Among Orion’s best-known features is his belt, consisting of three bright stars in a line. But did you know that the star on the far right is actually five stars in a complex system [1041x1195 - 232KB]

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Among Orion’s best-known features is his belt, consisting of three bright stars in a line. But did you know that the star on the far right is actually five stars in a complex system [1041x1195 - 232KB] (pic8.co)

The name Mintaka, pronounced MIN-ta-ka, comes from the Arabic man?aqa, which means “the belt.”

Delta Orionis is really a multiple star system. The main component is the binary star, one consisting of a B-type giant (B0.5III) and a smaller yet hotter O-type star (O9.5 II). There is also a magnitude 7 star located 52” away from the primary component and another fainter star in between.

More information on Orion's belt-https://www.constellation-guide.com/orions-belt/

Mintaka, also known as d Orionis (Delta Orionis) or 34 Orionis, is the westernmost star of the Orion’s Belt. It is a binary star approximately 916 light years from Earth. It has an apparent magnitude of 2.21 and an absolute magnitude of -4.99. It is 90,000 times more luminous and 20 times more massive than the Sun. The two stars in the Mintaka system orbit each other every 5.73 days. The system is classified as an eclipsing binary. The name Mintaka, pronounced MIN-ta-ka, comes from the Arabic man?aqa, which means “the belt.” Delta Orionis is really a multiple star system. The main component is the binary star, one consisting of a B-type giant (B0.5III) and a smaller yet hotter O-type star (O9.5 II). There is also a magnitude 7 star located 52” away from the primary component and another fainter star in between. More information on Orion's belt-https://www.constellation-guide.com/orions-belt/

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