I found myself out west of Mandan the other night chasing Orion, the constellation also known as the Hunter. Its appearance in the sky marks the fall season, and its disappearance is part of summer. I was awfully cold getting this shot, which was a 30 second exposure at the side of a lonely gravel road. The song “Stars” by The Clean seemed an appropriate iPod selection for such an encounter.

Most folks, including myself, find Orion most quickly by searching for the three stars comprising the “belt.” There’s also another row of “stars” below the belt, but that is actually the Orion Nebula (or M42 if you’re a geek). I took the liberty of drawing some red lines on the photo to illustrate the basic shape of Orion for y’all.

In college I took all the fun science courses I could, including astronomy. Our final exam included naming a plethora of constellations and the major stars from each. I can’t name all the stars of Orion, but I can tell you that the two brightest are Betelgeuse (yes, I pronounce it “Beetlejuice”) and Rigel. For you Trekkies, the pilot of the original Star Trek television series takes place on a mission returning from Rigel 7, a supposed planet orbiting Rigel. I don’t know if that will be referenced in the upcoming Star Trek movie. If you’re really a nerd, keep this in mind for when the movie opens in May. Look for me there; I’ll be the one in the Stormtrooper costume. Just kidding. And what the heck is an Aluminum Falcon?