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A Complete Guide to the Solar System and the Night Sky
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public Observing fromLocation: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
SunriseRise: 6:04  
clear_day Transit: 12:06  
SunsetSet: 18:09
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All Constellations » Orion » 

Bellatrix - γ Orionis (gamma Orionis)

Altitude: -30.0°   Azimuth: 21.6°   Direction: North-North-East

Bellatrix, also designated as γ Orionis (gamma Orionis), is a variable and double giant star in the constellation of Orion.

Bellatrix visual magnitude is 1.64, making it the 25th brightest star in the sky. Thanks to its high brightness, Bellatrix is clearly visible when observed from locations with dark skies, and should be also quite easily visible from light polluted areas.

The proper motion of Bellatrix is -0.009 arcsec per year in Right Ascension and -0.014 arcsec per year in Declination and the associated displacement for the next 10000 years is represented with the red arrow.

Image of Bellatrix - γ Orionis (gamma Orionis) star
DSS2 image of Bellatrix. The red arrow shows the motion of Bellatrix during the next 10000 years (-1.50 arcmin in Right Ascension and -2.33 arcmin in declination);

Key facts about Bellatrix

1.64
Giant

Bellatrix - γ Orionis (gamma Orionis) is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt.

Altitude: -30.0°
Azimuth: 21.6°
Direction: North-North-East

Celestial coordinates and finder chart of Bellatrix

Bellatrix is situated close to the celestial equator, as such, it is at least partly visible from both hemispheres in certain times of the year. Celestial coordinates for the J2000 equinox as well as galactic coordinates of Bellatrix are provided in the following table:

05h 25m 07s
+06° 20’ 58”
196.93°
-15.95°
Orion

The simplified sky map below shows the position of Bellatrix in the sky:

Finder chart Bellatrix - γ Orionis (gamma Orionis) star
Simplified finder chart for Bellatrix - γ Orionis (gamma Orionis).

Visibility of Bellatrix from your location

Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London

Today's Bellatrix - γ Orionis (gamma Orionis) rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, United Kingdom edit_location_alt are the following (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):

Azimuth: 83.7°
Max altitude: 44.9°
Azimuth: 276.3°

Distance of Bellatrix from the Sun and relative movement

Bellatrix is distant 242.92 light years from the Sun and it is moving far from the Sun at the speed of 18 kilometers per second.

74.52 pc
242.92 ly
18 km/s
-0.009 arcsec/year
-0.014 arcsec/year

Spectral properties of Bellatrix

Bellatrix belongs to spectral class B2 and has a luminosity class of III corresponding to a giant star.

-2.72
B2III
14087K

The red dot in the diagram below shows where Bellatrix is situated in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram.

HR Diagram
H-R diagram showing the position of Bellatrix. Attribution: Richard Powell / CC BY-SA

Bellatrix star system properties

Bellatrix is a visual double star which can be observed only with the help of very large telescopes. The table below shows key information about the Bellatrix double sysyem:

1.64
12.14
10.5
179 arcsec

Alternative designations of Bellatrix

Bellatrix
γ Orionis
(gamma Orionis)
SAO112740
SAO112740