Bellatrix, a blue giant star in Orion
Bellatrix is a blue giant star in the constellation Orion. At 252 light years away, it is the 27th brightest star in the Earth's sky, where it shines at an apparent visual magnitude of 1.64.
Bellatrix (HIP 25336)
Bellatrix is a blue giant star in the constellation Orion. At 252 light years away, it is the 27th brightest star in the Earth's sky, where it shines at an apparent visual magnitude of 1.64. Bellatrix is the primary component of a multiple-star system. The iron abundance of Bellatrix is -0.07 (85.1% of the Sun). It is moving through the Galaxy at a speed of 19 km/s relative to the Sun. Its projected Galactic orbit carries it between 24,400 and 28,700 light years from the center of the Galaxy. It came closest to the Sun 3.8 million years ago when it had brightened to magnitude -1.03 from a distance of 74 light years.
Sky position: RA 5h 25.1m, Dec +6° 21'
Common designations: Bellatrix, Gamma Orionis, 24 Orionis, HIP 25336, HD 35468
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Brightest stars in Orion:
(list all)
| Rank | Mag. | Star |
| 1 | 0.18 | Rigel |
| 2 | 0.45 | Betelgeuse |
3
| 1.64
) Bellatrix
| Rank | Mag. | Star |
| 4 | 1.69 | Alnilam |
| 5 | 1.74 | Alnitak |
| 6 | 2.07 | Saiph |
| 7 | 2.25 | Mintaka |
| 8 | 2.75 | Hatsya |
| 9 | 3.19 | Tabit |
| 10 | 3.35 | Eta Orionis |
| 11 | 3.39 | Heka |
| 12 | 3.59 | Tau Orionis |
| 13 | 3.68 | Pi-4 Orionis |
| 14 | 3.71 | Pi-5 Orionis |
| 15 | 3.77 | Sigma Orionis |
| 16 | 4.06 | Omicron-2 Orionis |
| 17 | 4.09 | Phi-2 Orionis |
Hover over other bright stars to identify or click to jump.
Galactic Orbit of Bellatrix
(compared to the Sun)
E
ccentricity: 8.2% vs. 16.0%Angle φ : -1.0°vs. 26.0°
Semi-major axis : 8,136 pc vs. 8,686 pc
Semi-minor axis: 8,108 pc vs. 8,574 pc
Focus-to-center
: 665 pcvs. 1,388 pcSemilatus rectum : 8,081 pc vs. 8,464 pc
Perigalacticon: 7,471 pc vs. 7,297 pc
Apogalacticon
: 8,800 pcvs. 10,074 pcSome Tabulated XHIP Data for Bellatrix
(see also: SIMBAD)
Astrometry
2007A&A...474..653V
| Position | Proper Motion | |
| Right Ascension: | 81.28278339° ±0.54 mas | -8.11 ±0.50 mas/yr. |
| Declination: | 6.34973457° ±0.25 mas | -12.88 ±0.35 mas/yr. |
| Galactic Longitude: | 196.92782232° | 6.96 mas/yr. |
| Galactic Latitude: | -15.95317076° | -13.54 mas/yr. |
Parallax: 12.92 ± 0.52 mas
Spectrography
Spectral Type: B2III 2009A&A...501..297Z.
Radial Velocity: 18.20 ±0.90 km/s [A rating] 2006AstL...32..759G.
Iron Abundance [Fe/H]:
-0.07 dex
2011A&A...525A..71W.
Photometry
| band | magnitude | Abs. Mag. |
| U | 0.54 | -3.90 |
| B | 1.42 | -3.02 |
| V | 1.64 | -2.80 |
| R | ||
| I | 1.85 | -2.59 |
| J | ||
| H | ||
| K |
B-V: -0.22 V-I: -0.21
Derivations
Heliocentric distance: 77.25 pc (4.0% margin of error)
Galactocentric distance: 7,471 pc
Transverse velocity: 5.6 km/s
3D heliocentric position and motion:
|
toward: |
Galactic center | Galactic rotation | North Galactic Pole |
| Position ( X, Y, Z) | -71.1 pc | -21.6 pc | -21.2 pc |
| Velocity (U, V, W) | -14.7 km/s | -7.1 km/s | -9.8 km/s |