The constellation of Orion // Dawson Fehr
Read below the cut to learn more about the stars in this image!
Of course, the two brightest stars in Orion are Rigel (β Orionis) at the bottom right and Betelgeuse (α Orionis) at the top right.
Rigel is named after the Arabic word rijl, meaning "left leg". Indeed, it is the left leg of Orion. Rigel is a quadruple star system, with the primary being a blue supergiant star.
Betelgeuse is named after the Arabic phrase Yad al-Jawzā’, meaning "hand of Orion." Europeans misread the "y" sound as a "b" sound, leading to the modern name. Betelgeuse is a solitary red supergiant star.
In the middle of Orion is Orion's Belt, composed of three stars:
Alnilam (ε Orionis) is named after the Arabic phrase al-niẓām, meaning "string [of pearls]". It is a solitary blue supergiant star. It is the center star in the belt.
Alnitak (ζ Orionis) is named after the Arabic phrase an-niṭāq, meaning "the girdle." Alnitak is a triple star system, with the primary being a blue supergiant. It forms the left star in the belt.
Mintaka (δ Orionis) is named after the Arabic term manṭaqa, meaning "belt". Mintaka is a multiple star system with the primary being a blue supergiant. It forms the right star of the belt.
Other stars in Orion in this image include (from brightest to dimmest):
Bellatrix (γ Orionis), named after the Latin word bellātrix, meaning "female warrior." It is a solitary blue giant star.
Saiph (κ Orionis) comes from the Arabic phrase saif al jabbar, meaning "the saif [or sword] of the giant." Saiph is a solitary blue supergiant star.
η Orionis is a quadruple star system, with the all members being blue giant stars.
Meissa (λ Orionis) is named after the Arabic phrase Al-Maisan, meaning "the shining one." This is a multiple star system, with the primary being a blue giant star.
τ Orionis is a solitary blue giant star.
π5 Orionis is a binary star system, with the primary being a blue giant star.
π6 Orionis is a solitary red giant star.
Use this image to help you identify these stars!
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okay someone suggested drawing the four goobers from transformers one, and while im not sure what they wanted
im gonna do all of them and make a proper post with the request. i just need it to be known that these colors are my only source of serotonin as of late
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Nothing like seeing your shitty brother for the first time in centuries and he's all corrupted by Herma Mora now, definitely not a cause for concern.
I have a very robust Elder Scrolls AU that I do nothing with. Have this comic that vaguely hints at it.
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What a drama king. We're supposed to be FIGHTING, Orion, not posing. Arthur get your head back in the game would you?
Hey. HEY YOU. MAKE SURE TO VOTE FOR THIS SILLY LITTLE GUY IN THE @sonic-fankid-showdown!!
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Moonbound: One Year Since Artemis I
On this day last year, the Artemis I rocket and spacecraft lit up the sky and embarked on the revolutionary mission to the Moon and back. The first integrated flight test of the rocket and spacecraft continued for 25.5 days, validating NASA’s deep exploration systems and setting the stage for humanity’s return to the lunar surface.
On Nov. 16, 2022, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket met or exceeded all expectations during its debut launch on Artemis I. The twin solid rocket booster motors responsible for producing more than 7 million pounds of thrust at liftoff reached their performance target, helping SLS and the Orion spacecraft reach a speed of about 4,000 mph in just over two minutes before the boosters separated.
Quite a few payloads caught a ride aboard the Orion spacecraft on the Artemis I mission: In addition to a number of small scientific satellites called CubeSats, a manikin named Commander Moonikin Campos sat in the commander’s seat. A Snoopy doll served as a zero-gravity indicator — something that floats inside the spacecraft to demonstrate microgravity.
During the mission, Orion performed two lunar flybys, coming within 80 miles of the lunar surface. At its farthest distance during the mission, Orion traveled nearly 270,000 miles from our home planet, more than 1,000 times farther than where the International Space Station orbits Earth. This surpassed the record for distance traveled by a spacecraft designed to carry humans, previously set during Apollo 13.
The Orion spacecraft arrived back home to planet Earth on Dec. 11, 2022. During re-entry, Orion endured temperatures about half as hot as the surface of the Sun at about 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Within about 20 minutes, Orion slowed from nearly 25,000 mph to about 20 mph for its parachute-assisted splashdown.
Recovery teams successfully retrieved the spacecraft and delivered it back to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for de-servicing operations, which included removing the payloads (like Snoopy and Commander Moonikin Campos) and analyzing the heat shield.
With the Artemis I mission under our belt, we look ahead to Artemis II — our first crewed mission to the Moon in over 50 years. Four astronauts will fly around the Moon inside Orion, practicing piloting the spacecraft and validating the spacecraft’s life support systems. The Artemis II crew includes: NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
As we look ahead to Artemis II, we build upon the incredible success of the Artemis I mission and recognize the hard work and achievements of the entire Artemis team. Go Artemis!
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This is a fascinating cosmic scene captured by Hubble: jets firing out from the rotational poles of a newly-ignited star illuminate gas and dust inside the Orion B cloud, 1,350 light-years away, forming what's called a Herbig-Haro object.
Credit: Jason Major
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