Orion’s Belt – The Three Bright Stars of the Hunter : Alnitak+Alnilam+Mintaka

 

Orion’s Belt – The Three Bright Stars of the Hunter

Among the most iconic sights in the night sky, Orion’s Belt features three brilliant stars Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka forming a perfect line across the mighty constellation Orion the Hunter. Visible from nearly every corner of the globe, these celestial beacons have guided stargazers for millennia.

Alnitak – A blue supergiant about 1,260 light-years away, burning tens of thousands of times brighter than our Sun.

Alnilam – The central star, around 2,000 light-years distant, among the most luminous stars known.

Mintaka – About 1,200 light-years away, a multiple star system where several stars dance in orbit.

Together, they belong to the Orion OB1 association, a vast stellar nursery still giving birth to new stars. Follow their line, and you’ll find Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, and Aldebaran, the fiery eye of Taurus.

Source: NASA / ESA Hubble / The Royal Astronomical Society