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Dad Field Manual · Field card 92 · Classic Field Skills

Find Orion, the winter hunter

Thirty minutes on a clear, cold evening. Find the three stars of Orion's belt, name the red shoulder and the bright foot, then use the belt as a pointer to the brightest star in the night sky.

Time
30 min
Cost
$0
Ages
5 and up
Where
Yard, driveway or porch

Since 1911: The 1911 book says Orion is seen only in winter. It actually starts rising in the east in late-fall evenings, a little earlier each night. Streetlights and porch lights now wash out fainter stars, so turn off what you can and use a red light. A star app is optional; the belt is easy to find without one.

What you need

  • Warm layers, a hat and mittens for everyone
  • A flashlight covered with red cellophane or red tape
  • A blanket or camp chairs
  • Paper and a pencil to sketch the stars

Before you go out

  • Stay in your yard or another place you know, and tell whoever is home where you'll be.
  • Dress in layers, with a warm hat and mittens, and cover exposed skin. Standing still at night gets cold fast.
  • Don't walk while looking up. Stop, then look, or lie on a blanket.
  • Come in when anyone is shivering or their fingers, ears or nose feel numb.

Steps

  1. Pick the night and the time. Pick a clear night; Orion rises in the east, earlier each week from late fall.
  2. Let your eyes adjust. Lights off, red light only, and give your eyes 20 to 30 minutes.
  3. Find the belt. Face east and find three bright stars in a short straight line: the belt.
  4. Name the shoulder and the foot. Find reddish Betelgeuse at a shoulder and bright Rigel at a foot.
  5. Follow the belt both ways. Follow the belt one way to Sirius, the other way to orange Aldebaran.
  6. Sketch it and sign off. Sketch Orion and its pointers, then sign the field card.

If it stalls

  • If you can't see Sirius yet, wait. The hunter's dog follows the hunter, so early in the evening it may still be below the horizon or behind trees.
  • If the sky looks empty, a light is probably in your eyes. Move so the house blocks the streetlight and wait a few more minutes.
Stars named
Signed off: can do this.Signed by Date