orion
the hunter
✦ overview
this is one of the most recognisable constellations in the sky, visible from almost everywhere on earth (and it's my favourite). it is named after a giant hunter from greek mythology who was eventually killed by a scorpion, which is why orion and scorpius are never in the sky at the same time.
✦ facts
- betelgeuse is orion's left shoulder. it is so big it would engulf jupiter's orbit if placed where our sun is
- rigel, orion's brightest star, is a blue supergiant 120,000 times brighter than the sun
- the orion nebula (hanging below the belt) is a stellar nursery where new stars are being born RIGHT NOW
- the three belt stars: mintaka, alnilam, alnitak, aren't actually close to each other, they just look aligned from our angle