Orion, the queen of the constellations, continues to dominate the winter night skies. Let’s also cash in of those moonless nights to watch the Winter Hexagon, which is formed from six of the brightest stars within the sky. Orion, the enormous hunter of Greek mythology, was born from the urine of the gods, hence his name. within the sky, Orion appears equipped with a sword and a shield. he’s amid his two hunting dogs, the large Dog and therefore the Canis Minor, and chasing the Pleiades, the daughters of Titan.
Orion may be a constellation that will be observed from both the northern and southern hemispheres, which is why it’s known to cultures around the planet. In lately of mid-February, Orion is visible, dominating the sky, from shortly after sunset until about 3:00 within the morning. because the new phase of the moon has been on the 11th, we will enjoy these dark nights to watch its bright stars in optimal conditions.
The 2 brightest stars within the constellation are Rigel (on the hunter’s leg) and Betelgeuse (on one among his shoulders), both of which are among the ten brightest stars within the sky. Rigel maybe a triple system whose main star is a particularly luminous blue supergiant; it’s located about 860 light-years from Earth. Betelgeuse is somewhat closer, about 640 light-years; it’s a chilly red supergiant during a very advanced state of evolution. Also spectacular are “the three Marys”: the three stars in Orion’s belt that form one among the foremost distinctive stellar alignments within the sky.
In the constellation, Orion is a number of the foremost colorful nebulae within the sky. These are large clouds of gas and mud that are about 1,500 light-years from Earth. they’re the region closest to Earth where the formation of massive stars is often observed. The so-called ‘Orion Nebula’ (M42) is one among the brightest known, it is often seen with the eye if we glance closely at the central region of the hunter’s sword. it’s one of the simplest studied stars within the sky. There are numerous young stars surrounded by gaseous disks that are forming planets.
Around Orion there are other stars that also are very bright. Mentally joining six of them forms the distinctive ‘Winter Hexagon’. it’s not a constellation itself, but an asterism formed by stars from different constellations.This huge hexagon is centered near Betelgeuse and its vertices are occupied by the aforementioned Rigel, Aldebaran (in Taurus), Capella (in Auriga), Pollux (in Gemini), Procyon (in Canis Minor), and eventually Sirius (in Canis Major). Sirius, the brightest star within the night sky, was identified by all ancient civilizations and has played a crucial role in several of them.
For instance, in Egypt, its introduction on the horizon, after the amount during which it had remained invisible, marked the start of the time of the Nile floods. watching the celebs is usually a soothing activity that permits us to remain in-tuned with nature which invites us to reflect and dream. So allow us to cash in on the wonders of the winter skies. Observing the sky reminds us of our modest location within the universe and makes us reconsider the direction of our journey aboard .
