orions+belt | EarthSky

Star chart of human-shaped constellation with a red arrow leading from 3 stars lined up in the middle to Sirius.

Orion’s Belt points to Sirius on September mornings

Use Orion's Belt to find Sirius, the sky's brightest star. In 2026, Jupiter is in the same region, outshining even Sirius.

Orion's Belt or the Celestial Bridge is found in the east at mid-evening.

See Orion’s Belt as a celestial bridge between hemispheres

Many know Orion's Belt, a short, straight row of 3 stars. Orion's Belt is considered a celestial bridge between the sky's Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

Use Orion’s Belt to find 4 bright stars in the sky

How to use Orion's Belt to find 4 bright stars - Betelgeuse and Rigel in Orion - Aldebaran in Taurus the Bull and Sirius in Canis Major.

Use Orion’s Belt to find Mercury

Mercury's greatest eastern elongation - its greatest distance from the sunset - is today. But how can you tell which object you're seeing is Mercury?

A complex structure of blue and brown gas overlaid with dark nebulae, with numerous background stars.

Dark nebulae are star-obscuring clouds of gas and dust

Dark nebulae are clouds of gas and dust in space. They block the light of stars shining behind them. Often, they're locations where new stars are forming.

Star chart with Orion and arrow from 3-star Belt to lone star Sirius below.

See brightest star, Sirius, in your morning sky

Out late at night or before dawn? Look for the sky's brightest star, Sirius, a brilliant beauty. You'll know it's Sirius if you see Orion's Belt pointing to it.

Roundish constellation Auriga with stars and other objects labeled.

What star in the northeast flashes colorfully? It’s Capella!

If you're in Earth's Northern Hemisphere and see a bright star twinkling with red, green and blue flashes low in the northeast on October evenings, it's probably Capella. See charts here!

Lone man stands on pinnacle, looking starward.

Flashing star in autumn? Here are 3 candidates

Flashing star in October? Discover 3 bright stars that shimmer in red, green and other colors, and find out why they put on this dazzling show.

Star chart: Morning sky in August with Sirius and constellation Orion above it and stars labeled.

The return of Sirius in the morning signals seasonal change

A sign of the changing season is the return of Sirius before sunup. Want to make sure you've spotted Sirius? The 3 stars in Orion's Belt point to it.

Star chart showing Orion the Hunter with Betelgeuse and Rigel labeled in the dawn sky.

Return of Orion the Hunter, ghost of the summer dawn

Orion the Hunter returns to the east at dawn at this time every year. Here's how to watch for this most noticeable of constellations.

Dog days of summer: Morning sky in August with Orion. Its belt is pointing to Sirius below.

Dog days of summer: Hottest in July and August

The dog days of summer are named for the Dog Star Sirius - the brightest star in the sky - in the constellation Canis Major the Greater Dog. Learn why here.

Star chart showing the bright star Vega in the northeast in the evening in May, with an inset showing the constellation Lyra.

Apex of the sun: Look to Vega in May

Apex of the sun shows the direction our solar system moves through space, toward the bright star Vega in the May night sky.

Star-hop from Orion to Sirius: See them before they go!

Star-hopping is going from stars you know to stars you don't know. Star-hop from the constellation Orion to Sirius, sky's brightest star, before they're gone.

Large and bright cocoon of gas in violet and yellow, over a multitude of distant stars.

See the best deep-sky photos of February 2026

Enjoy this gallery of deep-sky photos for February 2026 from our EarthSky community. If you have a great photo to share, send it in, too. We love to see them!

Night sky scene with hexagon and figures of constellation superimposed over stars.

What’s a constellation? What’s an asterism?

Constellations and asterisms are patterns of stars. Some asterisms consist of stars from different constellations, and some are part of 1 constellation.

Starry, dark sky with bluish stars from constellation Orion and bright star, Sirius, with 4 streaks.

Is Sirius the most luminous star in the sky?

Sirius is the brightest star in Earth's sky because of how close it is to us. It's so bright you might see glints of different colors flashing from it.

Star chart with large triangle with labeled stars at the corners.

The Winter Triangle stands out in the night sky

The Winter Triangle is a distinct pattern of stars in the night sky formed by 3 of the brightest stars: Sirius, Betelgeuse and Procyon.

A dot, Jupiter, is to the right of two smaller dots, the stars Castor and Pollux. It is also above another dot. They all lie above a horizontal wavy line, the horizon.

Meet Gemini the Twins, 2 bright stars close together

The constellation Gemini the Twins is home to Castor and Pollux. Learn more about these bright stars, visible on northern winter nights.

Hundreds of multicolored donut shapes of different sizes inside a circle on a black background.

Look for the colors of the stars in the night sky

Winter is the perfect time for noticing the colors of the stars. Start with Capella, then move on to Taurus and Orion. Check out some colorful stars tonight!

Constellation Orion (looks like an hourglass), bright star Sirius to the left and star Canopus next to horizon.

Can you see Canopus, the 2nd-brightest star?

Here's how to spot Canopus, the 2nd-brightest star in the sky as seen from Earth, on February evenings. It’s located far south on the sky’s dome.

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Orion’s Belt points to Sirius on September mornings

See Orion’s Belt as a celestial bridge between hemispheres

Use Orion’s Belt to find 4 bright stars in the sky

Use Orion’s Belt to find Mercury

Dark nebulae are star-obscuring clouds of gas and dust

See brightest star, Sirius, in your morning sky

What star in the northeast flashes colorfully? It’s Capella!

Flashing star in autumn? Here are 3 candidates

The return of Sirius in the morning signals seasonal change

Return of Orion the Hunter, ghost of the summer dawn

Dog days of summer: Hottest in July and August

Apex of the sun: Look to Vega in May

Star-hop from Orion to Sirius: See them before they go!

See the best deep-sky photos of February 2026

What’s a constellation? What’s an asterism?

Is Sirius the most luminous star in the sky?

The Winter Triangle stands out in the night sky

Meet Gemini the Twins, 2 bright stars close together

Look for the colors of the stars in the night sky

Can you see Canopus, the 2nd-brightest star?