Skip to content
Alnilam

File:Orion_constellation_map.svg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ13070· pop 52· linked from 178 articles

Also known as 46 Orionis, Epsilon Orionis

Alnilam is the central star of Orion's Belt in the equatorial constellation of Orion. It has the Bayer designation ε Orionis, which is Latinised to Epsilon Orionis and abbreviated Epsilon Ori or ε Ori. This is a massive, blue supergiant star some 1,250 light-years distant. It is estimated to be 270,000 times as luminous as the Sun, and 28 times as massive.

AI overview

Alnilam is the middle star in Orion's Belt, a bright and easily recognizable feature in the night sky. It is a massive blue supergiant star located about 1,250 light-years away that shines roughly 270,000 times brighter than our Sun and weighs about 28 times as much.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Distance from Earth
366
Radius
24
Mass
34.6
Image
Orion Belt.jpg
Show 16 more facts
right ascension component of proper motion
-1
spectral class
B0ISB
catalog code
ALS 14791
apparent magnitude
2.16
effective temperature
24670
Commons category
Alnilam
right ascension
84.053388941
declination
-1.201919136
parallax
1.65
radial velocity
27.8
stellar rotational velocity
55
surface gravity
700
absolute magnitude
-6.95
luminosity
832000
declination component of proper motion
-3
age estimated by a dating method
5.7
Sources (7)

via Wikidata · CC0

~5 min read

Article

8 sections
Contents
  • Observation
  • Physical characteristics
  • Nomenclature and history
  • Orion's Belt
  • See also
  • Notes
  • References
  • External links

Alnilam is the central star of Orion's Belt in the equatorial constellation of Orion. It has the Bayer designation ε Orionis, which is Latinised to Epsilon Orionis and abbreviated Epsilon Ori or ε Ori. This is a massive, blue supergiant star some 1,250 light-years distant. It is estimated to be 270,000 times as luminous as the Sun, and 28 times as massive.

==Observation== thumb|left|Alnilam is the middle and brightest of the three stars of Orion's Belt. It is the 29th-brightest star in the sky (the fourth brightest in Orion) and is a blue supergiant. Together with Mintaka and Alnitak, the three stars make up Orion's Belt, known by many names across many ancient cultures. Alnilam is the middle star.

Gallery (7)

Connections

Categories