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Why does Rigel have the designation beta Ori when it is a brighter star than Betelgeuse?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Answer When Bayer prepared his catalogue, there was no way to measure stellar brightness precisely. Traditionally, the stars were assigned to one of six magnitude classes, and Bayer's catalog lists all the first-magnitude stars, followed by all the second-magnitude stars, and so on. However within each magnitude class, there was no attempt to arrange stars by relative brightness. For example, in the Orion constellation, Bayer first designated the two 1st-magnitude stars, Betelgeuse and Rigel, as Alpha and Beta, with Betelgeuse (the shoulder) coming ahead of Rigel (the foot), even though the latter is the brighter.
Also worth mentioningis that Betelgeuse is a semiregular variable star, and sometimes IS brighter than Rigel.So, it is possible that Betelgeuse was mistakenly classified as the brightest because it could have been experiencing an increase in brightness at that time.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
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Why are the stars Betelgeuse and Rigel also known as alpha and beta Orionis?
It is common for astronomers to identify stars in a constellation with Greek alphabets. This is called the "Bayer designations". Bayer, a German astronomer, designated the stars in a constellation according to brightness, but this is not always the case. Here, Betelgeuse is not as bright as Rigel but it is called Alpha Orionis, rather than Beta Orionis. One reason for this is because 400 years ago, nobody could accurately determine which star was brighter, and it probably seemed that Betelgeuse was the brighter star.
How long does it take Rigel and beta orian to orbit each other?
Rigel is beta Orion so I am not sure what the question is about.
What is the scientific name for Rigel?
The star Rigel can also be called β Orionis or Beta Orionis.
Apparent magnitude of Orion stars?
There are 81 stars in the constellation which appear in the Bayer/Flamsteed catalogues. Eight of these are brighter than an apparent magnitude of 3.0 The seven which from the notable hour-glass outline are:Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis).Rigel (Beta Orionis)Bellatrix (Gamma Orionis),Mintaka (Delta Orionis),Alnilam (Epsilon Orionis),Alnitak (Zeta Orionis) andSaiph (Kappa Orionis).Of course, as with any constellation, there are stars which are so faint that they have not yet been detected and so have not had their magnitudes measured.
Is the biggest star in a constellation usually labeled with the Greek beta symbol?
No, usually the brightest star is labelled alpha but there are a few exceptions e.g. Orion. The brightest star is Rigel but that is labelled Beta, while the next brightest, Betelgeuse, is labelled alpha.
Why are the stars Betelgeuse and Rigel also known as alpha and beta Orionis?
It is common for astronomers to identify stars in a constellation with Greek alphabets. This is called the "Bayer designations". Bayer, a German astronomer, designated the stars in a constellation according to brightness, but this is not always the case. Here, Betelgeuse is not as bright as Rigel but it is called Alpha Orionis, rather than Beta Orionis. One reason for this is because 400 years ago, nobody could accurately determine which star was brighter, and it probably seemed that Betelgeuse was the brighter star.
What constellation has 2 of the brightest stars in the sky?
Generally, stars are named with a Greek letter designating the relative brightness followed by the name of the constellation. "Alpha" and "Beta" are (generally) the two brightest stars. So the brightest star in the constellation Scorpio is "Alpha Scorpius". Most bright stars also have Arabic names; Alpha Scorpius is better known as Antares. This pattern doesn't ALWAYS hold; for example, the red giant star Betelgeuse is Alpha Orionis, while Rigel is Beta Orionis. But Rigel is brighter than Betelgeuse! The answer is that Betelgeuse is a somewhat-variable star, and when the stars were formally catalogued, was brighter than Rigel. Betelgeuse has since dimmed a little, and is now less bright that Rigel. Some astronomers use Betelgeuse's variability as a sign that it is nearing the end of its life, and will "soon" explode as a supernova. Of course, "soon" to an astronomer means "within the next 10,000 years or so".
What is true of alpha star in a constellation?
The standard designations of stars within a constellation is a Greek letter followed by the Latin name of the constellation. This is called the "Bayer designation". In general - but not in EVERY case - the stars were lettered in order by brightness. Please remember that this was done a few hundred years ago, before the invention of detailed electronic instruments. And over the centuries, in a few cases the stars themselves have varied in brightness. For example, in the constellation of Orion, the star Betelgeuse is "Alpha Orionis", even though it is the SECOND-brightest star in Orion. Why the discrepancy? A couple of reasons, perhaps. Rigel, the brightest star in Orion, isn't all THAT much brighter; both are "first magnitude" stars. Second, Betelgeuse is known to be a variable star, and 300 years ago we believe that Betelgeuse was actually brighter than Rigel is.
What are the brighest stars in the constellation Orion?
In order of visible magnitude: Beta Ori - Rigel Alpha Ori - Betelgeuse Bellatrix Alnilam Alnitak Saiph Mintaka
What type of star is beta the star?
There is no star with the name of "Beta". No, that's not true. To be more correct, there is a "beta" in every constellation. That's a total of 88 of them in the sky ! Within each constellation, the brightest star is labelled "Alpha of (the name of the constellation)", the second brightest is labelled "Beta of (the constellation's name)", the third brightest is labeled "Gamma of (the constellation)" and so on through the constellation. Well, that's the general idea anyway. The system of assigning names to stars got a bit mixed up and for various reasons, "Beta" is not always strictly speaking the second brightest star in a constellation, but for most of them it will at least be one of the brightest stars in the constellation. Also, the "of the constellation" part is in Latin, and forming Latin genitives isn't always straightforward for English speakers (some examples: "of Cephus" -> Cephei, "of Ursa Minor" -> Ursae Minoris, "of Virgo" -> Virginis).
How long does it take Rigel and beta orian to orbit each other?
Rigel is beta Orion so I am not sure what the question is about.
What is the letter of rigel?
In the constellation of Orion, Rigel is beta, which would be the Greek letter B.
What is the red supergiant star in the constellation Orion?
Rigel (beta Orionis) is the brightest star in the constellation Orion and one of the brightest stars in the sky.
What does rigel have brighter then Sirius?
I'm not sure exactly what detail you want, but here's a start. Rigel is a triple star system. The main star of the three is a very luminous star. It is a blue supergiant star.
What is the scientific name for Rigel?
The star Rigel can also be called β Orionis or Beta Orionis.
Where does the betelgeuse belong?
Rigel (Beta Orionis) is the brightest star in the constellation Orion and the sixth brightest star in the sky.It is a type B star and will have a temperature between 10,000 -> 30,000 KObservations have placed it's surface temperature at 12,130K. This equates to:21,374 degrees Fahrenheit11,857 degrees Celsius
Is rigel part of a constellation?
Rigel is part of the constellation Orion. It is the brightest star in the constellation although it bears the name Beta Orionis.
