Rigel: Shine On, You Crazy Diamond

Rigel is a blue supergiant, and double, star in the constellation Orion. It’s best viewed in winter.

Between the great Orion Nebula and the orangish-red giant Betelgeuse, the bright white Rigel may be easy to overlook when navigating the constellation Orion. As stars go, Rigel is a mesmerizing object to view. Yes, there are plenty of bright white stars in our universe, but for me, Rigel shines like a diamond in a telescope.

Rigel’s diamond appearance is worth a visit, but there is another reason to turn your scope its way: Rigel has a companion. If you have steady seeing conditions and a scope 6-inches or larger, be sure to take a closer look at Rigel to see a star hiding in its luminance!

My Observations of Rigel

As always, Rigel holds my attention longer than other stars when I view it with a telescope. Few things are better than a crisp winter night and looking upon this star diamond of a star. The white is piercing. Somewhat like a bright white L.E.D. Christmas bulb. Increasing the magnification brings out its companion. At first, I thought it was my eyes playing games on me, but the second star eventually comes into view.

Also observed on January 21, 2022, at 7:50 p.m.: Tonight the skies are very clear. Rigel is still low in the east above some homes, so the heat rising in the atmosphere makes it sparkle like a diamond in a jewel case. As I show my wife and daughter this brilliant white star, I reflect on its incredible luminosity. Just imagine flying near this star. This bright light, which is still brilliant after traveling more than 800 years to my scope, would be absolutely blinding for anyone who approaches it.

Key Stats

Constellation	Orion
Best Viewing	Winter
Visual Magnitude	+0.3 +6.8
Absolute Visual Magnitude	-7.5
Distance from Earth	860 ly
Separation	9.4″ | 2490 AU
Orbital Period	Unknown
Milky Way Location	Orion Spur
My Viewing Grade	A

Sources and Notes

Photo of Rigel by Rogelio Bernal Andreo and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

AKA: Beta Orionis, SAO 131907