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The constellation Orion has always been my favorite. Besides containing some of the sky's brightest stars, it has pattern that is exquisitely balanced. Orion is like a masterly painted still life which if any of its components were moved just a bit, would lose its aura of perfection. Orion is placed astride the celestial equator and so can be seen from almost any place on Earth.
Most peoples have associated the constellation of Orion with an individual of enormous size and strength. The constellation attributed to Hercules is not nearly as impressive as that of Orion. The Arabs called it simply al-Jabbar, the Giant or al-Badadur, the Strong One. The early Irish called the constellation Caeomai, the Armed King. In some Jewish sources, the Orion constellation is known as Gibbor and associated with the hunter Nimrod, although in biblical times it was known as Kislev, which is the Hebrew month that coincides with December, a good time to view Orion.
The Orion of the Greek was described by Homer as the most exalted and beautiful of mankind. Orion served as a hunter for Diana, the goddess of hunting, who loved him. One day the gods sent a scorpion to sting and kill Orion because of his boastfulness. After Orion’s death, Diana requested that be placed in the sky. She also had the scorpion placed in the sky, but sensibly at the opposite end
The three bright stars appearing in a short line in the center of Orion are known as the hunter's belt. Several dim stars hanging down from the belt form his sword. We have already discussed the two brightest stars of Orion, Rigel and Betelgeuse. The name of the red giant Rigel comes from the Arabic word for foot, while the name of the bright blue star at Orion's shoulder, Betelgeuse, means the house of twins. The rightmost star on Orion’s belt is delta Orionis and is a double star that can be seen nicely through binoculars.