The Orion constellation
Orion · Highest in the sky around January 11, near 22:00.
Orion — Orion in Latin — holds 203 stars visible to the naked eye. The brightest is Rigel, at magnitude 0.18.
The three stars of Orion’s belt sit almost exactly on the celestial equator, which is why Orion is visible from nearly anywhere on Earth — from Norway to New Zealand.
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Orion in numbers
- Visible stars
- 203
- Bright stars
- 28
- Named stars
- 10
- Brightest star
- Rigel
Named stars in Orion
The brightest stars carrying a proper name, with their magnitude — the lower the number, the brighter the star.
- Rigel 0.18
- Betelgeuse 0.45
- Bellatrix 1.64
- Alnilam 1.69
- Alnitak 1.74
How we calculate this sky
We use the HYG star catalogue and compute every position with the IAU 1982 sidereal time formula followed by a stereographic projection — the same method professional planetarium software uses. The output is verified against NASA JPL Horizons.
This map shows the real night sky on January 11, seen from Central Europe. That is how Orion stands that night — exactly as it will appear on your poster if you choose that date.
Frequently asked questions about constellation posters
- Can I combine Orion with a date of my own?
- Yes, and that usually gives the most beautiful result. This page shows Orion on the evening the constellation sits highest, but in the editor you pick any date between 1900 and 2100 yourself. Choose a date on which Orion was above the horizon and the constellation will appear on your poster — together with the rest of the sky from that moment.
- Is Orion always on the poster?
- No, and that is deliberate. We draw the sky exactly as it really looked on the date, the time and the place you enter. If Orion was below the horizon at that moment, it will not be there — that would show a sky that never existed. The preview shows you straight away what is visible, so you can adjust the date until the image is right.
- Which size suits a constellation best?
- The larger the size, the more faint stars stay visible in print. For a constellation with many fine stars, 30×40 cm or larger works most comfortably; 21×30 cm is lovely when the poster hangs alongside other frames. Every size is printed at 300 DPI on 200 g/m² coated silk, unframed or framed.
Other constellations
Sizes and prices
Every size with its price — pick one and start designing.