bailor] the constellations 29 



his sword. It is the arrangement of these stars that makes the 

 constellation so conspicuous. 



Late in November Orion rises about ten o'clock, the first of the 

 principal stars to appear is Bellatrix, a star of the second magni- 

 tude and set in the left shoulder of the hunter. Bellatrix repre- 

 sents a female hunter and according to the old astrologers, women 

 bom under the influence of this star were lucky, and provided with 

 good tongues. 



A little later a little group of stars forming the head of Orion 

 appears, followed closely by Betelgeuse, of the first magnitude. 

 This star represents a type of sun that is in the process of cooling 

 and has nearly reached the stage of extinction. It is now red' in 

 color and is so far from earth that its distance is 150 light-years; 

 it is receding from us very rapidly. 



About fifteen minutes after Betelgeuse arises a beautiful blue 

 ' star comes into view. This is Rigel, in the right shoulder of the 

 hunter. Rigel is a new star of the first magnitude and is the 

 brightest in the constellation. It is so far from us that the dis- 

 tance cannot be measured and it is receding from us faster than 

 Betelgeuse. 



Following Rigel the three bright stars forming the Belt appears 

 and below these the curved pendent making his famous sword. 

 The stars of Belt are all of the second magnitude all three are double 

 stars and all are white in color. Delta the first star ia the Belt 

 has a violet companion of the seventh magnitude. Epsilon the 

 middle star has a blue companion and the companions of Zeta 

 which is a triple star are yellowish white and purple gray. 



Orion's beautiful sword is formed of five instead of three stars 

 that are usually seen. The middle star Theta is multiple and 

 involved in a nebula. 



The Belt is three degrees and is sometimes called the Ell- Yard. 

 Job referred to it as Orion's Bands. 



The last star of the constellation to appear is Saiph, the fourth 

 star of the parellegram and in the right knee of the hunter. 



'So famous is Orion, that the University of Leipsic 1807 resolved 

 that the stars in the Belt and Sword should be renamed Napoleon, 

 and the English to offset this proposed to name the constellation 

 Nelson. But Orion has successfully maintained his name and 

 place although he flees in terror from the scorpion and bravely 

 opposes the angry Taurus. 



