Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-12-13
Orion Returns to the Evening Sky-Bv Isabel M Lewis

~ RION, the Warrior, the most popular and
I } Widely-lnOwn constellation in the heav-
ems, visible from all corners OF the
world because of its position the celestial
equator has returned once more to the eve
ntpg sky and may be seen towering majestic
ally above the eastern horizon by . o'clock in
the evening"
The quaint star maps of the ancient as
tronomers pictured Orion with uplsted club
in his right hand, its tip close to the horns
Of Taurus the Bull which he faces, and with
lions skin thrown over his uplifted left
arm. Four brilliant stars outline the hero's
huge form. Two ruddy Betelgeuse in the
right shoulder, and blue-White Rigel diagon-
ally opposite in the left foot are Of the first
magnitude The remaining two BellatriX in
the left shoulder, and Saiph in the right
knee, are of the second magnitude. The
left foot Of Orion rests upon Lepus, the Hare
the small constellation directly below Orion
and his head is marked by group of three
faint stars. ~ his heels follow the two dogs
CAMS Major, which contains Sirius the
brightest star in the heavens, and CAMS
Minor, farther north with its first magni-
tude gtar PrOcyOn. Depended from the Belt
Of Orion, which is marked by three stars of
tie second magnitude in straight line
HantinS toward the southeast, is the famous
Sword Of Orion, containing a line of faint
stars, the central one rather fuzzy in APP
pearance Viewed through the telescope this
fuzzy, starIike object is transformed into
what is generally considered to be the most
magnificent object in the heavens. the Great
Orion Nebula, glowing mass of luminous
gases Of enormous size and extent which in
cludes in it's ramifcatiOns, the entire constel-
lation.
The Orion NebuIa is most brilliant in the
neighborhoOd of the multiple star, Theta,
which is embedded in its heart This star
and its surrounding nebulosity is the fuzzy
stellar object that is visible to the naked
+o1O
into a system of four stars but more power
full telescopes show that it is really a sex
tuple star that is, six gigantic suns forming
one enormous system.
According to the latest Investigations the
luminous gaseous nebulas of which the Great
Orion Nebula is the most ilIustriOus example
owe their luminosity either to the reflected
light of stars associated with them or to cleo
trical eXcitaton produced in some way by
these stars or to both causes. 1t is prob
able then, that the multiple star, Theta, in
the heart of the Great Orion Nebula, is
largely responsible for the briIliancy of it's
surrounding nebulOsity.
The most reliable estimates place the typ
ical Orion stars, such as the brilliant RigeI,
the three stars in the Belt of Orion, and the
stars in the Sword of Orion, at a distance
approximately six hundred and fifty light
years from the earth, or nearly four thou
sand triIliOn miles. All Of these Orion trype
stars are intensely not with temperatures OF
ten twelve thousand degrees Centigrade
or over, and with the element helium con-
spicuously present in their spectra.
The red variable star Betelgeuse which
has been in the past few years one of the
most talked of stars in the heavens because
Of its huge size, is not a member Of the
Orion group Of stars. Its distance from the
earth is less than two hundred light years,
or about one-thrd that of the true Orion
stars. 1t is merely seen projected against
the background formed by the more distant
stars in a convenient position to complete
the outlines Of this celestial figure which
man has fashioned out of the stars and