[Aztlan] Rigel subsitutes for the sun

[Craig Berry]

On Thu, 15 Feb 2007, Lynda Manning-Schwartz wrote:

> Orion is easily identified and is close to one of the two places in the
> sky where the ecliptic crosses the Milky Way (the other is its celetial
> opposite Gemini/Taurus).

Actually, Orion is quite near that crossing point.  The opposite crossing
is in Scorpio/Sagittarius.

> Orion is also near the celestial equator

In fact, the celestial equator passes right through the center of Orion.
The belt stars are very close to being right on it.

As seen from a location with dark skies, that part of the heavens is truly
spectacular.  The Milky Way passes through a region filled with bright
stars -- the Orion stars, Sirius, Aldebaran, Procyon, Castor, Pollux, and
even Regulus and Spica further east.  The beautiful Pleiades and Hyades
clusters decorate the western edge of the region.  I love camping in the
desert in March and April, when these stars are on brilliant display in
the early evening, often accented with a planet or two.

-- 
   )   Craig Berry - http://www.cine.net/~cberry/
  =+=   "Better to fight for something than to live for nothing."
   (       - George S. Patton