Constellations of the Month: January – Orion:
We continue January with the constellation of Orion, “The Hunter.”

File:Orion constellation map.png courtesy of Openverse

Orion, “The Hunter” – Orion the hunter, is a well-known group of stars seen in winter in the equatorial region of the sky. Named by the ancient astronomer Ptolemy after a Greek hunter, Orion served as a hunting partner to the goddess of the hunt, Artemis. Orion was the esteemed hunter and sovereign of the chase, and served as the Patron of male hunters. He was a colossal huntsman and a demigod, born of Poseidon. Following his demise, he was immortalized among the constellations. Subsequently, he was resurrected from the Underworld and ascended to the status of the god of hunting.

Photo by Adrian Mag on Unsplash

Key points regarding Orion:

• Meaning: The term “Orion” translates to “hunter” in Latin.
• Notable stars: Orion features its brightest stars, Rigel, a blue supergiant and Betelgeuse, a red supergiant. It appears as a rectangular constellation, with an obviously distinguished belt, with three similar magnitude stars in a row.
• Other features: Orion also includes the Orionids meteor shower and the Orion Nebula, a bright nebula.
• Mythology: According to Greek mythology, Orion served as a hunting partner to the goddess of the hunt, Artemis. In certain interpretations of this narrative, Artemis took the life of Orion. Subsequently, her father, Zeus, the supreme deity, honored the giant huntsman by transforming him into a constellation in the heavens.
• Visibility: Orion is most prominently one of the most visible constellations of the whole winter months in both the northern and southern hemisphere, lying right on the celestial equator.

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Constellations:

Photo by GDJ courtesy of Openverse

Constellations of the Month:
January – Orion

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Constellations of the Month: Coming all 2025!