bright giant · O9.5II
Mintaka
Mintaka is a blue bright giant (spectral type O9.5II) about 1,200 light-years away. With an apparent magnitude of 2.25 it is easy to see even from a city.
The western star of Orion's Belt; it lies almost exactly on the celestial equator.
Its light output is roughly 14,600 times that of the Sun (a rough estimate in visible light, calculated from brightness and distance).
From Germany (52° N) it rises and sets; it is best seen in the evening in December.
Key facts
- Distance
- ≈ 1,200 light-years
- Spectral type
- O9.5II (bright giant)
- Colour
- Blue
- Apparent magnitude
- 2.25 mag
- Luminosity
- ≈ 14,600 × Sun
- Position
- Right ascension 5h 32m, declination -0.3°
More well-known stars
Data: Hipparcos / HYG catalogue (CC BY-SA 4.0). Luminosity and visibility are calculated estimates.