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An engraving of Orion from Johann Bayer's Uranometria, 1603 (US Naval Observatory Library). In Greek mythology, Orion (/ ə ˈ r aɪ ə n /; Ancient Greek: Ὠρίων or Ὠαρίων; Latin: Orion) [1] was a giant huntsman whom Zeus (or perhaps Artemis) placed among the stars as the constellation of Orion.
Orion's Belt or The Belt of Orion is an asterism within the constellation. It consists of the three bright stars Zeta (Alnitak), Epsilon (Alnilam), and Delta (Mintaka). Alnitak is around 800 light years away from earth and is 100,000 times more luminous than the Sun and shines with magnitude 1.8; much of its radiation is in the ultraviolet ...
The constellation of Orion is said to still pursue them across the night sky. One of the most memorable myths involving the Pleiades is the story of how these sisters literally became stars, their catasterism .
Some Greek astronomers considered them to be a distinct constellation, and they are mentioned by Hesiod's Works and Days, [41] Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, [42] and the Geoponica. [43] The Pleiades was the most well-known "star" among pre-Islamic Arabs and so often referred to simply as "the Star" (an-Najm; النجم). [44]
Johann Bayer's Uranometria showing the constellation Orion. Orion the Hunter is star lore created by the ancient Greeks. Star lore or starlore is the creating and cherishing of mythical stories about the stars and star patterns (constellations and asterisms); that is, folklore based upon the stars and star patterns.
With the constellation representing the mythological Greek huntsman Orion, Rigel is his knee or (as its name suggests) foot; with the nearby star Beta Eridani marking Orion's footstool. [26] Rigel is presumably the star known as "Aurvandil's toe" in Norse mythology. [77]
Orion's Sword is a compact asterism in the constellation Orion. It comprises three stars ( 42 Orionis , Theta Orionis , and Iota Orionis ) and M42, the Orion Nebula , which together are thought to resemble a sword or its scabbard .
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°).