Alnitak (Zeta Orionis)
Alnitak is the left-hand star in Orion's Belt. Image: NASA
The left hand star in Orion's Belt, the fifth brightest in the whole of Orion, and (in terms of apparent magnitude) the brightest O star in the sky.
ALNITAK (Zeta Orionis). With brilliant Betelgeuse and Rigel dominating great Orion, we pay little heed to the individual stars of the Hunter's belt except as a group, the trio the Arabs called the "string of pearls.
Alnitak is a double star system. Alnitak A is a blue O9.7Ib supergiant star about 15 times the diameter of the sun, at least 11,000 times more luminous than the sun.
Alnitak - Zeta Orionis - The Girdle
Belt Stars of Orion
Orion has important mythological connections with the journey of humanity. Ancient Egyptians claimed their gods came from the Belt Stars of Orion, which were associated with Osiris.
Below the belt star Alnitak is the Flame nebula NGC2024.
Blue reflection nebula NGC2023 is below right of the Flame nebula and below left of the Horsehead.
Other reflection nebulae are IC435, IC432, IC431.
From the northern hemisphere, the three bright stars (Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka) in a straight line that form Orion's Belt are easily visible on the southern horizon in winter evenings.
Alnitak Zeta Orionis
Alniyat Tau Scorpii
Al Niyat Sigma Scorpii
Alphard Alpha Hydrae
Alphecca Alpha Coronae Borealis
Alpheratz Alpha Andromedae
Alrai Gamma Cephei
Alrakis Mu Draconis
Alrami Alpha Sagittarii
Alrischa Alpha Piscium ...
The three stars of the belt - Zeta, Epsilon and Delta Orionis - are called Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka. The names Alnitak and Mintaka both come from the Arabic word meaning ‘the belt' or ‘girdle'.
Alnitak (Zeta Orionis)
Pavo (Pavonis) Pegasus (Pegasi) Perseus (Persei) Phoenix (Phoenicis) Pictor (Pictoris) Pisces (Piscium) Piscis Austrinius (Piscis Austrini) Puppis (Puppis) Pyxis (Pyxidis) Reticulum ...
ZETA ORIONIS
Zeta Orionis (Alnitak) is a star at the eastern end of the Orion's belt (in the Orion). Alnitak means belt. Alnitak is spectral Type O9.7Ib. It is also known as Alnitah.
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[5975] zeta Orionis or Alnitak ("the girdle") is a triple star with a hot blue supergiant, the brightest class O star in the sky, for a primary component. It is approximately 800 light-years distant.
Alnilam (ε Ori), Alnitak (ζ Ori), Bellatrix (γ Ori), Betelgeuse (α Ori), Meissa (λ Ori), Mintaka (δ Ori), Nair al Saif (ι Ori), Rigel (β Ori), Saiph (κ Ori).
The nebula is located just below Alnitak, the easternmost star of Orion's Belt, and is part of the much larger Orion Molecular Cloud Complex. It is approximately 1,500 light years from Earth, and is approximately 3.5 light years wide.
Mintaka (Delta Orionis) is the uppermost and faintest of the three major stars that form belt of Orion, a constellation in the Northern Hemisphere (the other two stars in the belt ate Alnitak and Alnilam).
The constellation's main feature is of course the three stars which form the "belt" across the middle of Orion: from west to east Mintaka, Alnilam, and Alnitak. Even the Bible makes reference to this famous group.
The Horsehead Nebula is a dark nebula in the Orion constellation. The nebula is located just below Alnitak, the star furthest left on Orion's Belt, and is part of the much larger Orion Molecular Cloud Complex....
Orion Nebula
Orion Nebula ...
It is the 30th brightest star in the sky (the 4th brightest in Orion) and as a blue-white supergiant it is one of the most luminous stars known. Together with Mintaka (Delta Orionis) and Alnitak (Zeta Orionis), ...
Named stars: Alpha Ori (Beteigeuze/Betelgeuse), Beta Ori (Rigel), Gamma Ori (Bellatrix), Delta Ori (Mintaka), Epsilon Ori (Alnilam), Zeta Ori (Alnitak)
Info:
Pavo (Peacock) ...
For resolving the tight double of zeta Ori (Alnitak) in its consisting parts, a bright star of 2.02 mag and a 4th mag companion, scopes with an apertur of at least 75mm and a high resolution are required.
Examples include Alnitak and Mintaka in Orion. open cluster An open cluster is a group of stars that are thought to have formed from a common cloud of dust and gas.
 See also: Star, Orion, Constellation, Sky, Sun
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