Mintaka Star Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mintaka Star - Research Paper Example While looking up to the sky during the Tasmanian Summer, it is possible for one to pick up the popular Orion constellation. One of the major captivating features that people see in the Orion belt is the three stars, which people consider to be the giant’s belt. Mintaka is the star that is situated to the westernmost end of the belt, and it is an Arabic word that is associated with a belt. Alnilam is the central star and it refers to â€Å"a belt of pearls†. Alnitak is situated to the easternmost side and it refers to a â€Å"girdle†. All these stars are said to have been formed at the same time and are also situated at an equal distance from earth. Rigel, Saiph, Bellatrix and Betelgeuse stars were formed almost at the same time as the three stars (Gonzalez). When observing all these stars on the celestial sphere, Rigel appears to be the brightest one, and it is characterized by a white/blue appearance, while star Betelgeuse shines brightly with a reddish hue. The other stars have varying degrees of brightness, all emitting whitish color. Like in the case with most constellations, the unique stars which are associated with a unique figure are positioned at varying degrees of distance from the viewing positions that people adopt here on earth but they do not have a mutual â€Å"ancestry.† However, in Table 1, the stars that are situated in Orion’s belt together with the other fainter stars that are above and to the right of the belt share a common distance, which is approximately 1000 light years from earth (Starr).