What Is Rigel And Why Is It So Bright?

Rigel is the brightest star in its constellation Orion, along with Betelgeuse and 81 other stars! We all got super excited a few years ago when Betelgeuse was speculated to die and explode into a supernova. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen and the star was just “sneezing”. Bless you Betelgeuse, thank you for the false alarm. We understand, you’re a really really cold star. But enough about you, we are curious to meet your incredibly bright blue neighbor, Rigel. Let’s take a look on why Rigel is so bright, and why some people swear they’ve seen it dimmer than usual.

Those people aren’t wrong, Rigel does change brightness!

let me know in the comments whether you have ever been able to spot Orion on your own or not. Well, for those of you who weren’t able to, take an imaginary pen and draw this little picture in your mind: three consecutive vertical dots and two dots symmetrical along the axis of the dots you just drew.

Those are the Orion’s brightest stars that you can distinguish if you pay attention at the night sky. Orion is mostly visible in winter, so take a look tonight and see if you can spot it. It will be easy to find, since it’s the most recognizable constellation during the night.

The bright blue-ish star that you see on the left side of the constellation is the famous Rigel, opposing the supergiant red star Betelgeuse that is on the right side of Orion. Take a few moments to appreciate the vastness and beauty of the night sky and Orion’s bright stars.

And if you feel like a bit of adventure, why not try to look for some of the other constellations like the Big Dipper and the Pleiades (better known as the Seven Sisters)? Who knows, you may even find a shooting star or two!

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