Rigel - β Orionis (beta Orionis)
Rigel, also designated as β Orionis (beta Orionis), is a variable and multiple supergiant star in the constellation of Orion.
Rigel visual magnitude is 0.12, making it the 7th brightest star in the sky. Thanks to its high brightness, Rigel 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 Rigel is 0 arcsec per year in Right Ascension and -0.001 arcsec per year in Declination and the associated displacement for the next 100000 years is represented with the red arrow.
Key facts about Rigel
Rigel - β Orionis (beta Orionis) is below the horizon from Greenwich, United Kingdom .
Altitude: -13.4°
Azimuth: 86.3°
Direction: East
Celestial coordinates and finder chart of Rigel
Rigel 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 Rigel are provided in the following table:
The simplified sky map below shows the position of Rigel in the sky:
Visibility of Rigel from your location
Location: Greenwich, United Kingdom
Latitude: 51° 28’ 47” N
Longitude: 0° 00’ 00” E
Timezone: Europe/London
Today's Rigel - β Orionis (beta Orionis) rise, transit and set times from Greenwich, United Kingdom are the following (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
Distance of Rigel from the Sun and relative movement
Rigel is distant 772.51 light years from the Sun and it is moving far from the Sun at the speed of 21 kilometers per second.
Spectral properties of Rigel
Rigel belongs to spectral class B8 and has a luminosity class of I corresponding to a supergiant star.
The red dot in the diagram below shows where Rigel is situated in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram.
Rigel star system properties
Rigel 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 Rigel double sysyem: