Bayer Designations in Orion
| Bayer Designation |
Apparent Magnitude |
Proper Name |
|---|---|---|
| α Ori | 0.45 | Betelgeuse |
| β Ori | 0.18 | Rigel |
| γ Ori | 1.64 | Bellatrix |
| δ Ori | 2.23 | Mintaka |
| ε Ori | 1.69 | Alnilam |
| ζ Ori | 1.70 | Alnitak |
Orion provides a good example of Bayer's method. (The lower the magnitude, the brighter the star; additionally, there is a precise definition: a "2nd-magnitude" star ranks between 1.51 and 2.50, inclusive.) Bayer first designated the two 1st-magnitude stars, Betelgeuse and Rigel, as Alpha and Beta, with Betelgeuse (the shoulder) coming ahead of Rigel (the foot), even though the latter is usually the brighter. (Betelgeuse, a variable star, can at its maximum very occasionally be brighter than Rigel.) He then repeated the procedure for the stars of the 2nd magnitude. As is evident from the map and chart, he again followed a "top-down" ("north-south") route.
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Famous quotes containing the word orion:
““You know Orion always comes up sideways.
Throwing a leg up over our fence of mountains,
And rising on his hands....””
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)