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Nov 29, 2012 · The Orion Nebula (M42) is a huge cloud of dust and gas almost 25 light-years across inside which new stars are being formed. It is 1,344 light years distant and at the center of the nebula are four stars, known as “ The Trapezium ” which help to light up much of the nebula. 9. Orion is home to 2 meteor showers.
- Lepus
Lepus is a member of the Orion family of constellations,...
- Canis Major
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- Orion Nebula (M42)
The Orion Molecular Cloud Complex is a vast cloud of gas and...
- Top Deep-Sky Objects in Orion
Orion is one of the oldest recognized constellations and...
- Bellatrix
It is the 3rd brightest star in Orion, with an apparent...
- Orion Constellation Myths of Sumer, Babylon and Egypt
Orion Constellation Facts. The constellation of Orion is...
- Canis Minor
It can easily be found east of Orion, with other nearby...
- Delta Orionis
However, this kind of irreconcilable difference is not...
- Lepus
- Facts, Location and Map
- Orion Mythology
- Major Stars in Orion
- Deep Sky Objects in Orion
Orion is the 26th constellation in size, occupying an area of 594 square degrees. It is one of the 15 equatorial constellations. It is located in the first quadrant of the northern hemisphere (NQ1) and can be seen at latitudes between +85° and -75°. The neighboring constellations are Eridanus, Gemini, Lepus, Monoceros and Taurus. Orion belongs to t...
In Greek mythology, the hunter Orion was the most handsome of men. He was the son of the sea god Poseidon and Euryale, the daughter of King Minos of Crete. In Homer’s Odyssey, Orion is described as exceptionally tall and armed with an unbreakable bronze club. In one myth, Orion fell in love with the Pleiades, the seven sisters, daughters of Atlas a...
Rigel – β Orionis
Rigel is the brightest star in the constellation. With an apparent magnitude of 0.18, it is also the sixth brightest star in the sky. Even though it does not have the designation alpha, it is almost always brighter than Betelgeuse, Alpha Orionis. Rigel is really a star system composed of three stars. It has been a known visual binary since 1831, possibly even earlier, when F. G. Struve first measured it. Rigel is surrounded by a shell of expelled gas. The name Rigel comes from the Arabic phra...
Betelgeuse – α Orionis
Betelgeuse is the second brightest star in Orion and the eighth brightest star in the sky. It is a red supergiant, belonging to the spectral class M2lab. The suffix -ab indicates that Betelgeuse is classified as an intermediate luminous supergiant, one not as bright as others such as Deneb in the constellation Cygnus. Some recent findings, however, suggest that the star emits more light than 100,000 Suns, which would in fact make it more luminous than most stars in its class, so the classific...
Bellatrix – γ Orionis
Bellatrix, sometimes also known as the Amazon Star, is the third brightest star in Orion and the 27th brightest star in the sky, only slightly dimmer than Castor in Gemini. Its name comes from the Latin word for “the female warrior.” It has a mean apparent magnitude of 1.64 and is approximately 240 light years distant. Bellatrix is a hot, luminous blue-white giant star, classified as an eruptive variable. Its magnitude varies between 1.59 and 1.64. The star belongs to the spectral class B2 II...
Orion Molecular Cloud Complex
The Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, or simply the Orion Complex, is comprised of a large group of dark clouds, bright emission and reflection nebulae, dark nebulae, H II regions (large clouds showing recent star forming activity) and young stars in the constellation Orion. The Orion Complex is between 1,500 and 1,600 light years distant. Several parts of it – the famous Orion Nebula, for one – can be seen without binoculars. The Orion Molecular Cloud Complex contains most of the well-known dee...
Orion Nebula – Messier 42
The Orion Nebula, or Messier 42, is a diffuse emission reflection nebula located south of the three stars that form Orion’s Belt. Sometimes it is also called the Great Nebula or the Great Orion Nebula. The nebula is one of the brightest ones in the sky and can be seen without binoculars. It has a visual magnitude of 4.0 and is 1,344 light years distant from Earth. To the unaided eye, the Orion Nebula appears as the slightly blurry central “star” in Orion’s Sword, south of Orion’s Belt. Messie...
Trapezium Cluster
The Trapezium Cluster is a young, tight open star cluster located in the centre of the Orion Nebula. It is 47 arc seconds in size and has an apparent magnitude of 4.0. The cluster was first discovered by Galileo Galilei on February 4, 1617. He drew three of the stars (A, C and D), and the fourth one was added by observers in 1673. By 1888, eight stars were discovered in the cluster. The brightest five emit most of the light that illuminates the surrounding nebula. The Trapezium Cluster is eas...
- Humans Identified the Orion Constellation at Least 32,000 Years Ago. The stars in the Orion constellation formed millions of years ago, though humans started noticing them a bit later than that!
- Orion Is the 26th Largest Constellation. While Orion might be one of the most recognizable and well-known constellations in the sky, it’s far from the biggest.
- The Orion Constellation Takes Up 594 Square Degrees. Speaking of size, how do we determine how big a constellation is in the sky? By how many square degrees that it takes up!
- There Are 10 Named Stars in the Orion Constellation. While there are many stars in the Orion constellation, only 10 have formally recognized names: Alnilam, Alnitak, Bellatrix, Betelgeuse, Hatysa, Meissa, Mintaka, Rigel, Saiph, and Tabit.
Nov 4, 2021 · The Orion Nebula — a formation of dust, hydrogen, helium and other ionized gases rather than a star — is the middle "star" in Orion's sword, which hangs off of Orion's Belt.
Named after Orion, a mighty hunter in Greek mythology, Orion is a highly visible constellation in the night sky. It has seven bright stars that form an hourglass shape, including three in a straight line that make up his belt. Other stars are part of Orion, too, though they're lesser known than the big seven.
Dec 24, 2023 · Orion the Hunter is arguably the most recognizable constellation in the world. Orion lies on the celestial equator, making it visible from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Orion’s ...
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Orion, the Hunter, is by far the most famous seasonal constellation. No other is more distinct or bright as this northern winter constellation. The famous Orion's Belt makes the hunter easy to find in the night sky. Orion looks very much like a person. First, you should spot Orion's Belt, which is made of three bright stars in a straight line.