Orion's Belt
Celestial hunter's waistband
Orion's Belt is the distinctive line of three bright stars in the constellation Orion, visible in the winter night sky of the Northern Hemisphere.
The stars—Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka—form what looks like a hunter's belt across Orion's midsection.
It's one of the most recognizable asterisms and often serves as a reference point for finding other celestial objects: Follow Orion's Belt down to find Sirius.
Mediocre excellence marker
- alignmentCorrect relative positioning
- celestial equatorSphere's midplane above us
- night skyDarkness above after sunset
- constellationNamed pattern of celestial bodies
stargazing · skywatching · telescope · naked eye · magnitude · brightness · declination · zenith
Red supergiant star
- RigelBlue supergiant star
- BellatrixBlue giant in Orion
- swordHilted fighting blade
- shieldHandheld defensive armor
winter constellation · Sirius · Taurus · Pleiades · ecliptic · Horsehead Nebula
Navigating through physical spaces
- celestial navigationLocation-finding via astronomical observation
- seafaringTraveling by ocean vessel
- sextantMaritime angular measurement device
- latitudeGeographic or personal freedom
bearing · Polaris · star chart · maritime · oceanic · voyaging · ancient mariners · orientation
Pursuer of prey
- Greek mythologyAncient Greek divine narratives
- ZeusGreek sky god
- ArtemisGreek hunting goddess
- ScorpiusSouthern zodiac constellation
myth · legend · gods · immortalized · Homeric · Egyptians · Osiris · Three Sisters
three stars
Mediocre excellence marker
- alignmentCorrect relative positioning
- celestial equatorSphere's midplane above us
- night skyDarkness above after sunset
constellation · stargazing · skywatching · telescope · naked eye · magnitude · brightness · declination · zenith · astrophotography
Betelgeuse
Red supergiant star
shield · winter constellation · Sirius · Taurus · Pleiades · ecliptic · Horsehead Nebula
wayfinding
Navigating through physical spaces
- celestial navigationLocation-finding via astronomical observation
- seafaringTraveling by ocean vessel
- sextantMaritime angular measurement device
latitude · bearing · Polaris · star chart · maritime · oceanic · voyaging · ancient mariners · orientation · landmark
hunter
Pursuer of prey
- Greek mythologyAncient Greek divine narratives
- ZeusGreek sky god
- ArtemisGreek hunting goddess
Scorpius · myth · legend · gods · immortalized · Homeric · Egyptians · Osiris · Three Sisters
- AsterismsBig Dipper, Little Dipper, Southern Cross, Keystone, Sickle
- OrionBetelgeuse, Rigel, Bellatrix, winter constellation, club
- celestialsun, moon, stars, planet, planets
Orion's BeltSouthern Cross
Southern hemisphere constellation
Crux · Magellanic Clouds · Alpha Centauri · Scorpius · Sagittarius