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It isn't the brightest star - at least, usually Rigel is brighter. However, Betelgeuse is variable, and can sometimes be brighter than Rigel. Wikipedia lists its luminosity as 105,000 times the luminosity of our Sun; and the distance, as 640 light years. Assuming these numbers, this would make it as bright as a star that is 10.5 times as bright as our Sun, at a distance of only 6.4 light years. In other words, the extreme luminosity compensates for its distance.

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Where is betelgeuse located in the hunter Orion?

Betelgeuse marks the "Hunter's" right shoulder. For a northern-Hemisphere observer viewing the constellation, it's the bright, reddish star in the upper-left corner of Orion's main rectangle.


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 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).


What are the very familian stars?

Some of the most familiar stars visible from Earth include Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky; Betelgeuse, a red supergiant in the constellation Orion; and Vega, a bright star in the summer sky and part of the Summer Triangle. These stars are easily recognizable and commonly seen in the night sky.


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

Related Questions

Is Vega or Betelgeuse the brightest star?

Brightness is a function of a stars luminosity as observed from Earth. So our Sun is the brightest. Vega has an apparent magnitude of: 0.03 Betelgeuse has an apparent magnitude of 0.42 So, in apparent magnitude, Vega is brighter.


What is the name of the brightest star in the constellation Orion, often referred to as the "brightest star in a constellation"?

Ah, what a delightful question you have there, my friend. The brightest star in the constellation Orion is called Betelgeuse. It's like a beautiful beacon shining brightly in the night sky, bringing warmth and wonder to all who gaze upon it. The universe is full of such magnificent stars, each with its own special sparkle to light up our world.


Which is the brighter star aldeberan or Betelgeuse?

Betelgeuse is the brighter star compared to Aldebaran. It is a red supergiant star in the constellation Orion and is one of the brightest stars visible in the night sky. Aldebaran is an orange giant star in the constellation Taurus and is not as bright as Betelgeuse.


Where is betelgeuse located in the hunter Orion?

Betelgeuse marks the "Hunter's" right shoulder. For a northern-Hemisphere observer viewing the constellation, it's the bright, reddish star in the upper-left corner of Orion's main rectangle.


How can Betelgeuse look so bright if it is far away?

It is the brightest type of star, Red Supergiant.


Which constellation contains some of the brightest stars in the Northern Hemisphere?

After the sun the brightest star is Sirius in the constellation of Canis MajorIn addition to the star Sirius (brightest star in the night sky) in the Canis Major constellation. Another bright star in the night sky is Rigel (7th brightest star in the night sky) and it belongs to the Orion Constellation. The Orion constellation is the hunter. Next to Rigel are two other stars that make up Orion's belt. The other two stars are Bellatrix (27th brightest star in the night sky) and Betelgeuse (9th brightest star in the night sky). The Orion constellation stands out on the Northern Hemisphere between the months of January and March and during the summer months in the Southern Hemisphere.


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 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).


Does Orion have any prominent stars?

Orion is the most prominent constellation in the sky, so it has lots of prominent stars. Two in particular stand out. They are Rigel and Betelgeuse. Rigel is a very bright star in the bottom right corner, the brightest star in Orion. In the top left is Betelgeuse, also very bright but noticeably different in colour to Rigel, as it is a red giant star.


What is the name of the brightest star in the constellation?

Ah, just a happy little question you have there! The brightest star in the constellation can vary depending on which constellation you're referring to. There's a star that might twinkle a bit brighter than the rest, but really, every star in the constellation is special in its own way, just like all of us! Isn't that just lovely?


When can you see betelgeuse on earth?

Betelgeuse is in the constellation Orion and is best seen during the winter months in the northern hemisphere. It is very well placed for viewing around the months of November, December and January. Orion is a very easy constellation to find and Betelgeuse is the very bright and reddish looking star at the top left of it.


Which star is brighter Betelgeuse or Rigel?

Rigel is brighter than Betelgeuse. Rigel is a blue supergiant star and one of the brightest stars in the night sky, while Betelgeuse is a red supergiant and although it is one of the largest stars known, it is not as bright as Rigel.