Orion - Revision history

Rolandlaffitte at 07:02, 26 March 2026

2026-03-26T07:02:59Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:02, 26 March 2026
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	[[File:Orion (ori).jpg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Orion star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).]]		[[File:Orion (ori).jpg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Orion star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).]]
	[[File:Ori-Zodiac-kgl smh2016 009.jpg\|thumb\|Orion as Roman warrior in a modern Zeiss Planetarium; his club is clearly at the ecliptic and his upper hand in the zodiac. ]]		[[File:Ori-Zodiac-kgl smh2016 009.jpg\|thumb\|Orion as Roman warrior in a modern Zeiss Planetarium; his club is clearly at the ecliptic and his upper hand in the zodiac. ]]
	One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]]. Seven stars in Orion are extremely bright and form a very memorable figure. The three bright stars, which are arranged in a line, are particularly striking in the sky. In ancient times, people saw a male figure here. In ancient Mesopotamia, it was SIPA.ZI.AN.NA, the giant male True Shepherd of Anu. The earliest Greek notes on astronomy in Homer describe Orion with the epithet ''Γιγας / Gigas, ‘Giant’,'' and for the Arabs, it was a female giant figure [[Jawza\|al-Jawza]].		One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]]. Seven stars in Orion are extremely bright and form a very memorable figure. The three bright stars, which are arranged in a line, are particularly striking in the sky. In ancient times, people saw a male figure here. In ancient Mesopotamia, it was [[SIPA.ZI.AN.NA]], the giant male True Shepherd of Anu; the Greek name Orion likely derives from <sup>mul</sup>[[U5.RI2.IN\|U<sub>5</sub>.RI<sub>2</sub>.IN]]. The earliest Greek notes on astronomy in Homer describe Orion with the epithet ''Γιγας / Gigas, ‘Giant’,'' and for the Arabs, it was a female giant figure [[Jawza\|al-Jawza]].

	The imposing man has extremely broad shoulders and a magnificently decorated belt – but his head is not so bright. It consists of a group of faint stars (around 4 mag), which Ptolemy describes in the Almagest as a nebulous star. Below Orion's belt lies a chain of faint stars that can be seen out of the corner of the eye as a silvery glow. For the Arabs, this was a string of pearls that men dangled from their belts as a status symbol: this is still evident in the name of the middle star in the belt, ‘Alnilam’, meaning string of pearls. The Greeks saw this as a metallic (very short) hunting knife, as recorded in the Almagest, for example. Later Arabic depictions, copies of the book by as-Sufi, show a long curved sabre that reaches to the middle of the right leg. This explains the name of this star: Saïph is the Arabic word for sword (i.e. a long knife). Nowadays, a kind of Roman warrior is often drawn here, wielding a sword instead of a club, with a metal-decorated sword hanger dangling from his belt.		The imposing man has extremely broad shoulders and a magnificently decorated belt – but his head is not so bright. It consists of a group of faint stars (around 4 mag), which Ptolemy describes in the Almagest as a nebulous star. Below Orion's belt lies a chain of faint stars that can be seen out of the corner of the eye as a silvery glow. For the Arabs, this was a string of pearls that men dangled from their belts as a status symbol: this is still evident in the name of the middle star in the belt, ‘Alnilam’, meaning string of pearls. The Greeks saw this as a metallic (very short) hunting knife, as recorded in the Almagest, for example. Later Arabic depictions, copies of the book by as-Sufi, show a long curved sabre that reaches to the middle of the right leg. This explains the name of this star: Saïph is the Arabic word for sword (i.e. a long knife). Nowadays, a kind of Roman warrior is often drawn here, wielding a sword instead of a club, with a metal-decorated sword hanger dangling from his belt.

Rolandlaffitte at 06:57, 26 March 2026

2026-03-26T06:57:54Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:57, 26 March 2026
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	[[File:Orion (ori).jpg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Orion star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).]]		[[File:Orion (ori).jpg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Orion star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).]]
	[[File:Ori-Zodiac-kgl smh2016 009.jpg\|thumb\|Orion as Roman warrior in a modern Zeiss Planetarium; his club is clearly at the ecliptic and his upper hand in the zodiac. ]]		[[File:Ori-Zodiac-kgl smh2016 009.jpg\|thumb\|Orion as Roman warrior in a modern Zeiss Planetarium; his club is clearly at the ecliptic and his upper hand in the zodiac. ]]
	One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]]. Seven stars in Orion are extremely bright and form a very memorable figure. The three bright stars, which are arranged in a line, are particularly striking in the sky. In ancient times, people saw a male figure here. The imposing man has extremely broad shoulders and a magnificently decorated belt – but his head is not so bright. It consists of a group of faint stars (around 4 mag), which Ptolemy describes in the Almagest as a nebulous star. Below Orion's belt lies a chain of faint stars that can be seen out of the corner of the eye as a silvery glow. For the Arabs, this was a string of pearls that men dangled from their belts as a status symbol: this is still evident in the name of the middle star in the belt, ‘Alnilam’, meaning string of pearls. The Greeks saw this as a metallic (very short) hunting knife, as recorded in the Almagest, for example. Later Arabic depictions, copies of the book by as-Sufi, show a long curved sabre that reaches to the middle of the right leg. This explains the name of this star: Saïph is the Arabic word for sword (i.e. a long knife). Nowadays, a kind of Roman warrior is often drawn here, wielding a sword instead of a club, with a metal-decorated sword hanger dangling from his belt.		One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]]. Seven stars in Orion are extremely bright and form a very memorable figure. The three bright stars, which are arranged in a line, are particularly striking in the sky. In ancient times, people saw a male figure here. In ancient Mesopotamia, it was SIPA.ZI.AN.NA, the giant male True Shepherd of Anu. The earliest Greek notes on astronomy in Homer describe Orion with the epithet ''Γιγας / Gigas, ‘Giant’,'' and for the Arabs, it was a female giant figure [[Jawza\|al-Jawza]].

			The imposing man has extremely broad shoulders and a magnificently decorated belt – but his head is not so bright. It consists of a group of faint stars (around 4 mag), which Ptolemy describes in the Almagest as a nebulous star. Below Orion's belt lies a chain of faint stars that can be seen out of the corner of the eye as a silvery glow. For the Arabs, this was a string of pearls that men dangled from their belts as a status symbol: this is still evident in the name of the middle star in the belt, ‘Alnilam’, meaning string of pearls. The Greeks saw this as a metallic (very short) hunting knife, as recorded in the Almagest, for example. Later Arabic depictions, copies of the book by as-Sufi, show a long curved sabre that reaches to the middle of the right leg. This explains the name of this star: Saïph is the Arabic word for sword (i.e. a long knife). Nowadays, a kind of Roman warrior is often drawn here, wielding a sword instead of a club, with a metal-decorated sword hanger dangling from his belt.
	[[File:Ori-grp Kugel hi smh.gif\|thumb\|Orion-Group of constellations on the Kugel Globe, drawing and animated GIF by SMH 2025.]]		[[File:Ori-grp Kugel hi smh.gif\|thumb\|Orion-Group of constellations on the Kugel Globe, drawing and animated GIF by SMH 2025.]]

Sushoff at 10:39, 20 February 2026

2026-02-20T10:39:50Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:39, 20 February 2026
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	----		----
	[[File:Orion (ori).jpg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Orion star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).]]		[[File:Orion (ori).jpg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Orion star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).]]
			[[File:Ori-Zodiac-kgl smh2016 009.jpg\|thumb\|Orion as Roman warrior in a modern Zeiss Planetarium; his club is clearly at the ecliptic and his upper hand in the zodiac. ]]
	One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]]. Seven stars in Orion are extremely bright and form a very memorable figure. The three bright stars, which are arranged in a line, are particularly striking in the sky. In ancient times, people saw a male figure here. The imposing man has extremely broad shoulders and a magnificently decorated belt – but his head is not so bright. It consists of a group of faint stars (around 4 mag), which Ptolemy describes in the Almagest as a nebulous star. Below Orion's belt lies a chain of faint stars that can be seen out of the corner of the eye as a silvery glow. For the Arabs, this was a string of pearls that men dangled from their belts as a status symbol: this is still evident in the name of the middle star in the belt, ‘Alnilam’, meaning string of pearls. The Greeks saw this as a metallic (very short) hunting knife, as recorded in the Almagest, for example. Later Arabic depictions, copies of the book by as-Sufi, show a long curved sabre that reaches to the middle of the right leg. This explains the name of this star: Saïph is the Arabic word for sword (i.e. a long knife). Nowadays, a kind of Roman warrior is often drawn here, wielding a sword instead of a club, with a metal-decorated sword hanger dangling from his belt.		One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]]. Seven stars in Orion are extremely bright and form a very memorable figure. The three bright stars, which are arranged in a line, are particularly striking in the sky. In ancient times, people saw a male figure here. The imposing man has extremely broad shoulders and a magnificently decorated belt – but his head is not so bright. It consists of a group of faint stars (around 4 mag), which Ptolemy describes in the Almagest as a nebulous star. Below Orion's belt lies a chain of faint stars that can be seen out of the corner of the eye as a silvery glow. For the Arabs, this was a string of pearls that men dangled from their belts as a status symbol: this is still evident in the name of the middle star in the belt, ‘Alnilam’, meaning string of pearls. The Greeks saw this as a metallic (very short) hunting knife, as recorded in the Almagest, for example. Later Arabic depictions, copies of the book by as-Sufi, show a long curved sabre that reaches to the middle of the right leg. This explains the name of this star: Saïph is the Arabic word for sword (i.e. a long knife). Nowadays, a kind of Roman warrior is often drawn here, wielding a sword instead of a club, with a metal-decorated sword hanger dangling from his belt.
	[[File:Ori-grp Kugel hi smh.gif\|thumb\|Orion-Group of constellations on the Kugel Globe, drawing and animated GIF by SMH 2025.]]		[[File:Ori-grp Kugel hi smh.gif\|thumb\|Orion-Group of constellations on the Kugel Globe, drawing and animated GIF by SMH 2025.]]

Sushoff: /* Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation */

2026-02-20T10:34:31Z

Transfer and Transformation of the Constellation

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:34, 20 February 2026
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	It has sometimes been suggested that the group of Orion and Taurus belonged together in the original Sumerian form, because the celestial bull was killed by Gilgamesh. According to this, Orion would originally have been Gilgamesh. Parts of the Gilgamesh epic are documented as far back as the 3rd millennium, and in the 2nd millennium the myth took on its canonical form. The suggestion that Orion and Taurus should be identified with the battle of Gilgamesh would imply that Gilgamesh's companion Enkidu should also be sought in the sky. The fact that he does not appear there could explain why there is only half a bull: It has been suggested that the battle between Gilgamesh and Enkidu with the bull was first depicted here, then Enkidu was transformed into the wage labourer and later into the ram. The figure of the shepherd was also changed in the 2nd millennium, because originally there was no constellation underneath it, so that its legs could be longer (see the constellations of the Hare and the Ram). Doubts arise about the suggestion of identifying Orion with Gilgamesh at all, because firstly, Gilgamesh's attribute animal is normally a lion, and secondly, the constellation was never called ‘Gilgamesh’, but True Shepherd of the Sky. The shepherd is associated with one of the divine messengers of the Babylonian pantheon.		It has sometimes been suggested that the group of Orion and Taurus belonged together in the original Sumerian form, because the celestial bull was killed by Gilgamesh. According to this, Orion would originally have been Gilgamesh. Parts of the Gilgamesh epic are documented as far back as the 3rd millennium, and in the 2nd millennium the myth took on its canonical form. The suggestion that Orion and Taurus should be identified with the battle of Gilgamesh would imply that Gilgamesh's companion Enkidu should also be sought in the sky. The fact that he does not appear there could explain why there is only half a bull: It has been suggested that the battle between Gilgamesh and Enkidu with the bull was first depicted here, then Enkidu was transformed into the wage labourer and later into the ram. The figure of the shepherd was also changed in the 2nd millennium, because originally there was no constellation underneath it, so that its legs could be longer (see the constellations of the Hare and the Ram). Doubts arise about the suggestion of identifying Orion with Gilgamesh at all, because firstly, Gilgamesh's attribute animal is normally a lion, and secondly, the constellation was never called ‘Gilgamesh’, but True Shepherd of the Sky. The shepherd is associated with one of the divine messengers of the Babylonian pantheon.
			[[File:Ori sw.png\|thumb\|Orion, the Hunter, Farnese Globe (2nd century CE)]]
	While Orion crouches and raises his club, the shepherd stands calmly with his crook and tends his sheep. In Babylonian astronomy, sheep are a (originally metaphorical) term for the planets (UDU, the wild sheep). This fits with the position of Orion, whose club – or, in Babylonian terms, the head of the shepherd's crook – lies on the ecliptic. A shepherd's crook has a curve at the top so that sheep can be grabbed by the neck and pulled towards the shepherd, or rescued from inaccessible crevices.		While Orion crouches and raises his club, the shepherd stands calmly with his crook and tends his sheep. In Babylonian astronomy, sheep are a (originally metaphorical) term for the planets (UDU, the wild sheep). This fits with the position of Orion, whose club – or, in Babylonian terms, the head of the shepherd's crook – lies on the ecliptic. A shepherd's crook has a curve at the top so that sheep can be grabbed by the neck and pulled towards the shepherd, or rescued from inaccessible crevices.
			[[File:Aratea fol. 58v.jpg\|thumb\|Orion and Lepus in Leiden Aratea, fol. 58 (thanks to Thuringian State Library).]]
	The modern definition of the constellation boundaries places Orion's club half a degree south of the ecliptic, meaning that the Sun never appears in this constellation. However, this is still close enough to the ecliptic that the planets and the Moon sometimes appear there. So the shepherd of the heavens still occasionally catches a sheep and brings it back to the flock.		The modern definition of the constellation boundaries places Orion's club half a degree south of the ecliptic, meaning that the Sun never appears in this constellation. However, this is still close enough to the ecliptic that the planets and the Moon sometimes appear there. So the shepherd of the heavens still occasionally catches a sheep and brings it back to the flock.

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	File:Ori sw.png\|Orion on the Farnese Globe (drawing by SMH 2017)		File:Ori sw.png\|Orion on the Farnese Globe (drawing by SMH 2017)
	File:Orion asSufi1170 Bodlein2x.jpg\|Orion drawn in an early as-Sufi manuscript (1170). Kitāb Ṣuwar al-kawākib al-thābitah (Bodleian Library MS. Huntington 212, Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford) Place of Origin: Mosul		File:Orion asSufi1170 Bodlein2x.jpg\|Orion drawn in an early as-Sufi manuscript (1170). Kitāb Ṣuwar al-kawākib al-thābitah (Bodleian Library MS. Huntington 212, Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford) Place of Origin: Mosul
			File:Aratea fol. 58v.jpg\|Orion and Lepus in Leiden Aratea, fol. 58 (thanks to Thuringian State Library).
	File:Orion - Mercator.jpeg\|Orion on the Mercator Globe (1551)		File:Orion - Mercator.jpeg\|Orion on the Mercator Globe (1551)
	File:Orion constellation Hevelius.jpg\|Orion in Hevelius (1690)		File:Orion constellation Hevelius.jpg\|Orion in Hevelius (1690)

Sushoff: /* Babylonian */

2026-02-20T10:28:41Z

Babylonian

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:28, 20 February 2026
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	The True Shepherd of Anu, see		The True Shepherd of Anu, see

	* [[SIPA.ZI.AN.NA\|<sup>mul</sup>SIPA.ZI.AN.NA]]		* [[SIPA.ZI.AN.NA\|<sup>mul</sup>SIPA.ZI.AN.NA]] (𒉺𒇻𒍣𒀭𒈾)
	* = ''šitadallu'' (''šidallu, šitaddaru''); Akkadian parallel		* = ''šitadallu'' (''šidallu, šitaddaru''); Akkadian parallel
	* abbreviation of mulSIPA.ZI.AN.NA "True Shepherd of Anu"		* abbreviation of mulSIPA.ZI.AN.NA "True Shepherd of Anu"
	** ~~múlSIPA~~.ZI;		** <sup>múl</sup>SIPA.ZI;
	** ~~múlSIPA~~ (𒋼𒉺𒇻)		** <sup>múl</sup>SIPA (𒋼𒉺𒇻)

	==== Greco-Roman ====		==== Greco-Roman ====

Sushoff: /* Babylonian */

2026-02-20T10:27:30Z

Babylonian

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:27, 20 February 2026
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	==== Babylonian ====		==== Babylonian ====
			The True Shepherd of Anu, see

			* [[SIPA.ZI.AN.NA\|<sup>mul</sup>SIPA.ZI.AN.NA]]
			* = ''šitadallu'' (''šidallu, šitaddaru''); Akkadian parallel
			* abbreviation of mulSIPA.ZI.AN.NA "True Shepherd of Anu"
			** múlSIPA.ZI;
			** múlSIPA (𒋼𒉺𒇻)

	==== Greco-Roman ====		==== Greco-Roman ====

Sushoff: /* Hipparchus */

2026-02-20T10:23:11Z

Hipparchus

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 <blockquote>Hesiod says that he was the son of Euryale, daughter of Minos, and Poseidon, and that he received the gift of walking on water as on land; he went to Chios where, after getting drunk, he raped Merope, daughter of Oinopion.  </blockquote><blockquote>Oinopiôn learned of this and, enraged by this outrage, gouged out his eyes and banished him from his country. Orion arrived as a vagabond in Lemnos, where he came into contact with Hephaestus, who took pity on him and gave him Cedalion, his own servant, to guide him. Orion took him and put him on his shoulders so that he could show him the way. He went to the east, came into contact with Helios and, apparently, was healed. He then returned to Oinopion to take revenge on him, but the latter had been hidden underground by his compatriots. Despairing of finding him, Orion left for Crete and devoted himself to hunting, hunting in the company of Artemis and Leto and, apparently, he threatened to exterminate all the beasts that appeared on earth. Angry with him, Earth brought forth a gigantic scorpion that killed him by stinging him with its sting. This is why Zeus, considering his courage, placed him among the constellations at the request of Artemis and Leto, and also placed the scorpion there, so that the event would be remembered.</blockquote><blockquote>Others say that Orion, as an adult, fell in love with Artemis, and that it was she who conjured up the scorpion and sent it against him; he was stung by the scorpion and died. The gods, pitying his fate, placed him in the sky among the constellations, along with the animal, so that the event would be remembered. Orion has three bright stars on his head, one bright star on each shoulder, one dim star on his right elbow, one dim star on his hand, three stars on his belt, three dim stars on his dagger, one bright star on each knee, and one bright star on each foot. A total of seventeen.</blockquote>(Eratosthenes, edited and translated by Pamias, Geus and Zucker.)<ref>Ératosthènes de Cyrène: Catastérrismes, translated by Pamìas, Jordi und Zucker, Arnaud, Les Belles Lettres, Paris 2013</ref>
 ===== Hipparchus =====
 ===== Hyginus, Astronomica =====

Sushoff at 19:34, 19 February 2026

2026-02-19T19:34:33Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:34, 19 February 2026
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	Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}		Authors: {{PAGEAUTHORS}}
	----		----
	[[File:Orion ~~IAU~~.~~svg~~\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Orion star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).]]		[[File:Orion (ori).jpg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Orion star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).]]
	One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]]. Seven stars in Orion are extremely bright and form a very memorable figure. The three bright stars, which are arranged in a line, are particularly striking in the sky. In ancient times, people saw a male figure here. The imposing man has extremely broad shoulders and a magnificently decorated belt – but his head is not so bright. It consists of a group of faint stars (around 4 mag), which Ptolemy describes in the Almagest as a nebulous star. Below Orion's belt lies a chain of faint stars that can be seen out of the corner of the eye as a silvery glow. For the Arabs, this was a string of pearls that men dangled from their belts as a status symbol: this is still evident in the name of the middle star in the belt, ‘Alnilam’, meaning string of pearls. The Greeks saw this as a metallic (very short) hunting knife, as recorded in the Almagest, for example. Later Arabic depictions, copies of the book by as-Sufi, show a long curved sabre that reaches to the middle of the right leg. This explains the name of this star: Saïph is the Arabic word for sword (i.e. a long knife). Nowadays, a kind of Roman warrior is often drawn here, wielding a sword instead of a club, with a metal-decorated sword hanger dangling from his belt.		One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]]. Seven stars in Orion are extremely bright and form a very memorable figure. The three bright stars, which are arranged in a line, are particularly striking in the sky. In ancient times, people saw a male figure here. The imposing man has extremely broad shoulders and a magnificently decorated belt – but his head is not so bright. It consists of a group of faint stars (around 4 mag), which Ptolemy describes in the Almagest as a nebulous star. Below Orion's belt lies a chain of faint stars that can be seen out of the corner of the eye as a silvery glow. For the Arabs, this was a string of pearls that men dangled from their belts as a status symbol: this is still evident in the name of the middle star in the belt, ‘Alnilam’, meaning string of pearls. The Greeks saw this as a metallic (very short) hunting knife, as recorded in the Almagest, for example. Later Arabic depictions, copies of the book by as-Sufi, show a long curved sabre that reaches to the middle of the right leg. This explains the name of this star: Saïph is the Arabic word for sword (i.e. a long knife). Nowadays, a kind of Roman warrior is often drawn here, wielding a sword instead of a club, with a metal-decorated sword hanger dangling from his belt.
	[[File:Ori-grp Kugel hi smh.gif\|thumb\|Orion-Group of constellations on the Kugel Globe, drawing and animated GIF by SMH 2025.]]		[[File:Ori-grp Kugel hi smh.gif\|thumb\|Orion-Group of constellations on the Kugel Globe, drawing and animated GIF by SMH 2025.]]

Sushoff: /* Eratosthenes */

2026-02-19T19:32:17Z

Eratosthenes

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:32, 19 February 2026
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	===== Eratosthenes =====		===== Eratosthenes =====
	<blockquote>Hesiod says that he was the son of Euryale, daughter of Minos, and Poseidon, and that he received the gift of walking on water as on land; he went to Chios where, after getting drunk, he raped Merope, daughter of Oinopion. </blockquote><blockquote>Oinopiôn learned of this and, enraged by this outrage, gouged out his eyes and banished him from his country. Orion arrived as a vagabond in Lemnos, where he came into contact with Hephaestus, who took pity on him and gave him Cedalion, his own servant, to guide him. Orion took him and put him on his shoulders so that he could show him the way. He went to the east, came into contact with Helios and, apparently, was healed. He then returned to Oinopion to take revenge on him, but the latter had been hidden underground by his compatriots. Despairing of finding him, Orion left for Crete and devoted himself to hunting, hunting in the company of Artemis and Leto and, apparently, he threatened to exterminate all the beasts that appeared on earth. Angry with him, Earth brought forth a gigantic scorpion that killed him by stinging him with its sting. This is why Zeus, considering his courage, placed him among the constellations at the request of Artemis and Leto, and also placed the scorpion there, so that the event would be remembered.</blockquote><blockquote>Others say that Orion, as an adult, fell in love with Artemis, and that it was she who conjured up the scorpion and sent it against him; he was stung by the scorpion and died. The gods, pitying his fate, placed him in the sky among the constellations, along with the animal, so that the event would be remembered. Orion has three bright stars on his head, one bright star on each shoulder, one dim star on his right elbow, one dim star on his hand, three stars on his belt, three dim stars on his dagger, one bright star on each knee, and one bright star on each foot. A total of seventeen.</blockquote>		<blockquote>Hesiod says that he was the son of Euryale, daughter of Minos, and Poseidon, and that he received the gift of walking on water as on land; he went to Chios where, after getting drunk, he raped Merope, daughter of Oinopion. </blockquote><blockquote>Oinopiôn learned of this and, enraged by this outrage, gouged out his eyes and banished him from his country. Orion arrived as a vagabond in Lemnos, where he came into contact with Hephaestus, who took pity on him and gave him Cedalion, his own servant, to guide him. Orion took him and put him on his shoulders so that he could show him the way. He went to the east, came into contact with Helios and, apparently, was healed. He then returned to Oinopion to take revenge on him, but the latter had been hidden underground by his compatriots. Despairing of finding him, Orion left for Crete and devoted himself to hunting, hunting in the company of Artemis and Leto and, apparently, he threatened to exterminate all the beasts that appeared on earth. Angry with him, Earth brought forth a gigantic scorpion that killed him by stinging him with its sting. This is why Zeus, considering his courage, placed him among the constellations at the request of Artemis and Leto, and also placed the scorpion there, so that the event would be remembered.</blockquote><blockquote>Others say that Orion, as an adult, fell in love with Artemis, and that it was she who conjured up the scorpion and sent it against him; he was stung by the scorpion and died. The gods, pitying his fate, placed him in the sky among the constellations, along with the animal, so that the event would be remembered. Orion has three bright stars on his head, one bright star on each shoulder, one dim star on his right elbow, one dim star on his hand, three stars on his belt, three dim stars on his dagger, one bright star on each knee, and one bright star on each foot. A total of seventeen.</blockquote>(Eratosthenes, edited and translated by Pamias, Geus and Zucker.)<ref>Ératosthènes de Cyrène: Catastérrismes, translated by Pamìas, Jordi und Zucker, Arnaud, Les Belles Lettres, Paris 2013</ref>

	===== Hipparchus =====		===== Hipparchus =====

Sushoff: /* Eratosthenes */

2026-02-19T19:30:23Z

Eratosthenes

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:30, 19 February 2026
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	===== Eratosthenes =====		===== Eratosthenes =====
			<blockquote>Hesiod says that he was the son of Euryale, daughter of Minos, and Poseidon, and that he received the gift of walking on water as on land; he went to Chios where, after getting drunk, he raped Merope, daughter of Oinopion. </blockquote><blockquote>Oinopiôn learned of this and, enraged by this outrage, gouged out his eyes and banished him from his country. Orion arrived as a vagabond in Lemnos, where he came into contact with Hephaestus, who took pity on him and gave him Cedalion, his own servant, to guide him. Orion took him and put him on his shoulders so that he could show him the way. He went to the east, came into contact with Helios and, apparently, was healed. He then returned to Oinopion to take revenge on him, but the latter had been hidden underground by his compatriots. Despairing of finding him, Orion left for Crete and devoted himself to hunting, hunting in the company of Artemis and Leto and, apparently, he threatened to exterminate all the beasts that appeared on earth. Angry with him, Earth brought forth a gigantic scorpion that killed him by stinging him with its sting. This is why Zeus, considering his courage, placed him among the constellations at the request of Artemis and Leto, and also placed the scorpion there, so that the event would be remembered.</blockquote><blockquote>Others say that Orion, as an adult, fell in love with Artemis, and that it was she who conjured up the scorpion and sent it against him; he was stung by the scorpion and died. The gods, pitying his fate, placed him in the sky among the constellations, along with the animal, so that the event would be remembered. Orion has three bright stars on his head, one bright star on each shoulder, one dim star on his right elbow, one dim star on his hand, three stars on his belt, three dim stars on his dagger, one bright star on each knee, and one bright star on each foot. A total of seventeen.</blockquote>

	===== Hipparchus =====		===== Hipparchus =====

← Older revision		Revision as of 06:57, 26 March 2026
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	[[File:Orion (ori).jpg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Orion star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).]]		[[File:Orion (ori).jpg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Orion star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).]]
	[[File:Ori-Zodiac-kgl smh2016 009.jpg\|thumb\|Orion as Roman warrior in a modern Zeiss Planetarium; his club is clearly at the ecliptic and his upper hand in the zodiac. ]]		[[File:Ori-Zodiac-kgl smh2016 009.jpg\|thumb\|Orion as Roman warrior in a modern Zeiss Planetarium; his club is clearly at the ecliptic and his upper hand in the zodiac. ]]
	One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]]. Seven stars in Orion are extremely bright and form a very memorable figure. The three bright stars, which are arranged in a line, are particularly striking in the sky. In ancient times, people saw a male figure here. The imposing man has extremely broad shoulders and a magnificently decorated belt – but his head is not so bright. It consists of a group of faint stars (around 4 mag), which Ptolemy describes in the Almagest as a nebulous star. Below Orion's belt lies a chain of faint stars that can be seen out of the corner of the eye as a silvery glow. For the Arabs, this was a string of pearls that men dangled from their belts as a status symbol: this is still evident in the name of the middle star in the belt, ‘Alnilam’, meaning string of pearls. The Greeks saw this as a metallic (very short) hunting knife, as recorded in the Almagest, for example. Later Arabic depictions, copies of the book by as-Sufi, show a long curved sabre that reaches to the middle of the right leg. This explains the name of this star: Saïph is the Arabic word for sword (i.e. a long knife). Nowadays, a kind of Roman warrior is often drawn here, wielding a sword instead of a club, with a metal-decorated sword hanger dangling from his belt.		One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]]. Seven stars in Orion are extremely bright and form a very memorable figure. The three bright stars, which are arranged in a line, are particularly striking in the sky. In ancient times, people saw a male figure here. In ancient Mesopotamia, it was SIPA.ZI.AN.NA, the giant male True Shepherd of Anu. The earliest Greek notes on astronomy in Homer describe Orion with the epithet ''Γιγας / Gigas, ‘Giant’,'' and for the Arabs, it was a female giant figure [[Jawza\|al-Jawza]].

			The imposing man has extremely broad shoulders and a magnificently decorated belt – but his head is not so bright. It consists of a group of faint stars (around 4 mag), which Ptolemy describes in the Almagest as a nebulous star. Below Orion's belt lies a chain of faint stars that can be seen out of the corner of the eye as a silvery glow. For the Arabs, this was a string of pearls that men dangled from their belts as a status symbol: this is still evident in the name of the middle star in the belt, ‘Alnilam’, meaning string of pearls. The Greeks saw this as a metallic (very short) hunting knife, as recorded in the Almagest, for example. Later Arabic depictions, copies of the book by as-Sufi, show a long curved sabre that reaches to the middle of the right leg. This explains the name of this star: Saïph is the Arabic word for sword (i.e. a long knife). Nowadays, a kind of Roman warrior is often drawn here, wielding a sword instead of a club, with a metal-decorated sword hanger dangling from his belt.
	[[File:Ori-grp Kugel hi smh.gif\|thumb\|Orion-Group of constellations on the Kugel Globe, drawing and animated GIF by SMH 2025.]]		[[File:Ori-grp Kugel hi smh.gif\|thumb\|Orion-Group of constellations on the Kugel Globe, drawing and animated GIF by SMH 2025.]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:39, 20 February 2026
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	[[File:Orion (ori).jpg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Orion star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).]]		[[File:Orion (ori).jpg\|alt=star chart\|thumb\|Orion star chart (IAU and Sky & Telescope magazine, Roger Sinnott & Rick Fienberg).]]
			[[File:Ori-Zodiac-kgl smh2016 009.jpg\|thumb\|Orion as Roman warrior in a modern Zeiss Planetarium; his club is clearly at the ecliptic and his upper hand in the zodiac. ]]
	One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]]. Seven stars in Orion are extremely bright and form a very memorable figure. The three bright stars, which are arranged in a line, are particularly striking in the sky. In ancient times, people saw a male figure here. The imposing man has extremely broad shoulders and a magnificently decorated belt – but his head is not so bright. It consists of a group of faint stars (around 4 mag), which Ptolemy describes in the Almagest as a nebulous star. Below Orion's belt lies a chain of faint stars that can be seen out of the corner of the eye as a silvery glow. For the Arabs, this was a string of pearls that men dangled from their belts as a status symbol: this is still evident in the name of the middle star in the belt, ‘Alnilam’, meaning string of pearls. The Greeks saw this as a metallic (very short) hunting knife, as recorded in the Almagest, for example. Later Arabic depictions, copies of the book by as-Sufi, show a long curved sabre that reaches to the middle of the right leg. This explains the name of this star: Saïph is the Arabic word for sword (i.e. a long knife). Nowadays, a kind of Roman warrior is often drawn here, wielding a sword instead of a club, with a metal-decorated sword hanger dangling from his belt.		One of the [[:Category:88_IAU-Constellations\|88 IAU constellations]]. Seven stars in Orion are extremely bright and form a very memorable figure. The three bright stars, which are arranged in a line, are particularly striking in the sky. In ancient times, people saw a male figure here. The imposing man has extremely broad shoulders and a magnificently decorated belt – but his head is not so bright. It consists of a group of faint stars (around 4 mag), which Ptolemy describes in the Almagest as a nebulous star. Below Orion's belt lies a chain of faint stars that can be seen out of the corner of the eye as a silvery glow. For the Arabs, this was a string of pearls that men dangled from their belts as a status symbol: this is still evident in the name of the middle star in the belt, ‘Alnilam’, meaning string of pearls. The Greeks saw this as a metallic (very short) hunting knife, as recorded in the Almagest, for example. Later Arabic depictions, copies of the book by as-Sufi, show a long curved sabre that reaches to the middle of the right leg. This explains the name of this star: Saïph is the Arabic word for sword (i.e. a long knife). Nowadays, a kind of Roman warrior is often drawn here, wielding a sword instead of a club, with a metal-decorated sword hanger dangling from his belt.
	[[File:Ori-grp Kugel hi smh.gif\|thumb\|Orion-Group of constellations on the Kugel Globe, drawing and animated GIF by SMH 2025.]]		[[File:Ori-grp Kugel hi smh.gif\|thumb\|Orion-Group of constellations on the Kugel Globe, drawing and animated GIF by SMH 2025.]]