Mintaka
Product information
Description
Mintaka gleams with icy blue brilliance as the rightmost star in Orion’s Belt. Its alignment along the celestial equator makes it a standout for skywatchers, and its crisp position completes one of the most iconic patterns in the night sky.
Additional Information
- Constellation
- Orion
- Spectral Type
- O9.5II + B0III
- Apparent Magnitude
- 2.23
- Distance (Light Years)
- 1200
- Right Ascension
- 05h 32m 00.4s
- Declination
- −00° 17′ 56″
- Solar Masses
- 20
- Radius (Solar)
- 11.2
- Temperature (Kelvin)
- 29500
- Age (Million Years)
- 6
Discovery
- Ancient Civilizations
- Babylonians, Greeks, Arabs
- Historical Significance
- Mintaka, the westernmost star in Orion’s Belt, has been observed for thousands of years and served as a celestial guidepost in mythologies and early astronomical traditions.
Cultural Significance
- Mythology
- In ancient Greek mythology, Mintaka is one of the three stars forming Orion’s Belt, symbolizing the hunter’s weapon. The name comes from the Arabic word 'mintaqah,' meaning 'belt,' reflecting its position in Orion’s figure.
- Navigation
- Mintaka lies almost exactly on the celestial equator, making it one of the most useful stars for navigation — visible from nearly every inhabited part of Earth and used for centuries to find due east and west.
- Modern Reference
- Mintaka is frequently mentioned in stargazing guides and planetarium software, often highlighted for its near-perfect alignment with Earth’s celestial equator.
Notable Features
- Stellar Motion
- Mintaka shows typical proper motion for a star in Orion. It is part of a multiple star system, with its primary components forming a massive, eclipsing binary.
- Additional Fact
- Mintaka is a spectroscopic binary, meaning its double nature was discovered through the shifting spectral lines of its light. It is one of the hottest and most massive stars visible to the naked eye.
User Dedications
- Dedications
- This star has not been claimed yet. Be the first to dedicate it to someone special!