To anyone living in the Northern Hemisphere, one of the most familiar constellation (and the easiest to find) is the constellation of Orion. Not only is this hunter amazingly large and beautiful ¹, but it can also be used to find some of the most beautiful stars in the sky.

The Myth

Orion is a hunter - according to mythology, one of the greatest hunters the world have ever seen.

There are two versions of the Orion's story.

In the first version, Orion was the son of the sea-god Neptune and Queen Euryale of the Amazons. He inherited his mother's hunting talent, and became an excellent hunter. Unfortuanately, his ego became his undoing ... he boasted that he could kill any animal in the world. In response to this, he was killed by a scorpion.

In the second version, he was first blinded by King Oenopian (after he tried to marry his daughter by force), and then killed by Diana (a long story, this : she, the 'virgin' goddess of War, fell in love with him. Her brother, Apollo, did not like this - and convinced her to shoot a black 'animal', swimming in the water - which turned out to be Orion's hair).

In the sky, Orion is shown to be hunting the bull, Taurus, assisted by his hunting dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor.

How to find it

Look into the sky (OK, that's vague ... but in different places, at different times, it would appear to be at different places). Look for three stars, very bright (visible in even the worst light conditions - like inside cities), and in a straight line. (Well, almost - but the line is so nearly straight, and the stars so equally apart, it's very easy to find). What you've found is Orion's belt. (No doubt, Orion would be grateful :-)). The stars immediately around this make up the constellation.

Some famous stars

One of the closest stars to the Belt is Betelgeuse. This is a red supergiant. To find it, imagine a line at right angles to the belt (the side will differ, depending on where you are). It will be on this line (you can't miss it).

Betelgeuse is, incidently, Orion's right shoulder. Another star marks his left shoulder, Rigel is his left leg, and another star his right.

The most famous star near the Belt is Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. All you have to do is join the three stars of the belt, and follow the line they make, until you hit a very bright blueish-white star.

This should not be confused with Aldebaran. To find this red star, join the stars, but follow the line in the opposite direction to Sirius.

Another interesting star is the white star Procyon. Imagine Betelgeuse and Sirius as being two points in an equilateral triangle. The third point (on the side away from the Belt) is Procyon. This triangle, incidently, is called the Winter Triangle.

Troubleshooter

You won't be able to see Orion if ...

1. it's below the horizon at this time of year.
2. it's obscured by clouds.

It's really bright, so there should be no problem seeing it inside a city. (unless, of course, you stand underneath a street light ...)