The harbinger of late autumn can be seen in the night sky from the northern hemisphere around 9 or 10 pm as we look southward. Just as the harvest moon is followed by the hunter moon, following the autumn harvest is the rise of the great Hunter Orion, named by Greek mythology. Though this star group has other mythical origins and names from other cultures the Hunter image relates well to this time of year and the focus of life as the seasons turn.
Historically, the harvest is completed by October’s end and hunting wild game follows as winter approaches. The Hunter constellation, aka Orion, is located on the Celestial Equator and visible from both the northern and southern hemispheres.
The Hunter is easily identified by the three bright stars evenly spaced and forming his belt. This prominent belt displays the stars Alnilam, Mintaka and Alnitak. The brighter stars Betelgeuse marks his top left shoulder and Bellatrix his right shoulder. Read More