Orion

**Editor:** Heather Matthews
Fall 2012

**__Previous Editor:__** Zilaikha Zalmaiyar Spring 2012

ORION __**Summary:**__ This page is to assist you in finding out everything you want to know about Orion. Here is some basic information to start you off. Orion (the original) can be found in Greek Mythology. He was the greatest hunter of all times. It was said his personality was quite vain and what we would say now to be cocky. Orion's death was from the sting of a scorpion. It seems his death in Greek mythology follows him into our night sky. Thre are about 81 stars in Orion because many of the stars are binaries or multiple stars. Orian can be seen from the Northern Hemisphere from December until around March. It is the second most recognizable consellation in the sky, and if you find Orion as the constallation sets in the west then look to the east you will find the Scorpius (the scorpian) is rising at the same time. Orion is the 26th largest constelation. There are a number of stars that make up Orion, but the three main ones are Betelgeuse which is a red giant and when it pulsates it ranges from 300 to 400 times the diameter of our sun; Bellatrix is a pale yellow start; and Rigel which is a blue giant and is the sixth brightest star in the sky as well as the brightest in the constallation. If you look at Orion's belt you will be able find the Horsehead Nebula. Canis Major and Canis Minor are Orion's two dogs, and they follow him as he fights Taurus (the bull). [|Constellation of Orion]

Orion [] **Author:** Christine Kronberg **Last update:** 29 March, 1997 **Date Reviewed:** 7 December, 2012 **Reviewed by:** Heather Matthews **About this site:** This site gives a lot of information to process. It starts with the parts of the constellation, moves to some general information, then jumps into a break down of the parts which is where you will find the more specific information. The information seems to be pretty accurate since it talks about the 3 main start and their locations in the constellation. It also seems to be up to date even though it has beel a while since it was updated. The readability is a little more on the difficult side. There are some spelling and grammer errors as well as a number of scientific peices that may not be understood without proper training or assistance from someone who has expereience with information similar. The site is fairly easy to navigate and is well set up.

Image from http://new-universe.org/zenphoto/Chapter1/Illustrations/Abrams13c.jpg.php

Orion (constellation) []
 * Author:** Public
 * Last update:** 7 December, 2012
 * Date Reviewed:** 7 December, 2012
 * Reviewed by:** Heather Matthews
 * About this site:** This site is public so it can be edited by pretty much anyone. Based on what I read on this site in comparison to others, it is quite accurate. The origin of the name is the same, plus there are additional ones from other areas of the world. It also has navigational information on how to find it in the sky its orientation from certain places in the world, plus information ond the stars and nebulas that can be found in the constellation. It is very simple to navigate because the have a table of context for the page itself. As for readability it is definitely on the difficult side due to the amount of information packed onto this page. But as for the words themselfs there are not w tone of scientific words, they are simplified for the most part.

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Orion Constellation
[] Summary of this site: This site is a good informative site about the origin of Orion. It is accurate, it pulls information out of greek mythology books such as the __Iliad__ by Homer. It also compares well to the other sites. The readability for this site is much easier than the ones above. It has good grammer and spelling, and overall is just written well. The site is easy to navigate even if you are not on this specific page.
 * Auther:** Donna Young
 * Last update:** 2012
 * Date reviewed:** 20 November 2012
 * Reviewed by:** Heather Matthews

Image from http://www.futura-sciences.com/fr/definition/t/astronomie-2/d/constellation-dorion_5082/

Orion, the Hunter @http://stardate.org/nightsky/constellations/orion Summary of this site: This site gives a description that makes it simple to find the constellation in the night sky. It is accurate for that fact that the description is exact to what I have previously seen when I have looked for and found the constellation in the sky. Readabitlity is very easy since the information is direct and to the point.
 * Author:** The University of Texas McDonald Observatory
 * Last update:** 2012
 * Date reviewed:** 9 December, 2012
 * Reviewed by:** Heather Matthews

Image from http://www.astroarts.co.jp/news/2006/08/17orion_nebula/index-j.shtml

M42 - The Orion Nebula Image from http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120715.html
 * Link:** @http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/nebulae/m42.html
 * Author:** Richard Powell
 * Last update:** 30 July 2006
 * Date reviewed:** 9 December 2012
 * Reviewed by:** Heather Matthews
 * Summary of this site:** This sitew is all about the Orion Nebula. It has a lot of scientific terms and information in the tables which makes them a little hard to understand. There is a key explaining each table on the page. As for the written information, it is easier to follow than that of the tables. It contains some beautiful images of the Orion Nebula also. I believe it is accurate because when I google the information from the tables it is coming up with the same information given on this site.

The Horsehead Nebula
Link: @http://www.noao.edu/image_gallery/html/im0057.html Author: Nigel Sharp Last update: 29 June 2001 Date reviewed: 9 December 2012 Reviewed by: Heather Matthews Summary of this site: This site gives some information about the Horsehead Nebula which can be found on the belt of Orion. It talks about the detail in the way it is shaped as well as the molecules that are believed to be in it. It is fairly easy to read, there are a couple things here and there in it that mat need some further research to understand. It is accurate since I have compared it to a couple othere sites.

Image from http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap121021.html

Additional Pictures
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Links From Previous Years //SPRING 2012// __**Astronomy for Kids - Orion **__ **Link:** @http://www.dustbunny.com/afk/constellations/orion/ **Author:** Rick Morris **Last update:** 2003 **Date reviewed:** 9 December 2012 **Reviewed by:** Heather Matthews On this kid-friendly site, it talks about the stars that make up Orion, as well as when Orion is visible in the sky. This site even gets into Orion’s Nebula. This website is pretty organized. There are links to explore more of the site at the top left. The headings standout so it is clear what each paragraph is going to address.This site was written for kids specifically. Everything is simple and easy to understand. The information on this website is accurate.

The stars, and nebula that make up Orion and Orion’s position in the sky are the main focuses of this website. This website is very simple, with its headings that are big and bold. Many of the main topics are links that further explain what they are. This website would be a bit complex for a person who does not know ANYTHING about astronomy. The good thing about this site is that all the astronomical terms talked about on the site are explained by clicking the link that says ‘explanation’.
 * Orion**
 * Link:** @http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/constellations/Orion.html
 * Author:** Chris Dolan
 * Last update**: July 2011
 * Date reviewd:** 9 December 2012
 * Reviewed by:** Heather Matthews

**Author:** TelescopeKing.com **Last update:** 2012 **Date reviewed:** 9 December 2012 <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">**Reviewed by:** Heather Matthews <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">If you want a short, yet informative summary on Orion’s stars, and nebula, its mythology, and a quick video on an interesting theory that links Orion and the pyramids of Giza this is the website for you. This website
 * Orion Constellation, The Hunter**
 * Link:** []

Everything and anything you would like to know about Orion is on this. Including its main stars, mythology, and plenty of pictures. Most of the information is in bullet points so it is quick and easy to read.
 * Nothing But The Facts About The Constellation Orion**
 * Link:** @http://www.brighthub.com/science/space/articles/54103.aspx
 * Author:** George Garza
 * Last update:** Feb 27, 2012
 * Date reviewed:** 9 December 2012
 * Reviewed by:** Heather Matthews

Seven importnant facts you might want to know if you are interested in Orion. They are short and simple making the readability quite easy.
 * Step 4: Interesting Facts About Orion**
 * Link:** @http://www.astronomytrek.com/step-4-interesting-facts-about-orion
 * Author:** AstronomyTrek.com
 * Last update:** Unknown
 * Date reviewed:** 9 December 2012
 * Reviewed by:** Heather Matthews

If you want a website with a lot of information, explained thoroughly this website is perfect. The major stars of the constellation Orion are what this website mostly consists of.
 * Orion Constellation**
 * Link:** @http://www.constellation-guide.com/constellation-list/orion-constellation/
 * Author:** Constellation Guide
 * Last update:** 2012
 * Date reviewed:** 9 December 2012
 * Reviewed by:** Heather Matthews

Orion's stars, and nebulae. Orion's belt and its connection to the Ancient Egyptians. Orion's history and mythology, as well as Orion in literature. Orion in the news.
 * Orion**
 * Link:** []
 * Author:** Ellie Crystal
 * Last update:** 1 August 2011
 * Date reviewed:** 9 December 2012
 * Reviewed by:** Heather Matthews

//FALL 2011// This website will give you a simple to understand explanation of two variations that has come to be Orion’s origin. This page suggests that the Orion myth is dependent on who were his parents. I liked this web page because it’s not very long, and doesn’t require a lot of reading to sum up the myth.
 * Orion the Hunter**
 * Link:** @http://comfychair.org/~cmbell/myth/orion.html
 * Author:** Cathy Bell
 * Last update:** Unknown
 * Date reviewed:** 9 December 2012
 * Reviewed by:** Heather Matthews

Here is a really good website to check out with yet another version of the mythology story of Orion. This has more detail regarding the myth and is very interesting to read. Along with the history, this web page also describes key characteristics of Orion as well as the main stars that make the constellation.
 * Orion: Mythology and History**
 * Link:** @http://www.mallorcaweb.net/masm/Ori1.htm
 * Author:** Masm
 * Last update:** 28 October 2004
 * Date reviewed:** 9 December 2012
 * Reviewed by:** Heather Matthews

An interesting article regarding Orion’s red supergiant star Betelgeuse shrinking. The research was done by Charles Townes, a UC Berkeley professor who won the 1964 Nobel Prize in Physics.
 * Red giant star Betelgeuse mysteriously shrinking**
 * Link:** @http://berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/06/09_betelim.shtml
 * Author:** Robert Sanders
 * Last updated:** 9 June 2009
 * Date Reviewed:** 9 December 2012
 * Reviewed by:** Heather Matthews

Not sure where exactly to look at in the night sky to locate Orion, here is a simple to use website that will show you where to look depending on your location in the world. Click on your location on the map of the world and a picture will show up showing you where to look at, including the direction.
 * How can I find Orion?**
 * Link:** @http://www.globeatnight.org/observe_finder.html
 * Author:** Dennis L. Ward
 * Last update:** 2007
 * Date reviewed:** 9 December 2012
 * Reviewed by:** Heather Matthews

This is a great video in which Dr Chris Lintott takes us on short but education tour of Orion and the major stars that make Orion up. I really like this video because it’s more visual than just a picture and Dr Lintot does a great job walking us through it.
 * The Constellation Orion**
 * Link:** @http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00jqjr7
 * Author:** Jane Fletcher (Series Producer) and crew
 * Last update:** 10 August 2011
 * Date reviewed:** 9 December 2012
 * Reviewed by:** Heather Matthews

If you just can’t get enough of words and you love constellations, here is a website for you. Look no further! Just like the page says “Explore the etymology and symbolism of the constellations”. This page will break down certain names and words and give you the history behind them. Buckle your seatbelt; you’re in for a ride
 * Orion the Giant, the Hunter**
 * Link:** @http://www.constellationsofwords.com/Constellations/Orion.html
 * Author:** Anne Wright
 * Last update:** 2008
 * Date reviewed:** 9 December 2012
 * Reviewed by:** Heather Matthews