Mintaka is the western star of Orion’s belt, a hot blue multiple system that sits almost exactly on the celestial equator, rising due east everywhere.
At a glance
| type | blue giant (class O) |
|---|---|
| distance from the Sun | 692 light-years (212 pc) |
| its light left it | 692 years ago |
| luminosity | 91,300 × the Sun |
| radius | 10.2 × the Sun |
| surface temperature | 31,500 K |
| constellation | Orion (Hunter) |
Read off the piece’s own catalogue, the same values it draws with.
About Mintaka
Mintaka is not one star but several: its brightest light comes from a close pair of hot, massive blue stars that eclipse each other, with further companions around them. These are among the hottest kinds of star, young and short-lived.
The name comes from Arabic for the belt. Mintaka lies so close to the celestial equator that from anywhere on Earth it rises almost due east and sets almost due west, a handy marker. It is the faintest of the three belt stars, with Alnilam in the middle and Alnitak at the eastern end.
What you see in the piece
From Earth the belt is a neat line of three; in the piece the stars lie at different distances, and Mintaka comes apart from Alnilam, which lies much farther back.
Questions
Which star is Mintaka in Orion’s belt?
Mintaka is the western end of the belt, the first to rise, with Alnilam in the middle and Alnitak at the east.
How far away is Mintaka?
Mintaka is 692 light-years (212 pc) from the Sun.