STANDARDS

CCSS: 4.G.A.1

TEKS: 4.6C, 4.6A

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Orion

December 2022 / January 2023
by Karina Hamalainen • Illustration by Toni Foti

Rising high on winter nights in the Northern Hemisphere, Orion is one of the most recognizable constellations. It contains two of the brightest stars in the sky, and the three stars of Orion’s belt make it easy to identify. Many cultures have different names and myths—sometimes more than one—about this constellation. What does it look like to you?

Various cultures see this constellation in different ways! See the stories these three cultures tell.

NAVAJO
The First Slender One is a young male hunter and warrior. He carries a bow and arrow and protects the children (in the star cluster Pleiades) who are known as the planters. They appear in the sky when it’s time to plant crops.

GREEK
Orion was a great hunter who boasted he would kill every animal. This displeased the Earth goddess, Gaia, so she sent a scorpion to kill him. The scorpion succeeded, and both are now constellations—but the enemies sit on opposite sides of the sky!

EGYPTIAN
Sahu is the father of the gods and is represented by the stars in Orion and Lepus, a nearby constellation. The main Egyptian gods descended from the three stars of Orion’s belt. Some historians think the pyramids of Giza have the same orientation as these stars.

Classifying Angles

Classify the angles made by the stars in the constellation. Record your work and answers on our answer sheet.

The stars Mintaka, Alnilam, and Alnitak make up what’s known as Orion’s belt. Which angle do they form?

Which angle is formed by Betelgeuse, Meissa, and Bellatrix?

Which angle is formed by Alnitak, Saiph, and Rigel?

Which three stars in the constellation do you think form a right angle?


NEED A HAND?

Angles are created when lines or rays intersect. Here are four common types of angles.

RIGHT
Angles that measure 90º

STRAIGHT
Angles that measure 180º

ACUTE
Angles that measure less than 90°

OBTUSE
Angles that measure more than 90° but less than 180°

Geometry
Angles
Skills Sheets (1)
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