Brian Jones: The Hunter
Visible in the south-eastern sky, roughly midway between the horizon and overhead point during December evenings, Orion is arguably the most beautiful constellation in the sky. Its conspicuous pattern of bright stars is unmistakable and, once seen, unlikely to be forgotten.
Legend tells us that one of the sons of Neptune was a mighty hunter who boasted far and wide of his prowess and who declared himself to be a match even for the gods. This angered Diana, the Goddess of the Hunt, who challenged Orion to a hunting match. Orion gladly accepted the challenge. He and Diana spent many days in the chase, but in the end there was nothing to choose between them, and the contest was declared a draw. Once more Orion bragged and, in a fit of anger, Diana commanded a scorpion to crawl out of the ground and kill Orion. She then placed the mighty hunter among the stars where he can be seen to this day.
One of the most conspicuous stars in Orion is Betelgeuse, whose name is derived from the Arabic for ‘Armpit of the Central One’. Betelgeuse is a red giant and one of the largest stars known to astronomers. Betelgeuse shines from a distance of over 500 light years, its ruddy glow forming a sharp contrast with the brilliant white of Rigel, a supergiant star with a luminosity of over 50,000 times that of our Sun. Rigel has a diameter of around 40 million miles and is about 900 light years away, which means the light we are seeing now set off on its journey towards us only a few years after the Domesday Book was compiled. The name Rigel is derived from the Arabic for ‘Left Leg of the Giant’.
Bellatrix, otherwise known as the Amazon Star, shines from a distance of 470 light years and can be seen to mark the left arm of Orion. Bellatrix and Saiph – at a distance of 2,000 light years one of the most distant stars in Orion – are both blue-white in colour. Alnitak is the easternmost of the three stars that form the Belt of Orion. Its name means ‘The Girdle’ and the area immediately surrounding this star is well worth a look through binoculars. The central star in the Belt of Orion is Alnilam, derived from the Arabic for ‘String of Pearls’, and just to the west is Mintaka.
We know these three stars as the Belt of Orion, although they have been given other names in the past. Australian natives referred to them as ‘Young Men’, Greenlanders called them ‘The Seal Hunters’ and mariners often referred to them as ‘The Golden Yardarm’. More common names include ‘The Three Kings’ and ‘Jacob’s Rod’. Perhaps the silliest episode relating to the naming of these three stars took place in 1807 when the University of Leipzig christened them ‘Napoleon’, whereupon an irate Englishman promptly retaliated with the title ‘Nelson’. Needless to say, neither name has found its way onto the star maps!
If the night is really clear, try to seek out the lion’s skin which acts as Orion’s shield. This is represented by a faint line of stars from the northernmost Omicron 1 down to Pi 6. The great hunter’s club is depicted by a triangle of faint stars above Betelgeuse, comprised of Mu, Nu and Xi. Below the Belt of Orion can be seen a line of faint stars commonly referred to as the Sword of Orion and here can be found by far the most famous object in the constellation. M42, also known as the Great nebula, can be seen as a hazy patch of diffuse light surrounding the group of stars at the lower end of the sword. M42 takes the form of a giant, irregular cloud and shines because of the stars embedded within it.
On really dark and clear nights the Great Nebula is visible as a faint glowing patch and it is remarkable that its existence was not noted until 1611. Since then it has never failed to impress, and it is safe to say that there is little in the heavens to equal it. The wide field of view of a pair of binoculars brings out the nebula very well, and the sight leaves the observer with a sense of wonder when it is realised that inside this glowing cloud stars are actually being formed.
Although winter is now well and truly upon us, and the nights are chilly, why not brave the elements and venture out to see what Orion the Hunter has to offer? Happy stargazing!
