Constellation Orion
The giant hunter of Greek mythology, placed among the stars by Zeus or Artemis, forming one of the most recognisable constellations in the night sky.
The Meaning of Constellation Orion
Orion was a giant huntsman of extraordinary beauty, son of Poseidon who granted him the power to walk on water. He hunted alongside Artemis on the island of Crete, and their companionship alarmed Apollo, who feared his sister might break her vow of chastity. Apollo tricked Artemis into shooting Orion by challenging her to hit a distant speck in the sea — which was Orion's head. Grief-stricken, Artemis placed him among the stars. In another version, Gaia sent the giant Scorpion to kill Orion after he boasted he would slay every beast on earth. Zeus placed both in the sky on opposite sides so the Scorpion eternally pursues Orion. His hunting dogs Canis Major and Canis Minor follow him, while the Pleiades flee before him. The three stars of his belt remain the most widely recognised asterism in both hemispheres.
Parents
Poseidon
Symbols
Fun Fact
Orion's Belt has been used for navigation by every seafaring civilisation from the Polynesians to the Vikings. The three perfectly aligned stars also served as the basis for a controversial theory that the Giza pyramids mirror their arrangement — a claim debunked by astronomers but endlessly repeated, making Orion the most architecturally influential constellation.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Callisto
💭 conceptAstronomy and mythology
A moon of Jupiter named after Callisto, the nymph companion of Artemis who was transformed into a bear and placed among the stars as the constellation Ursa Major
Ganymede
💭 conceptAstronomy and mythology
The largest moon in the solar system, named after Ganymede, the beautiful Trojan prince abducted by Zeus to serve as cupbearer of the gods on Olympus
Triton
💭 conceptAstronomy and mythology
The largest moon of Neptune, named after Triton, the merman son of Poseidon, notable for being the only large moon in the solar system that orbits in the opposite direction to its planet
Calydonian Boar Hunt
💭 conceptNarrative
The great hunt that assembled heroes from across Greece to destroy a divine boar sent by the wrathful Artemis
Eratosthenes
💭 conceptAstronomy, geography, mathematics
Alexandrian polymath who calculated Earth's circumference and linked constellations to myths in his Catasterisms
Jupiter
💭 conceptAstronomy and mythology
The largest planet in the solar system, named after Jupiter, the Roman king of the gods identified with the Greek Zeus, because of its commanding size and brightness
Catasterism
💭 conceptTransformation into a constellation
Catasterism was the process by which a mortal or creature was placed among the stars.
Charon
💭 conceptAstronomy and mythology
The largest moon of Pluto, named after Charon, the ferryman who transported the souls of the dead across the River Styx to the underworld of Hades
Constellation Argo Navis
💭 conceptastronomy, voyage
The great southern constellation representing the ship Argo, in which Jason and the Argonauts sailed to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece.
Io
💭 conceptAstronomy and mythology
A moon of Jupiter named after Io, the priestess of Hera whom Zeus transformed into a white cow, now known as the most volcanically active body in the solar system
Europa
💭 conceptAstronomy and mythology
A moon of Jupiter named after Europa, the Phoenician princess abducted by Zeus in the form of a white bull, now one of the most promising candidates for extraterrestrial life
Constellation Pleiades
💭 conceptastronomy, nymph
The seven daughters of Atlas and the Oceanid Pleione, pursued by Orion and transformed into a star cluster that has guided sailors and farmers for millennia.