Saiph is a blue B0.5Ia supergiant star having about 6000 times the luminosity of the sun and 11 times the diameter.
Other Designations For This Star
Flamsteed ...
Saiph - Kappa Orionis is at Orion's right knee
Hatsya is at the tip of Orion's sword.
Bellatrix Warrior Woman found at Orion's left shoulder ...
But Iota Orionis claims it as well with "Na'ir al Saiph," and even our Eta has held it, R. H. Allen giving us "Saiph al Jabbar," the "Sword of the Giant.
Saiph (B0) magnitude 2.1
Procyon (F5) magnitude 0.4
Sirius (A1) magnitude -1.5
Adhara (B2) magnitude 1.5
Aldebaran (K5) magnitude 0.9
Alnath (B7) magnitude 1.65
Pollux (K0) magnitude 1.1
Castor (A0) magnitude 1.6
Alhena (A0) magnitude 1.9 ...
The star at the hunter's right knee, Kappa Orionis, is called Saiph. This name comes from the Arabic for ‘sword', and is clearly misplaced. The three stars of the belt - Zeta, Epsilon and Delta Orionis - are called Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka.
It lies in the northeastern part (5:46:57.3-14:49:19.0, ICRS 2000.0) of Constellation Lepus, the Hare -- northeast of Arneb (Alpha Leporis) and Nihal (Beta Leporis), west of Eta and Theta Leporis, and southeast of Saiph (Kappa Orionis).
The other corners of the constellation are formed by Bellatrix (gamma Orionis) and Saiph (kappa Orionis). It was once thought that all women born under the sign of Bellatrix would be fortunate and have the gift of speech.
[5976] kappa Orionis or Saiph ("the sword") marks Orion's right foot. It is a blue supergiant about 720 light-years distant.
Named Stars: BETELGEUSE (Alpha Ori) RIGEL (Beta Ori) BELLATRIX (Gamma Ori) MINTAKA (Delta Ori) ALNILAM (Epsilon Ori) ALNITAK (Zeta Ori) Nair al Saif (Iota Ori) SAIPH (Kappa Ori) Meissa (Lambda Ori) Tabit (Pi 3 Ori) Tabit (Pi 2 Ori) Tabit (Pi 4 Ori) ...
Asmidiske (ξ Pup), Adara (ε CMa), Alnilam (ε Ori), Aludra (η CMa), Betelgeuse (α Ori), Gomeisa, (β CMi), Muliphen (γ CMa), Murzim (β CMa Procyon, (α CMi), Saiph (κ Ori), Sirius (α CMa), ...
*κ Ori (Saiph) is at Orion's right knee.
*β Ori (Rigel), at the constellation's left knee, is a large blue-white star, among the brightest in the sky. It has three companions, also difficult to see.
 See also: Orion, Star, Constellation, Rigel, Constellations
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