Orion's Belt Stars

One of the most obvious features people see in Orion is the three stars that make up what most people consider the belt of the giant. Mintaka , the westernmost star in the belt, comes from the Arabic word for belt. Alnilam, the center star in the belt, means "a belt of pearls". And Alnitak, the eastern-most star, means the girdle. All three are at the same distance from us and, with Rigel, Saiph, and Meissa, probably formed at about the same time some ten million years ago from the molecular clouds astronomers have found in Orion.

Fact Table
Name	Alnitak
Object	Star -- Super Giant
Distance	1500 light years
Brightness	35,000 times greater than the Sun
Surface Temperature	60,000 F
Color	White-blue
Mass	20 times the mass of the Sun

Fact Table
Name	Alnilam
Object	Star -- Super Giant
Distance	1500 light years
Brightness	40,000 times greater than the Sun
Surface Temperature	50,000 F
Color	White-blue
Mass	20 times the mass of the Sun

Fact Table
Name	Mintaka
Object	Star -- Super Giant
Distance	1500 light years
Brightness	20,000 times greater than the Sun
Surface Temperature	60,000 F
Color	White-blue
Mass	20 times the mass of the Sun

Image Map