The Orion Constellation

Orion is clearly visible in the night sky of both hemispheres from November to February. Finding Orion’s Belt is the easiest way to locate the constellation of Orion.

Orion’s Belt is formed by three bright stars: Alnilam, Mintaka and Alnitak. Orion can be located in the southwestern sky if you are in the Northern Hemisphere or the northwestern sky if you are in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s best seen between latitudes of 85 and -75 degrees. Its right ascension is five hours, and its declination is minus five degrees.

Betelgeuse, the secondbrightest star in Orion, establishes the right shoulder of the Hunter, while Bellatrix serves as Orion’s left shoulder. Other stars in the constellation include Hatsya, which establishes the tip of Orion’s Sword, which hangs off his belt, and Meissa, which forms Orion’s head. Saiph serves as Orion’s right knee. Rigel, Orion’s brightest star, forms the Hunter’s left knee.

With just one exception, all of the main stars in Orion are bright, young blue giants or supergiants, ranging in distance from Bellatrix, at 243 light years, to Alnilam, which is 1,360 light years distant. The exception is the star Betelgeuse, which is a red giant and one of the largest known stars. Observers with a keen eye should be able to see the difference in colour between Betelgeuse and all the other stars in Orion. The Orion Nebula is located around 1,345 light years away from Earth.