Orion constellation. Optical image of the constellation- Orion, the Hunter. North is at top. This is one of the best known constellations in the sky, containing several bright stars arranged in a recognizable form. The group known as Orion's belt (center) is especially striking, consisting of three stars of equal brightness equally spaced. From left to right, they are: Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka. The bright star at upper left is Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis), a red super giant. At lower right is Rigel (Beta Orionis), a powerful blue super giant. Orion's sword, seen below the belt, contains the Orion nebula, visible as a pink patch, which is a vast star birth region.