Orion

One famous constellation is Orion the Hunter. You can see Orion in the Northern Hemisphere in fall and winter. Here is a photo of Orion:

The Constellation Orion Click on the image for a larger view. Copyright Bernd Mienert. Courtesy of the Astronomical Image Data Archive.

When the ancient Greeks saw Orion, the shape reminded them of a hunter. The bright stars in the four corners were his shoulders and feet. The three horizontal stars in the middle were his belt. The three vertical stars below were his sword.

The Greeks told a story about Orion. He was a brave but proud hunter who was killed by a scorpion. When he died, the gods put him in the sky to remember him.

Study the picture of Orion above. What stars do you think are a part of Orion? What do you think the stars are like? Click Next to learn about them.