Orion's Belt | |
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![]() 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 ascension | 05h 00m 00s[1] |
Declination | −05° 00′ 00″[1] |
Physical characteristics | |
Associations | |
Constellation | Orion |
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]
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