What are the primary stars in the constellation Orion?

Info on the stars of Orion

Orion is probably the best constellation of all, given how bright most of its stars are. In the northern hemisphere it is very clearly seen through the winter months. Orion has many stars. There are 7 very clear stars that people see. They are

Rigel
Betelgeuse
Bellatrix
Alnilam
Alnitak
Saiph
Mintaka

The two brightest magnitude stars in Orion are Betelgeuse and Rigel.

Betelgeuse is the bright red-looking star that, from our perspective, would be top left, or Orion's left shoulder if he were facing away from us. It is in fact a type of star known as a red giant. To the top right of Orion is Bellatrix.

Across the centre are the three stars often collectively known as Orion's Belt. From left to right they are Alnilam, Alnitak and Mintaka.

On the bottom right is Saiph, the faintest of the 4 outer stars. It is hard to miss Rigel, which is bright blue-white and would be at the lower right, designating the knee. Many people think of stars as being the same colour, but looking at Rigel and Betelgeuse is a great way of seeing how different in colour some stars are.

The famous Horsehead Nebula is to the east of Orion's Belt and far too faint to see with most home telescopes.

There is also a nebula in Orion's Sword. If you look closely, one of the "stars" in the sword appears fuzzy; it is not a star but the Orion Nebula.

Do a net search for Orion, Betelgeuse, Rigel, constellations, "Orion Nebula," "Orion's Belt," or any combination of these. I'm sure you'll find lots of info.

Or better yet, buy yourself a backyard guide to the night sky. You may not use it much, but you'll never regret it. You may even become addicted to astronomy. Astronomy is a simple hobby to start. All you have to do is go outside on a clear night and look up. There are always wonders to be seen.

First answer by Sunde. Last edit by Flukey. Contributor trust: 44 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 75 [recommend question]