Kalpurush: Bet You Didn’t Know These Interesting Facts About The Orion

It’s September. The emotional overcast skies of the monsoon are making way for the azure skies of the autumn. You can feel a cosy nip in the air, especially during early mornings. Fans of Game of Thrones couldn’t resist quoting Ned Stark’s legendary remark “Winter is coming”. Sky gazers, however, would reflect on something very different to sense the arrival of the snow season.

The appearance of the Kalpurush Star (though, it’s a constellation) or the Orion in the night sky signals that winters are here. While the striking Saptarshi Mandal or the Great Bear claims celebrity status on summer nights, it’s this majestic hunter that rules the wintry night sky.

The Orion Constellation, one of the most recognizable and awe-inspiring patterns in the night sky, has captivated astronomers and stargazers for centuries. Visible from October to March in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s easy to identify due to its distinctive shape, resembling a giant hourglass or hunter’s belt.
The constellation anchors three bright stars: Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka, which form the “belt” of Orion.

While you can read about the mythological story behind Kalpurush here, today, let us share 5 interesting facts about the mystical Kalpurush, that we bet you didn’t know.

1. It’s The Closest Star Nursery To Earth

Located approximately 1500 light-years away, the Orion Nebula (or Messier 42), is the closest star-forming region to Earth. This nebula of billowing gas and dust is around 2 million years old and is the brightest visible nebula in the night sky. Because of its high luminosity and prominent location just below the Orion’s belt,
M-42 can be easily spotted with the naked eye and is the most popular nebula photographed worldwide.

2. It’s A Treasure Trove of Mythological Stories

Thanks to its strategic location right on the celestial equator, Kalpurush is visible from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres alike. It’s this peculiarity that made Orion tickle the imagination of storytellers across civilizations worldwide. In Greek mythology, Orion, the son of Poseidon, is revered as the legendary hunter battling the red-eyed Taurus with bow and mace. The Egyptians believed the three stars of Orion’s belt were the resting place for the soul of the god Osiris. The Babylonians called Orion “The True Shepherd of Anu” and associated him with the god Marduk. The Rig Veda imagined the constellation as Mriga (The Deer), while some identified it with Nataraja (The Cosmic Dancer) or Skanda fighting Tarakasura.

In contrast, Arab cultures saw the entire Orion constellation as representing a giant figure. The Mayans interpreted the Orion nebula as the cosmic fire of creation, surrounded by smoke. Meanwhile, in Spanish-speaking cultures, the three stars making up Orion’s belt commonly refer to as “Las Tres Marias” (the Three Marys), a biblical citation.

3. It’s Home To Betelgeuse, The Supernova End Game

If your great-great-great-great-great-great grandchildren are lucky enough, they might witness a supernova explosion as bright as the full moon, even during the day. Yes, we are talking about Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star with a distinctive orange-red hue. The right shoulder star of the constellation Kalpurush, Betelgeuse (or Alpha Orionis) is one of the largest stars ever discovered. Located some 650 light years from Earth, it’s about 700 times larger and around 15 times more massive than our sun. The star is so big that if it were to replace our Sun, it would extend past the orbit of Jupiter.

Despite its young age of only around 10 million years, compared to the Sun’s nearly 5-billion-year lifespan, Betelgeuse has already exhausted the hydrogen fuel in its core and entered the final, red giant phase of its life. All prepped up for a supernova spectacle? Alas, it won’t happen for at least another 100,000 years. But one thing is for sure, if Betelgeuse were to explode, it would be the brightest supernova ever observed by humanity.

4. It Inspired JK Rowling To Create An Iconic Character

Remember Bellatrix Lestrange from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix? The paranoid, insane and sadistic Death Eater is inspired by Bellatrix (or the Gamma Orionis)- the third brightest star on the left shoulder of Kalpurush. The name ‘Bellatrix’ means female warrior in Latin, reflecting in her character which is a brutal yet brave fighter, which made her one of the closest allies of Lord Voldemort. At first glance, Bellatrix appears white, but if you keep looking, its true blue hue becomes evident. Doesn’t it remind you of shape-shifting?

5. It’s Built A Pyramid of Controversy

The pyramids are the OG of conspiracy theories. From Anubis to Tutankhamun, from scary mummies to alien architecture, pyramids have unearthed enough fodder to keep daydreamers busy for ages. One such theories suggest the celestial alignment of the Giza Pyramid Complex, with the belt of the Kalpurush constellation. In the 1980s, researcher Robert Bauval noted a striking resemblance between the arrangement of the three Giza pyramids- the Pyramid of Menkaure, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Great Pyramid of Giza – and the positioning of the three stars – Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka – in the Orion’s Belt. Although there is no physical evidence to prove an intentional correlation, the idea has become the talk of the town for ancient Egyptian fans, since then.

Call it the Orion, the Hunter, the Nimrod or the Mriga, there is more to Kalpurush than meets the eye. With the winter season just around the corner, get ready to witness the brilliant Orion constellation in its full glory from October to March. And if you are lucky enough, you might catch the dazzling Orionid meteor shower before dawn during mid-October. Don’t forget to make a wish!

Impress your friends by sharing these interesting facts with them. If you come across any more interesting facts about the Kalpurush constellation, let us know in the comments section below.