Orion

Greek mythology · one of several traditions

The hunter

Orion takes its name from a legendary hunter in Greek stories. In one telling, Artemis places his image among the stars after his death; other cultures saw a giant, a king or a connection with Osiris in these same stars.

Imagine a human figure around the three belt stars, with bright stars marking the shoulders and lower corners.

People around the world have given these stars different figures and stories. This is one interpretation. Lines are recognition aids, rather than official constellation boundaries.

Finding Orion

Above the horizon. Clear skies and a dark enough view are still needed. The figure’s centre is toward the east in this preview.

Use the bright reference stars below to recognise the shape. A complete drawing can extend outside the current camera window, even when its stars are above the horizon. Open its guide in Sky Timeline to compare the stars with an illustrated interpretation where available.

Bright reference stars

Rigel

Magnitude 0.1

Betelgeuse

Magnitude 0.5

Lower magnitude numbers mean brighter stars. Clouds, nearby lighting and moonlight change what your eyes can pick out.

Explore another night

Visibility changes with place, season and time. Move through the night to see the object rise, cross the sky and set, while weather remains a separate estimate.