Orions Belt

[Jonny99]

Where we live this is nearly always visible in the night sky altho over the summer havent seen it . Is there a time of the year when its best viewed ?

[Scooot]

This is a screen shot of M42 details. The graph bottom right gives you its altitude at different times of the year. Orion's Belt will be very similar.

[ronin]

From what sense I can make of the planisphere Mid-December is when it is highest, due South at midnight.

So a month either side.

Lot depends on the observing time.

If you observe earlier then highest seems to be mid-Janurary for 22:00, again a month either side will be reasonable for that time.

[AstroJOE]

Orion's belt will be rising in the East about 9pm tonight and should be due South and reasonably high by the early hours. It'll rise earlier and earlier as the winter months drawer in.

Download 'Stellarium' of the web (it's a free download). Just plug in your location and it will give you an accurate representation of the night sky above you. It's a great way to learn the sky and to help plan an evening of observing.

Enjoy!

[Jonny99]

Thanks for all the advice really think its one of the spectacles of the sky using the naked eye

[Special K]

And it gets ever so high in the winter night so we are definitely in season with that constellation. Last night it was a gob-smacker!

[Special K]

Thanks for all the advice really think its one of the spectacles of the sky using the naked eye

Quite right! I think I get as much out of just looking at this as I do through the scope. However Betelgeuse magnified is a dreamy red gem I never tire of.

[Skylook123]

I like to take a leisurely stroll down the three belt stars some nights.  Each is a nice double star, and the far left, Alnitak, has The Flame or Tank Track nebula a finger or so off to the left, and The Horsehead about the same amount to the south.  It helps to get Alnitak just off the FOV of a medium powered eyepiece, and see The Flame.

[Shivam_yadav]

Well ! According to me yes ! In winters we are on the Orions side of the Sun ! But in the summers as we are on the other side of the Sun it is seen in the morning !