Orion, the hunter, one of the most recognisable constellations in the night sky, is well placed for observation from the northern hemisphere during February. Straddling the celestial equator – the projection of Earth’s equator on to the night sky – the constellation is also visible from the southern hemisphere.
From the UK this week, Orion rises in the east shortly after sunset and is highest in the south at about 2100 to 2200 GMT. By late evening, the constellation dominates the southern sky before setting in the west after midnight. The chart shows the view looking south from London on 2 February at 2000 GMT, although the view will be mostly unchanged for the entire week.
The constellation is easy to identify by the line of three stars forming Orion’s Belt: Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka. These form useful markers, pointing downwards towards Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, and upwards towards the red giant star Aldebaran in Taurus.
Two bright stars mark Orion’s shoulders and feet. Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star, marks the upper left of the figure. Rigel, a blue-white supergiant, lies at the lower right and is the brightest star in the constellation. Bellatrix and Saiph complete the main rectangle of the body.