrum of a giant, which is why a number of sources cite the spectral type of a giant, B2 III. Both the Simbad and NED databases give the spectral type B2 V, indicating that the star is still a hydrogen-fusing dwarf. Bellatrix has a mass 8.6 times that of th...
Bellatrix is one of the four Orion stars selected for navigation. The other three navigational stars in the constellation are the supergiants Rigel, Betelgeuse and Alnilam. Bellatrix was once believed to belong to the Orion OB1 association, like the stars of Orion’s Belt (Alnilam, Alnitak and Mintaka). However, at a distance of 250 light years, it ...
The name Bellatrix comes from the Latin bellātrix, meaning “female warrior.” The name was first mentioned in the works of the 9th century Persian astronomer Abu Maʿshar and their translations from Arabic into Castilian by John of Seville in the 12th century. In Abu Ma’shar’s writings, the name applied to Capella, but was switched to Gamma Orionis b...
Bellatrix is very easy to find because it is bright and part of one of the most familiar shapes in the night sky. It outlines Orion’s hourglass pattern with the bright Rigel, Betelgeuse, Saiph and the three stars of Orion’s Belt, Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka. Bellatrix marks the left shoulder of Orion, appearing right from our perspective, and is l...
Bellatrix is located in the constellation Orion. Representing the celestial Hunter, Orion is one of the most recognizable constellations in the sky. Known since prehistory, it is home to two of the 10 brightest stars in the sky – Rigel and Betelgeuse – and a number of well-known deep sky objects. These include the Orion Nebula (Messier 42), the nea...
- 0.21
- 0.86
- B2 V (B2 III)
- suspected
Of all the bright stars in Orion, Bellatrix is the first to rise in the eastern skies. The name Bellatrix derives from a Latin word meaning “female warrior.”. Its Arabic name, Al Najīd, means “the leader,” because it is the first of the constellation’s bright stars to rise in the sky. In Arab legends, the star is also called a ...
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
From Virginia Beach , Bellatrix is visible in the morning sky, becoming accessible around 21:08, when it reaches an altitude of 13° above your eastern horizon. It will then reach its highest point in the sky at 02:21, 59° above your southern horizon. It will be lost to dawn twilight around 05:47, 33° above your western horizon. Name Bellatrix.
- Orion
- 1.66 (V) [3]1.47 (BT) [2]1.63 (VT) [2]
- +06°20'59" [3]
- 05 h 25 m 07 s [3]
Bellatrix, also known as Gamma Orionis, is the third brightest star in Orion constellation, after Rigel and Betelgeuse. It is the 26th brightest star in the sky and has an apparent magnitude that varies from 1.59 to 1.64. It is one of the most easily recognisable stars, best seen in December and January. The Bellatrix star can be viewed with ...
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Mar 15, 2016 · Bellatrix (“female warrior”) is a bluish-white giant star located 250 light years away in the constellation of Orion, where it marks the giant’s western “shoulder”. It is the 3rd brightest star in Orion, with an apparent magnitudes of 1.64, but only the 27th most luminous star in the night sky.