WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Astro Minute: Exploring Orion

Episode Date: April 1, 2025

The constellation Orion is home to many interesting celestial objects. Learn more on today's episode of Astro Minute!

Welcome to the Astro Minute, where we're exploring the universe 60 seconds at a time. I'm Lauren Smith, and today we're discovering Orion. The constellation Orion's bright stars and nebulae will adorn spring evening skies through April. The hunter's brightest stars are blue Rigel in his left knee and red betelgeese in his right shoulder, aging super giants 70 and 700 times the radius of our sun respectively. Both will eventually explode as supernovae, leaving behind neutron stars are black holes. In his sword, just fuzzy patches to the unaided eye and binoculars, are more bright stars and several nebula. At the top of the sword is the open star cluster nebula in G.C. 1981, as well as the running man nebula.

Highlighting the center of the sword is the magnificent Orion Nebula, its 24 light-year-wide expanse of star-forming gas and dust illuminated by thousands of bright young stars. That's your Astro Minute.