Orion (constellation)

Orion, a constellation often referred to as The Hunter, is a prominent constellation, perhaps the best-known in the sky. Its brilliant stars are found on the celestial equator and are visible throughout the world, making this constellation universally recognized.

Orion is standing next to the river Eridanus with his two hunting dogs Canis Major and Canis Minor, fighting Taurus the bull. Other prey of his, such as Lepus the hare, can be found nearby.

In Australia, the belt and sword of Orion are sometimes called the Saucepan, because the stars of Orion's belt and sword resemble this kitchen utensil as seen from the southern hemisphere. Orion's Belt is called "The Three Kings" (or "The Magi") in some places and, in South America, it is known as "Las Tres Marias" or "As Três Marias" (The Three Marys), in honor of Mary of Nazareth, Mary Magdalene, and Mary of Bethany, three major New Testament figures.

The name Orion comes from Akkadian Uru-anna "light of heaven".

Notable features

The constellation is extremely rich in bright stars and in deep-sky objects. Here are some of its stars:

λ Ori (Meissa) is Orion's head.
α Ori (Betelgeuse), at its right shoulder, is a red star, larger than the orbit of Venus. Although it is the α-star, it is somewhat fainter than Rigel. Betelgeuse is actually a sextuple star (other studies say it has only two companions, and the existence of any companion at all is disputed), but its companions are too small to be easily seen. It forms a point of the Winter Triangle.
γ Ori (Bellatrix), "warrior woman", is at Orion's left shoulder.
ζ Ori (Alnitak), ε Ori (Alnilam) and δ Ori (Mintaka) make up the asterism known as Orion's Belt: three bright stars in a row; even from these alone one can recognize Orion.
η Ori (Eta Orionis), between Delta Orionis and Rigel.
κ Ori (Saiph) is at Orion's right knee.
β Ori (Rigel), at the constellation's left knee, is a large blue-white star, among the brightest in the sky. It has three companions, also difficult to see.
ι Ori (Hatsya) is at the tip of Orion's sword.

The major stars of Orion are all very similar in age and physical characteristics, suggesting that they may have a common origin. Betelgeuse is the single exception to this.

Orion is very useful in locating other stars. By extending the line of the Belt southeastward, Sirius (α CMa) can be found; northwestward, Aldebaran (α Tau). A line eastward across the two shoulders indicates the direction of Procyon (α CMi). A line from Rigel through Betelgeuse points to Castor and Pollux (α Gem and β Gem). Additionally, Betelgeuse forms part of the Winter Triangle, and Rigel is part of the Winter Circle. Sirius and Procyon, which may be located from Orion by tracing lines, also are points in both the Triangle and the Circle.

Notable deep sky objects

Hanging from Orion's belt is his sword, consisting of the multiple stars θ1 and θ2 Orionis, called Trapezium and the nearby Orion Nebula (M42). This is a spectacular object which can be clearly identified with the naked eye as something other than a star; using a pair of binoculars, its swirling clouds of nascent stars, luminous gas, and dust can be observed.

Another famous nebula is IC 434, the Horsehead Nebula, near ζ Orionis. It contains a dark dust cloud whose shape gives the nebula its name.

Besides these nebulae, surveying Orion with a small telescope will reveal a wealth of interesting deep sky objects, including Barnard's Loop, M43, M78 and the Flame Nebula (NGC 2024).

All of these nebulae are part of the larger Orion Molecular Cloud Complex which is located approximately 1,500 light years away and is hundreds of light years across. It is one of the most intense regions of stellar formation visible in our galaxy.

History

The configurations of the constellation Orion roughly formed about 1.5 million years ago, because of relative slow movements of stars within the constellation from earth's perspective (especially the belt of Orion), constellation Orion will remain visible in the night sky for the next 1 to 2 millions years, making the constellation one of the longest observable constellation parallel to the rise of human civilization. (result generated from SkyChart III).

Being such a brilliant pattern of stars, Orion was recognized by many ancient civilizations, though with different images.

The ancient Sumerians saw this star pattern as a sheep, while in ancient China, Orion was one of the 28 zodiac signs Xiu (宿). Known as Shen (參), literally meaning "three", it is believed to be named so for the three stars located in Orion's belt. (See Chinese constellation)

The stars were associated with Osiris, the god of death and underworld, by the ancient Egyptians. The Giza pyramid complex, which consists of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure, is said to be a sky-map of the Belt of Orion, that is, of Osiris.

Orion the Hunter has been a common theme in Europe, where it was known by different names of cutlurally significant huntsmen: Greek Kandaon "god of war", Old Irish Caomai "the Armed King", Old Norse Orwandil, Old English Earendel, and Old Saxon Ebuðrung.

The "belt and sword" of Orion are frequently referred to in ancient and modern literature, and even found recognition as the shoulder insignia of the 27th Infantry Division of the United States Army during both World Wars, probably because the division's first commander was Major General John F. O'Ryan.

Mythology

Main article: Orion (mythology)

It is not very surprising to see such a prominent constellation to have more than one version of a story surrounding it in Greek mythology.

In one version, Artemis, the goddess of hunt and the moon fell in love with him and stopped doing her job of illuminating the sky at night. Her twin brother Apollo, seeing Orion swimming on the sea, dared his sister to strike what only appeared to be a spot on the waves. Not knowing it was Orion, Artemis shot an arrow and killed him. Later, when she found out what she did, she placed his body among the stars. The grief she felt explains why the moon looks so sad at night.

It may be that the naming of the constellation precedes the mythology in this case. It has been suggested that Orion is named from the Akkadian Uru-anna, the light of heaven, the name then passing into Greek mythology. As such, the myth surrounding Orion may derive simply from the relative positions of the constellations around it in the sky.

In some depictions, Orion appears to be composed of three bodies, having three arms ^*, two divergent legs, and a small central one, as well as the three bodies being bound at the waist. As such, together with other features of the area in the Zodiac sign of Gemini (i.e. the Milky Way, the deserted area now considered as the constellations Camelopardalis and Lynx, and the constellations Gemini, Auriga, and Canis Major), this may be the origin of the myth of the cattle of Geryon, which forms one of The Twelve Labours of Herakles.

In Finnish mythology the constellation of Orion is called the scythe of Väinämöinen. The term most likely comes from the fact it can be seen in the sky in early autumn, the time of haymaking.

In literature

The constellation is mentioned in Horace's Odes, Homer's Odyssey and Iliad, and Virgil's Aeneid.

The constellation of Orion also appears in Milton's Paradise Lost, and Tennyson's Locksley Hall, "Great Orion sloping slowly to the west".

The Bible mentions Orion 4 times: Job 9:9, Job 38:31 , Amos 5:8 and Isaiah 13:10.

The Romanian poet Geo Bogza devoted a poem to Orion.

In popular culture

Orion was one of four constellations depicted in a United States Postal Service commemorative stamp issue of October 2005 entitled "Constellations". (05_constellations37_f.jpg)
Orion is a protector in Jimmy Buffett's book The Jolly Mon.
Orion was the name given to the Aurora-class crusier that the Atlantis crew commandeered late in the second season of Atlantis.
Orion was the name of the cat in the movie Men in Black.
In the Star Trek fictional universe, Orion is home to a civilization of green-skin humanoids that practice a slave trade using their women.
In the movie Blade Runner, the dying Replicant portrayed by Rutger Hauer tells Harrison Ford's character that he "has seen things you people wouldn't believe, attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion."
"Orion" is the ultimate goal in the "Master of Orion" series for DOS and PC

In music

The Sword of Orion is the name of a composition of music by composer Vangelis on his 1976 album, Albedo 0.39.
"The Arms of Orion" is the name of the song from the Batman Soundtrack (1989) performed by Prince and Sheena Easton. Additionally, it is a band from West Chester, Pennsylvania.
"Orion" is also the name of an instrumental composition by heavy metal band Metallica, on the album Master of Puppets.
The song "Untouchable Face" by Ani DiFranco, describes the alignment of billiard balls by saying "I see orion and say nothing".
Bruce Springsteen mentiones Orion in Devils & Dust (2005).

Stars

Stars with proper names

(58/α Ori) 0.45 – variable Betelgeuse Beteiguex or Mankib Mankib

< misreading of يد الجوزاء yad al-jauzā´ Hand of the central one a history of the error, see the article.

< منكب mankib shoulder

(19/β Ori) 0.18 Rigel or Algebar ^*

< رِجل الجبار rijlal-jabbār Leg of the mighty [one

(24/γ Ori) 1.64 Bellatrix

< bellātrix The (female) warrior/amazon

(34/δ Ori) – double 2.25 & 6.85 Mintaka Mintika

< منطقة minţaqa^* Belt (west end)

(46/ε Ori) 1.69 Alnilam Alnitam

< النظام an-niz̧ām The arrangement pearls

(50/ζ Ori) – double 1.74, 4.21 Alnitak ^*

< النطاق an-niţāq: The belt (east end)

(41/θ¹ Ori) Trapezium – multiple star 4.98, 5.13, 6.71, 7.96

< trapezium < τραπέζιον

(28/η Ori) 3.35 Saif al Jabbar or Algiebba

< سيف الجبار saif al-jabbār Sword of the mighty ^*

(44/ι Ori) 2.75 Hatsya or Na'ir al Saif

Na'ir al Saif < نير السيف nair^* as-saif Tip of the sword

(53/κ Ori) 2.07 Saiph

< سيف saif sword

(39/λ Ori) – double 3.39, 5.61 Meissa or Heka

< ? al-maisan The shining one

< ? al-haq'ah The white spot

(1/π³ Ori) 3.19 Tabit or Hassaleh – nearby

< الثابت aθ-θābit The endurer (fixed/constant one)

(36/υ Ori) 4.62 Thabit ^* (see π³ Ori)

< الثابت aθ-θābit The endurer (fixed/constant one)

Stars with Bayer designations

43/θ² Ori 4.98; 61/μ Ori 4.12; 67/ν Ori 4.42; 70/ξ Ori 4.45; 4/ο¹ Ori 4.71; 9/ο² Ori 4.06; 7/π¹ Ori 4.64; 2/π² Ori 4.35; 3/π⁴ Ori 3.68; 8/π⁵ Ori 3.71; 10/π⁶ Ori 4.47; 17/ρ¹ Ori 4.46; 48/σ Ori – double 3.77, 6.65; 20/τ Ori 3.59; 54/χ¹ Ori 4.39 – nearby; 62/χ² Ori 4.64; 37/φ¹ Ori 4.39; 40/φ² Ori 4.09; 30/ψ Ori 4.59; 47/ω Ori 4.50; 51/b Ori 4.90; 42/c Ori 4.58; 49/d Ori 4.77; 29/e Ori 4.13; 69/f¹ Ori 4.95; 72/f² Ori 5.34; 6/g Ori 5.18; 16/h Ori 5.43; 14/i Ori 5.33; 74/k Ori 5.04; 75/l Ori 5.39; 23/m Ori – double 4.99, 7.12; 33/n¹ Ori 5.46; 38/n² Ori 5.32; 22/o Ori 4.72; 27/p Ori 5.07; 32/A Ori 4.20

Stars with Flamsteed designations

5 Ori 5.33; 11 Ori 4.65; 13 Ori 6.15; 15 Ori 4.81; 21 Ori 5.34; 25 Ori 4.89; 31 Ori 4.71; 35 Ori 5.60; 45 Ori 5.24; 52 Ori 5.26; 55 Ori 5.36; 56 Ori 4.76; 57 Ori 5.92; 59 Ori 5.89; 60 Ori 5.21; 63 Ori 5.67; 64 Ori 5.14; 66 Ori 5.63; 68 Ori 5.76; 71 Ori 5.20; 73 Ori 5.44; 77 Ori 5.19; 78 Ori 5.55

External links

Map of Orion
The Deep Photographic Guide to the Constellations: Orion
Anne Wright's page on Orion Note: Astrological perspective
Melbourne Planetarium: Orion Sky Tour
The clickable Orion

Orion constellation

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