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Western Slope Skies - Orion

By Anirban Nandi (Own work) [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The first constellation most of us are able to find in the night sky is Ursa Major, the Great Bear.  Most people know the brighter stars as the Big Dipper asterism.  For many of us, the next constellation we discover is Orion, the Hunter.  At this time of year you can see it in the southern sky shortly after sunset.  The brighter stars include Betelgeuse, Rigel, and the easy-to-identify three stars of the belt.

Orion is located along the celestial equator, in relation to earth.  Because of this, it is visible to people around the globe and is found in cultures modern and historic.   We know the constellation by its Greek name, the son of Poseidon and Euryale.

The Inuit people also found a story of hunters in search of Bear in this group of stars.  The hunters followed bear, and are represented as the three stars of the belt.

In Sumerian civilization, the fighter, Uru An-na, known in the West as Gilgamesh, slays the Bull of Heaven.  Orion’s club, found in the stars reaching north from Betelgeuse is a reminder of the battle with the constellation we call Taurus.

Orion has been discovered in cultures around the world from New Zealand to Scandinavia; from China to the Lakota, from Siberia to the Middle East.  It’s noted in oral traditions, wall carvings and ancient writings discovered in the pyramids and the Bible.

Take a moment to rediscover Orion.  Pause as you gaze into the night sky.  Perhaps the twinkle of our common humanity will be visible.

Black Canyon Astronomical Society logo

You’ve been listening to Western Slope Skies produced by members of the Black Canyon Astronomical Society.  This episode was written & recorded by Paul Zaenger, Park Ranger at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

A native Texan, Jeff was bitten by the Colorado "bug" after graduating from UT-Austin. He arrived in Paonia on the October full moon of 1978, and has been involved with KVNF since its earliest days. His first KVNF show was "Sunday Night Live," which featured live musicians performing in the original Garvin Mesa garage/studio.