One evening, viewers of a virtual “star party” hosted from central Illinois got a glimpse of their host’s passion for the night sky when the patterned group of stars known as the constellation Orion the Hunter came into view.
The regular Friday night gatherings of amateur astronomers observing celestial objects are hosted by Dr. John Martin, associate professor of astronomy-physics at the University of Illinois Springfield. He shows them what is viewable from the university’s observatory. Orion is among his favorites. “I love Orion because when I was a kid, and I was first learning the constellations in the sky, … I had a lot of trouble, actually, trying to figure out the constellations, trying to orient myself outside,” Martin, who grew up in suburban Washington, D.C., told the star party participants. “I didn’t have that many stars to work with, but the first constellation I was able to pick out in the sky and identify on my own was Orion, and that’s because Orion is made up of several bright stars.”
Three stars fashion Orion’s belt, and four stars make up his shoulders and knees. Fainter stars represent his head and a club he’s holding over his head. “Those seven stars there are really the iconic part of it,” Martin said.
