Orion's Belt

This article is about the group within the constellation Orion. For other uses, see Orion's Belt (disambiguation).

Orion's Belt
Orion's Belt and nebulosity, including the Flame Nebula (left) and Horsehead Nebula (lower left) named after a relatively small dark cloud, rotated 90° somewhat resembling a seahorse
Observation data
Right ascension05h 00m 00s[1]
Declination−05° 00′ 00″[1]
Physical characteristics
Associations
ConstellationOrion
See also: Open cluster, List of open clusters

Orion's Belt is an asterism in the constellation of Orion. Other names include the Belt of Orion, the Three Kings, and the Three Sisters.[1] The belt consists of three bright and easily identifiable collinear star systems – Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka – nearly equally spaced in a line, spanning an angular size of ~140′ (2.3°).[2]

Owing to the high surface temperatures of their constituent stars, the intense light emitted are blue-white in color, aiding in the recognition of the familiar astronomical motif. In spite of their spot-like appearance, only Alnilam is a single star; Alnitak is a triple star system, and Mintaka a hextuple. Each of the three owe their luminosity to the presence of one or more blue supergiants. The brightest as viewed from Sol is Alnilam, with an apparent magnitude of 1.69,[3] followed by Alnitak at 1.74[4] and Mintaka at 2.25.[5] Together, the 10 stars of the three systems has a combined luminosity of nearly one million times (~970,000) that of the Sun's.

Orion's Belt has been called various names and mentioned in various cultures and literature. It has played a central role in astral navigation in the Northern hemisphere since prehistoric times, being readily pointed out by even the most unstarwise wayfarer. As a matter of fact, it is often considered by astronomers to be among the clearest constellations in the winter sky,[6] although it is not visible during summer, when the Sun is too visually close.

The discredited archeological Orion correlation theory postulated a connection between the positions of the Giza pyramids and those of the belt, with the linkage shown to be spurious when placed within the proper historical context.[7]

  1. ^ a b c "Orion Constellation: Facts, location and stars of the hunter". Space.com. 4 November 2021. Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  2. ^ Zack, Malcolm; et al. (2018). Stargazing Under Suburban Skies, A Star-Hopper's Guide. Springer International Publishing. p. 102. ISBN 9783319901169.
  3. ^ Guide, Universe (25 January 2015). "Alnitak / Zeta Orionis Star Facts (Type, Distance, Magnitude, Age, Colour, Location and more) - Universe Guide". www.universeguide.com. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  4. ^ Guide, Universe (25 January 2015). "Alnitak / Zeta Orionis Star Facts (Type, Distance, Magnitude, Age, Colour, Location and more) - Universe Guide". www.universeguide.com. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  5. ^ Guide, Universe (25 January 2015). "Mintaka / Delta Orionis Star Facts (Type, Distance, Magnitude, Age, Mass, Colour, Location and more) - Universe Guide". www.universeguide.com. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  6. ^ "How to Find Orion's Belt in the Night Sky". HowStuffWorks. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  7. ^ Orofino, Vincenzo (28 September 2011). "A quantitative astronomical analysis of the Orion Correlation Theory". arXiv:1109.6266v2 [physics.hist-ph].