Constellation Chart

The Hunter

One of the best known and most recognisable star-patterns in the sky, Orion represents an heroic hunter of Greek myth. Lying on the edge of the Milky Way, this constellation is rich in bright stars and nebulae.

In Greek myth, Orion was a giant who hunted the wild animals of the earth. He was the enemy of Artemis the huntress, who according to some tales was responsible for his death. Other stories, though, tell how he pursued the daughters of Pleione - the Pleiades - and with them was turned into a constellation to chase them forever across the sky. The origins of Orion as a celestial figure predate even the ancient Greeks. It is thought, for example, that the Egyptians revered this constellation as the heavenly embodiment of their god Osiris.

Stars In Orion

Orion contains some of the best known stars in the sky, with perhaps the most famous being the variable red giant Betelgeuse, which marks Orion's left shoulder. At his right shoulder is another variable star, this time blue in colour, known as Bellatrix. At Orion's right foot is yet another famous star, blue like Bellatrix: the supergiant Rigel. A key feature of Orion's constellation is his Belt of three bright stars that form a nearly straight line across its central parts. These stars are Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka, three very distant but very luminous bodies. Beneath Alnilam (the central star of the Belt) is the Sword of Orion - a vertical line of fainter stars and nebulosity. In addition to its better known stellar features, Orion also contains a bow-shaped array of less prominent stars to the west of the constellation's main body, which are said to represent the hunter's cape or shield. To the north, where the Milky Way passes through the constellation, a less clearly defined star-group supposedly describe's Orion's club.

Nebula's In Orion

Sh2-276

This image has been captured the whole figure of Barnard's Loop surrounding the southern region of Orion. The Loop has a real size of 440 by 280 light years in ellipse. And I've enhanced red channel of this image intentionally. The Barnard's Loop is bright in northern region and can be taken clearer than southern part. And this image shows you the extraordinary dimmed gaseous matter is distributed between the Great Orion Nebula (M42) and the outer shell of the Loop in southern region. It's considered that the Barnard's Loop is a spreading hydrogen gas by a supernova explosion occurred around between the Great Orion Nebula and the Horse head Nebula about a million years ago. And maybe the dimmed nebulosities may be left matter in a process of the diffusion of "Blast". The Barnard's Loop has a catalogue number of Sh2-276, but it's a number of only northern regions, the southern remaining part has no identifying numbers.

Great Orion Nebula (M42)

This image presents you the most splendid sky field in winter. The Great Orion Nebula (M42) can be seen at the lower right-hand side. And the vast and very dimmed hydrogen gaseous region is spread around the field of central Orion from the Great Orion Nebula to the Horse Head Nebula. The field is central region of so-called "The Orion Association", and contains many inter-stellar matter and young stars. I've emphasized the red color in this picture.

M43

M43 is part of the much larger Orion Nebula complex. This section features a an extremely bright OB star that is creating a matter bound Stromgren sphere. This means that the star is ionizing the gas that is near it- making a sphere of glowing (pink) hydrogen gas. The size of this sphere is determined by the density of gas/dust that surrounds the star. Another good example of this process can be found in IC 1274. M43 and the Orion Nebula are around 1,500 light years away. Many new stars will be formed from these clouds of gas.

M78 (NGC2068)

M78 (NGC2068) is a faint reflection nebula about 2.5 degree NE of Altanik (zeta Ori) with a size of 8 arc minutes. The nebula is fairly striking because vast dark nebula conceals stars around M78. The Barnard's loop is a faint and gigantic ring nebula with a diameter of over 18 degrees, which covers whole of eastern Orion. Its shape can be detected only by photo films, it's considered that the Barnard's loop is a remnant of supernova exploded about one million years ago. This picture shows you a north end of the loop; it's the deepest region in this inter-stellar gas. Detailed structure of M78

Flame Nebula (NGC 2024)

What lights up the Flame Nebula? Fifteen hundred light years away towards the constellation of Orion lies a nebula which, from its glow and dark dust lanes, appears like a billowing fire. But fire, the rapid acquisition of oxygen, is not what makes this Flame glow. Rather the bright star Alnitak, the easternmost star in the Belt of Orion visible to the nebula's right, shines energetic light into the Flame that knocks electrons away from the great clouds of hydrogen gas that reside there. Much of the glow results when the electrons and ionized hydrogen recombine. The above false-color picture of the Flame Nebula (NGC 2024) was taken in infrared light, where a young star cluster becomes visible. The Flame Nebula is part of the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, a star-forming region that includes the famous Horsehead Nebula.

IC426

This shot has captured a star field just 1 degree east of Mintaka, the western star of Orion's belt. You can see some of dimmed reflection nebulae here. A round one on left hand side is IC426,

Horsehead Nebula (IC434)

The Horsehead Nebula", a reddish nebula as a background of the horsehead-shaped dark cloud is registered in a catalogue as IC434, that is spread to about 3.5 degree SW, around The Great Orion Nebula. It's extremely difficult to detect with our eyes.

IC2162

IC2162 is a compact diffused nebula lying around the tip of Orion's cudgel. The nebula is positioned at only 2.5 degrees south of "Monkey nebula" belongs to same Orion. Though IC2162 has a smaller size of 15 arc minutes than that of Monkey nebula, fairly photogenic object. But the nebula has fewer characteristics in its shape and has no familiar nicknames like "Monkey nebula", not well known in amateur observers. This picture tells us that IC2162 consists of three round nebulae paralleling in east-west direction.

NGC1999

A small reflection nebula only 1degree SSE of the Great Orion Nebula(M42) is named NGC1999. The nebula has an apparent diameter of only 1 arc minute. This object looks like a compact ring because a lump of dark nebulosity is obstructing a white gas in background. A newborn star of V380 with a magnitude of 10.5 is shining in eastern region of the nebula and NGC1999 is glittering by the star. In January 2000, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) took a splendid shot of NGC1999, the shot made this faint object popular overnight. The nebula is lying about 1500 light years away, just in the Orion Association.

NGC2112

NGC2112 is a medium sized open cluster about 4 degrees northeast of Altanik, the east star of Orion's belt. The cluster is being on top of the Barnard's loop covering the eastern region of Orion, you can detect very dimmed reddish gaseous matter in this picture. The cluster has several tens of fine stars in about 11 arc minutes in diameter, and visual brightness of 9th magnitude. Although NGC2112 is one of minor celestial objects in dazzling constellation of Orion, you can appreciate the cluster like a nebula only with binoculars.

NGC 6087

Named for the crescent-shaped wave made by a ship as it moves through water, a bow shock can be created in space when two streams of gas collide. LL Ori emits a vigorous solar wind, a stream of charged particles moving rapidly outward from the star. Our own Sun has a less energetic version of this wind that is responsible for auroral displays on the Earth.

The material in the fast wind from LL Ori collides with slow-moving gas evaporating away from the center of the Orion Nebula, which is located to the lower right in this Heritage image. The surface where the two winds collide is the crescent-shaped bow shock seen in the image.

Unlike a water wave made by a ship, this interstellar bow shock is a three-dimensional structure. The filamentary emission has a very distinct boundary on the side facing away from LL Ori, but is diffuse on the side closest to the star, a characteristic common to many bow shocks.

A second, fainter bow shock can be seen around a star near the upper right-hand corner of the Heritage image. Astronomers have identified numerous shock fronts in this complex star-forming region and are using this data to understand the many complex phenomena associated with the birth of stars.

This image was taken in February 1995 as part of the Hubble Orion Nebula mosaic. A close visitor in our Milky Way galaxy, the nebula is only 1,500 light-years from Earth. The filters used in this color composite represent oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen emissions.

Betelgeuse

Betelgeuse is another huge red supergiant. One of the brightest stars in the sky. Betelgeuse is 429 light years distant. Has a temperature of 3,488K a size of 1,516 solar radii, and a luminosity of 305,089 suns.

Betelgeuse. The great star Betelgeuse is one of the two that dominate mighty Orion of winter, the other Rigel, the pair respectively called Alpha and Beta Orionis. The name Betelgeuse is a corruption of the Arabic "yad al jauza," which means the "hand of al-jauza," al-jauza the ancient Arabs' "Central One," a mysterious woman. For us, it marks the upper left hand corner of the figure of the Greek's ancient hunter (and since he is facing you, his right shoulder).

One of the sky's two first magnitude supergiants (the other Antares of summer), Betelgeuse is one of the larger stars that can be seen, indeed one of the larger stars to be found anywhere. At its most likely distance of 425 light years, its measured angular diameter yields a radius 630 times that of the Sun, 2.9 astronomical units.

If placed at the Sun, the star would go 55% of the way to the orbit of the planet Jupiter. The star is so large that it is the first ever actually directly imaged as a disk from Earth (by the Hubble Space Telescope). From its size and temperature, allowing for its infrared radiation, Betelgeuse shines an amazing 60,000 times brighter than our Sun.

The distance, however, is so great to be subject to some uncertainty, the possible radius ranging from 45% to 70% of Jupiter's orbit, the luminosity from 40,000 solar to 100,000 solar. Whatever the actual numbers, Betelgeuse is clearly a highly evolved star, one whose central hydrogen fuel supply has run out. As a result, the core contracted into a hot dense state, and the outer portions swelled outward. We do not really know the star's condition at the moment, but the odds are that it is now in the process of fusing helium into carbon and oxygen in its core.

Betelgeuse is variable over long time periods, is ejecting part of itself through a strong wind, and is surrounded by a huge shell of dust of its own making. The wind and variability are perhaps related to huge hot spots on the star's surface, one of which was seen by Hubble.

Betelgeuse is also surrounded by some controversy. From theory, its initial mass should have fallen somewhere between 12 and about 17 times that of the Sun. If at the high end, the core will fuse elements through neon, magnesium, sodium, and silicon all the way to iron. It will then collapse, and Betelgeuse will blow up as a "supernova", most likely leaving a compact neutron star about the size of a small town behind.

If it were to explode today, it would become as bright as a crescent Moon, would cast strong shadows on the ground, and would be seen easily in full daylight. If the star is near or under the lower end of the range, then Betelgeuse may eventually become a shrunken and dense white dwarf about the size of Earth. Even then, however, it will be different. Most white dwarfs are made of carbon and oxygen, whereas Betelgeuse has enough mass to become one of the exceedingly rare neon-oxygen white dwarfs. The only way we will really know is to wait a few million years.

Orion (the Hunter) climbs the sky. Orion's belt, Mintaka at right, Alnilam in the center, and Alnitak at left, runs through the middle of the picture. Orion's head is marked by the trio of stars at the top of the picture just left of center, the brightest of which is Meissa. The red glow in the middle of Orion's sword is the Orion Nebula. Betelgeuse is at the northwest apex of the Winter Triangle. Orion also has a star with an orbiting planet.

Planetary Destinations In Orion

HD 33636

Parent Star: HD 33636 (G0 V) in the constellation of Orion is located at a distance of 93.6 Light Years from our Solar system. Co-ordinates of Right Ascension: 05 11 46.4490 & Declination: +04 24 12.742. The apparent Magnitude of the star is 7.06. The Inner Edge of Habitability Zone is 0.53 AU & the Outer Edge of Habitability Zone: 1.66 AU and the estimated stellar lifespan of the star is 10306 million years . Orbiting around HD 33636 is planet HD 33636 b the planet is believed to be a Ammonia Cloud Jovian, Eccentric and its existence has been confirmed. The planets appearance is White ammonia and water ice clouds, brown hydrocarbon stains. The planet is positioned is outside edge of the habitability zone at mean orbital distance of 3.56 AU and the estimated mass of the planet is 9.28 Jupiters. The planet Orbits around the star every 2447.292 Days and was discovered by Vogt S., Butler P., Marcy G., Fischer D., Pourbaix D., Apps K., & Laughlin G. in 2001

HD 38529

Parent Star: HD 38529 (G4 IV) in the constellation of Orion is located at a distance of 138.39 Light Years from our Solar system. Co-ordinates of Right Ascension: 05 46 34.9120 & Declination: +01 10 05.496. The apparent Magnitude of the star is 5.94. The Inner Edge of Habitability Zone is 1.31 AU & the Outer Edge of Habitability Zone: 4.09 AU and the estimated stellar lifespan of the star is 3723 million years. Orbiting around HD 38529 is planet HD38529 b the planet is believed to be a Cloudy Hot Jupiter, Eccentric and its existence has been confirmed. The planets appearance is Silicate clouds over dark sodium haze. The planet is positioned is at outside edge of the habitability zone at mean orbital distance of 0.129 AU and the estimated mass of the planet is 0.78 Jupiters . The planet Orbits around the star every 14.309 � 0.05 Days and was discovered by FISCHER D., MARCY G., BUTLER P., VOGT S., FRINK S. & APPS K. in 2000.

Parent Star: HD 38529 (G4 IV) in the constellation of Orion is located at a distance of 138.39 Light Years from our Solar system. Co-ordinates of Right Ascension: 05 46 34.9120 & Declination: +01 10 05.496. The apparent Magnitude of the star is 5.94. The Inner Edge of Habitability Zone is 1.31 AU & the Outer Edge of Habitability Zone: 4.09 AU and the estimated stellar lifespan of the star is 3723 million years. Orbiting around HD 38529 is planet HD 38529 c the planet is believed to be a Water Cloud Jovian, Eccentric and its existence has been confirmed. The planets appearance is White water ice clouds. The planet is believed to be a large ringed planet with three satellites. The moon close up has icy sheets and ridges similar to those found on Europa and a thin atmosphere. The planet is positioned is at within the out edge of the habitability zone at mean orbital distance of 3.68 AU and the estimated mass of the planet is 12.7 Jupiters. The planet Orbits around the star every 2174.3 � 30 Days and was discovered by Fischer et al. on 13 Jun 2002 .

HD 34445

Parent Star: HD 34445 (G0 V ) in the constellation of Orion is located at a distance of 156.55 Light Years from our Solar system. Co-ordinates of Right Ascension: 05 17 40 & Declination: +07 21 12. The apparent Magnitude of the star is 7.32 . The Inner Edge of Habitability Zone is 0.73 AU & the Outer Edge of Habitability Zone: 2.29 AU and the estimated stellar lifespan of the star is 7311 million years . Orbiting around HD 34445 is planet HD 34445 b the planet is believed to be a Clarified Jovian, Eccentric and its existence has been confirmed. The planets appearance is Blue and cloudless. The planet is positioned is outside edge of the habitability zone at mean orbital distance of 0.51 AU and the estimated Radius of the planet is 0.954 Jupiters 1. The planet Orbits around the star every 14.309 � 0.05 Days and was discovered by Marcy et al. in 2005.

HD 37605

Parent Star: HD 37605 (K0 V) in the constellation of Orion is located at a distance of 139.92 Light Years from our Solar system. Co-ordinates of Right Ascension: 05 40 01.7296 & Declination: +06 03 38.085. The apparent Magnitude of the star is 8.69. The Inner Edge of Habitability Zone is 0.43 AU & the Outer Edge of Habitability Zone: 1.34 AU and the estimated stellar lifespan of the star is 19531 million years. Orbiting around HD 37605 is planet HD 37605 b the planet is believed to be a Clarified Jovian, Eccentric and its existence has been confirmed. The planets appearance is Blue and cloudless. The planet is positioned is outside edge of the habitability zone at mean orbital distance of 0.25 AU and the estimated mass of the planet is 2.3 Jupiters . The planet Orbits around the star every 55 � 0.1 Days and was discovered by COCHRAN W. et al. in 2004.