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Orion constellation

Orion is a constellation near the celestial equator. Its brightest star is Rigel. Visibility at mid-northern latitudes (52° N): rises and sets, fully visible.

  • Winterbest seen
  • Rigelbrightest star, magnitude 0.2
  • OriOrion
Show on the sky map
The constellation Orion in the starry sky: its figure and its bright stars Rigel, Orion — magnitude 0.2. Open on the sky mapRigelBetelgeuse, Orion — magnitude 0.5. Open on the sky mapBetelgeuseAldebaran, Taurus — magnitude 0.9. Open on the sky mapBellatrix, Orion — magnitude 1.6. Open on the sky mapBellatrixAlnilam, Orion — magnitude 1.7. Open on the sky mapAlnilamAlnitak, Orion — magnitude 1.7. Open on the sky mapAlnitakAlhena, Gemini — magnitude 1.9. Open on the sky mapSaiph, Orion — magnitude 2.1. Open on the sky mapMintaka, Orion — magnitude 2.3. Open on the sky mapHatysa, Orion — magnitude 2.8. Open on the sky mapCursa, Eridanus — magnitude 2.8. Open on the sky mapTejat, Gemini — magnitude 2.9. Open on the sky mapTianguan, Taurus — magnitude 3.0. Open on the sky mapTabit, Orion — magnitude 3.2. Open on the sky mapSaif al Jabbar, Orion — magnitude 3.4. Open on the sky mapMeissa, Orion — magnitude 3.4. Open on the sky mapτ Orionis — magnitude 3.6. Open on the sky mapπ⁴ Orionis — magnitude 3.7. Open on the sky mapπ⁵ Orionis — magnitude 3.7. Open on the sky mapσ Orionis — magnitude 3.8. Open on the sky mapο² Orionis — magnitude 4.1. Open on the sky mapφ² Orionis — magnitude 4.1. Open on the sky mapμ Orionis — magnitude 4.1. Open on the sky mape Orionis — magnitude 4.1. Open on the sky map32 Orionis — magnitude 4.2. Open on the sky mapAl Taj, Orion — magnitude 4.3. Open on the sky mapHeka, Orion — magnitude 4.4. Open on the sky mapχ¹ Orionis — magnitude 4.4. Open on the sky mapν Orionis — magnitude 4.4. Open on the sky mapξ Orionis — magnitude 4.5. Open on the sky mapρ Orionis — magnitude 4.5. Open on the sky mapπ⁶ Orionis — magnitude 4.5. Open on the sky mapω Orionis — magnitude 4.5. Open on the sky mapHIP 28413, Orion — magnitude 4.5. Open on the sky mapMizan Batil, Orion — magnitude 4.6. Open on the sky mapψ Orionis — magnitude 4.6. Open on the sky map N ↑← E
North is up, east is left — this is how the constellation looks in the sky. Click a star to open it on the sky map.

How to find the constellation Orion

Three stars in a row — Orion’s Belt — catch the eye at once. Above the belt is reddish Betelgeuse, below it blue Rigel. From mid-northern latitudes Orion is seen in winter, in the southern half of the sky.

Best seen in winter: in January around 22:00 it is highest above the southern horizon — the center of the figure rises to about 45°.

LocationVisibility
40° NMadrid, New York, Beijingrises and sets, fully visible
52° NLondon, Berlin, Warsawrises and sets, fully visible
60° NOslo, Helsinki, Saint Petersburgrises and sets, fully visible

Bright stars of the constellation

StarMagnitudeColorDistance
Rigelβ Orionis 0.2bluish whiteabout 860 light years
Betelgeuseα Orionis 0.5orange500–650 light years (not measured precisely)
Bellatrixγ Orionis 1.6blueabout 250 light years
Alnilamε Orionis 1.7blue—
Alnitakζ Orionis 1.7blue—
Saiphκ Orionis 2.1blue—
Mintakaδ Orionis 2.3blue—
Hatysaι Orionis 2.8blue—
Tabitπ³ Orionis 3.2white—
Saif al Jabbarη Orionis 3.4blue—
Meissaλ Orionis 3.4blue—
τ Orionis 3.6blue—

Magnitude is a measure of a star’s brightness: the smaller the number, the brighter the star; on a dark night the naked eye can see stars down to magnitude 6.

Questions

How do you find the constellation Orion in the sky?

Three stars in a row — Orion’s Belt — catch the eye at once. Above the belt is reddish Betelgeuse, below it blue Rigel. From mid-northern latitudes Orion is seen in winter, in the southern half of the sky.

When is the best time of year to observe the constellation Orion?

In winter: in January around 22:00 the constellation is highest above the horizon. Two or three months earlier it can be seen before dawn, two or three months later only in the early evening, and half a year later it is in the sky during the day, near the Sun, and can’t be seen.

What is the brightest star in the constellation Orion?

Rigel: magnitude 0.2, bluish white. Distance: about 860 light years.

How many stars are there in the constellation Orion?

With the naked eye on a perfectly dark night — with no light pollution and no Moon — you can see about 128 stars in the constellation (brighter than magnitude 6, within the constellation’s boundaries). In a city far fewer: usually only the stars of its figure.

Winter constellations

Find it in the sky tonightA sky map over your city: where the constellation Orion is now and when it will rise.
Open the sky map