Brightest stars in Orion

Alnitak (HIP 26727)

Alnitak is a blue supergiant star in the constellation Orion. At 1,088 light years away, it is the 32nd brightest star in the Earth's sky, where it shines at an apparent visual magnitude of 1.74. Alnitak is a multiple-star system. It is moving through the Galaxy at a speed of 19.4 km/s relative to the Sun and is part of the Orion Molecular Cloud and Collinder 70 moving groups. Its projected Galactic orbit carries it between 25,100 and 30,800 light years from the center of the Galaxy.

Alnilam (HIP 26311)

Alnilam is a blue supergiant star in the constellation Orion. At 1,341 light years away, it is the 30th brightest star in the Earth's sky, where it shines at an apparent visual magnitude of 1.69. Alnilam is the primary component of a multiple-star system. It is moving through the Galaxy at a speed of 27.5 km/s relative to the Sun and is part of the Orion Molecular Cloud and ASCC 19 and Collinder 70 and Sigma Orionis moving groups. Its projected Galactic orbit carries it between 25,200 and 28,500 light years from the center of the Galaxy.

Mintaka (HIP 25930)

Mintaka is a blue giant star in the constellation Orion. At 1,080 light years away, it is the 74th brightest star in the Earth's sky, where it shines at an apparent visual magnitude of 2.25. Mintaka is a component of a multiple-star system. It is moving through the Galaxy at a speed of 18.6 km/s relative to the Sun and is part of the Orion Molecular Cloud and ASCC 18/20 and ASCC 21 and ASCC 19 and Collinder 70 moving groups. Its projected Galactic orbit carries it between 25,100 and 30,600 light years from the center of the Galaxy.

Betelgeuse (HIP 27989)

Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star in the constellation Orion. At 488 light years away, it is the 10th brightest star in the Earth's sky, where it shines at an apparent visual magnitude of 0.45. Betelgeuse is a component of a multiple-star system. The iron abundance of Betelgeuse is +0.09 (123.0% of the Sun). It is moving through the Galaxy at a speed of 30.4 km/s relative to the Sun. Its projected Galactic orbit carries it between 24,400 and 28,500 light years from the center of the Galaxy. It came closest to the Sun 3.5 million years ago when it had brightened to magnitude -0.34 from a distance of 339 light years.

Rigel (HIP 24436)

Rigel is a blue supergiant star in the constellation Orion. At 854 light years away, it is the 7th brightest star in the Earth's sky, where it shines at an apparent visual magnitude of 0.18. Rigel is a component of a multiple-star system and an intrinsic variable star that varies between magntitudes 0.17 and 0.22 over a period of 2.07 days. It is moving through the Galaxy at a speed of 17.9 km/s relative to the Sun and is part of the Orion Molecular Cloud moving group. Its projected Galactic orbit carries it between 24,800 and 29,700 light years from the center of the Galaxy.