✧ Orion Orion is an asterism in Orion. ●⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤⠤• ⠈⢧ ⢀⡇ ⠘⣆ ⢸ ⠸⡄ ⡏ ⢹⡀ ⢰⠃ ⢳ ⣠• ⠈••⠁⠈⢧ ⢠⠇ ⠘⣆ ⡼ ⠸⡄ ⢠⠇ ⢹⡀ ⡼ ⢳ ⢠⠇ ⠈● • Type Asterism Constellation Orion Stars 7 More information about Orion Orion is a rectangle of four bright stars with a belt of three across the middle and a sword hanging down from it, and it is the easiest constellation in the sky to identify. Betelgeuse at one shoulder is distinctly red and Rigel at the opposite foot is blue-white, which makes them the clearest demonstration anywhere that stars come in different colours. The Babylonians drew the same figure and called it the True Shepherd of Anu. Where the Greek name Ὠρίων came from, nobody knows. Not settled: Derivations from Akkadian Uru-anna, light of heaven, and from a Greek word for urine, after the birth story, have both been proposed. Neither is established. Etymology From Greek Reading Orion · Ὠρίων Literally unknown The evolution of Orion over time -50,000 years Betelgeuse ●⠤⠤⠤⢄⣀⣀⣀⣀⡀ ⠈⡆ ⠈⠉⠉⠉⠉⠑⢲• Bellatrix ⠸⡄ ⡎ ⢱⡀ ⢰⠁ ⢣ ⡞ ⠘⡆ ⢰⠃ ⠸⡀ ⡞ ⢳ ⢠⠃ ⢇ ⢀⣜ Mintaka ⠘⡄ ⣠•⠁•⢣ Alnitak •⠋ ⢣⡀ ⡇ ⢳⡀ ⢸ ⠳⡄ ⡇ ⠹⡄ ⢸⠁ ⠘⡄ ⡏ ⠘⢄ ⢰⠁ ⠈⢆ ⡎ ⠈● Rigel ⠠⠃ • Saiph now Betelgeuse ●⠤⠤⠤⢄⣀⣀⣀⡀ ⠘⡄ ⠉⠉⠉⠑⠒⠒⠒⠤• Bellatrix ⢱⡀ ⢀⡇ ⢣ ⡸ ⠈⢇ ⢀⠇ ⠘⡄ ⡼ ⠸⡄ ⢠⠃ ⢱ ⡜ ⢧ ⢠⡃ Mintaka ⠈⢆ ⢀⡠⠚⠁•⡀ Alnitak⢸•⠉• ⠹⡄ ⡜ ⠙⡄ ⢀⠇ ⠘⢄ ⡸ ⠈⢆ ⢀⡇ ⠈⢧ ⢸ ⠈⢣ ⡇ ⠣⡀ ⢸ ● Rigel ⡎ • Saiph +50,000 years Betelgeuse ●⡒⠦⠤⠤⣄⣀⣀⡀ ⢱ ⠉⠉⠉⠒⠒⠒⠤⠤⠤⣀⡀ ⢣ ⢰• Bellatrix ⠈⢇ ⡎ ⠈⣆ ⢸⠁ ⠘⡆ ⢀⠇ ⠸⡀ ⡜ ⢱⡀ ⢰⠃ ⢳ ⢀⡎ Mintaka ⢇ ⣀⠴⠉•⣄ Alnitak⠈•⠊ • ⠘⣆ ⢰⠁ ⠈⢆ ⡎ ⠈⢢ ⢠⠃ ⢣⡀ ⡼ ⢳⡀ ⢠⠇ ⠱⡀ ⡸ ⠑⡄ ⡇ ⠘● Rigel ⢸ • Saiph Over 50,000 years either way the longest side of this figure changes by 3%, and the furthest any of its stars travels is 0.4 degrees. Bellatrix and Betelgeuse drift the opposite way to the other 5, which travel together. Proper motion only: this is the shape changing, not the sky turning or the pole moving. curl 'skymap.sh/Orion/evolution.gif' where it is tonight: skymap.sh/Orion