Rigel

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Orion The constellation Orion is one of the easiest to recognize because of a group of three stars. The three stars are in a straight line and are often called Orion's Belt. The Orion Nebula can be seen as a pink fuzzy light below the line of three stars. Orion also contains two of the brightest stars in the sky: Betelgeuse (top left) and Rigel (bottom right).

Rigel

star

Also known as: Beta Orionis

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Apr 29, 2025 • Article History

Also called:: Beta Orionis

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Rigel, one of the brightest stars in the sky, intrinsically as well as in appearance. A blue-white supergiant in the constellation Orion, Rigel is about 860 light-years from the Sun and is about 47,000 times as luminous. A companion double star, also bluish white, is of the sixth magnitude. The name Rigel derives from an Arabic term meaning “the left leg of the giant,” referring to the figure of Orion.

(List of Brightest Stars as Seen from Earth)

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Erik Gregersen.