Orion constellation and Orion's Belt
Orion is one of the 88 constellations, and it represents the hunter. It is highest in the sky at midnight around 14 December, and its whole figure rises above the horizon from 80°N to 70°S.
Orion at a glance
- Represents
- the hunter
- Highest at midnight
- 14 December
- Highest at 9 pm
- 28 January
- Seen whole from
- 80°N to 70°S
- Brightest star
- Rigel
- Stars in the figure
- 19 stars
- Origin
- Ptolemy's list, 2nd century
Orion's Belt
Orion's Belt is the row of three stars across the middle of Orion: Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka. It is an asterism, about 2.7° long from end to end.
The line of the belt points roughly to Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, about 22° away on one side, and to Aldebaran in Taurus, about 22° away on the other.
Mintaka sits 0.3° south of the celestial equator, so it rises close to due east and sets close to due west.
When to see Orion
Orion is highest in the sky at midnight around 14 December and at 9 pm around 28 January. Each month it is highest about two hours earlier than the month before.
The times are local solar time. Clocks on summer time or daylight saving time read about one hour later.
| Date | Highest at |
|---|---|
| 15 January | 9:50 PM |
| 15 February | 7:50 PM |
| 15 March | 6:00 PM |
| 15 April | 4:00 PM |
| 15 May | 2:00 PM |
| 15 June | 12:00 PM |
| 15 July | 10:00 AM |
| 15 August | 8:00 AM |
| 15 September | 5:50 AM |
| 15 October | 4:00 AM |
| 15 November | 1:50 AM |
| 15 December | 11:50 PM |
Where to look for Orion
From the northern hemisphere
From 40°N, Orion rises in the east and sets in the west. It is highest around midnight on 14 December, 56° above the southern horizon.
From the southern hemisphere
From 35°S, Orion rises in the east and sets in the west. It is highest around midnight on 14 December, 49° above the northern horizon.
Brightest stars in Orion
Meteor showers from Orion
The meteors of these showers seem to come from a point in Orion, called the radiant.
| Shower | Peak | Zenithal hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Orionids | Around 21 October | 20 |
Orion in myth and history
In Greek myth, Orion was a giant hunter. In one well-known story he boasted that he could kill every animal on Earth, and a scorpion was sent to kill him. The gods put both in the sky on opposite sides, so Orion sets in the west as Scorpius rises in the east.
Orion is one of the 48 constellations that the astronomer Ptolemy listed in the 2nd century.
Constellations next to Orion
Find Orion in your sky
Questions about Orion
Orion is highest in the sky at midnight around 14 December and at 9 pm around 28 January. The weeks around those dates are the best time to look.
The whole figure of Orion rises above the horizon from 80°N to 70°S, and at least part of it rises everywhere on Earth.
Rigel is the brightest star in Orion, at magnitude 0.18.
Orion represents the hunter. Orion is one of the 48 constellations that the astronomer Ptolemy listed in the 2nd century.
They are Orion's Belt: Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka. The line of the belt points roughly to Sirius on one side and to Aldebaran on the other.