Mintaka by MagikUnicorn

Bryce • Scenic • posted on Nov 16, 2013

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Description

Mintaka Mintaka (δ Orionis, 34 Orionis) is a star some 690 light years distant in the constellation Orion. The name Mintaka comes from منطقة manṭaqa, which means "the belt" in Arabic. Together with Alnitak (Zeta Orionis) and Alnilam (Epsilon Orionis), the three stars make up the belt of Orion, known by many names among ancient cultures. When Orion is close to the meridian, Mintaka is the right-most of the belt's stars as seen by an observer in the Northern Hemisphere facing south. Mintaka is actually a multiple star at the western end of Orion's belt, with a magnitude 7 star about 52" away from the main component and an even fainter star in between. The main component itself is also double, consisting of a class B giant and a smaller but hotter class O. The stars orbit each other every 5.73 days. These two stars are both about 90,000 times as luminous as the Sun with a mass of some 20 solar masses. Radial velocity measurements taken by Henri-Alexandre Deslandres at Paris Observatory showed that Mintaka had a variable radial velocity and therefore was a spectroscopic binary. His preliminary orbital period estimate of 1.92 days was shown to be incorrect in 1904 when Johannes Franz Hartmann using photographic plates taken at Potsdam Observatory showed that the orbital period was 5.7 days. Hartmann also noticed that the calcium K line at 393.4 nanometres in the stellar spectrum did not share in the periodic displacements of the lines due to orbital motion of the star and theorized that there was a cloud in the line of sight to Mintaka that contained calcium. This was the first detection of the interstellar medium. ____________________________________________ Mintaka Mintaka (Delta Orionis) est une des trois étoiles de la ceinture d'Orion, avec Alnilam et Alnitak. Elle tire son nom de l'arabe « baudrier » ou « ceinture ». Elle est située tout près de l’équateur céleste (à moins de 18 minutes d’angle) et peut donc servir à repérer celui-ci dans le ciel. La principale étoile, de magnitude apparente 2,25, appartient au type spectral O9 (température de surface de l'ordre de 35 000 K, magnitude absolue -4,99, soit 10 000 celle du Soleil). Elle est entourée de nébuleuses, comme la nébuleuse C 426, et, appartenant à la famille d'Algol (c'est-à-dire qu'elle est une variable à éclipses), Mintaka subit l'occultation d'un membre de ce système. Mintaka est l'étoile brillante la plus proche de l'équateur céleste, ce qui lui fait qu'elle peut être visible de n'importe quel point de la Terre. C'est également la 32e étoile la plus brillante (en magnitude absolue). Comme toutes les étoiles d'Orion (Rigel, Bételgeuse, Saiph, Bellatrix, etc.) elle est destinée à finir en supernova. Merci, Thanks MagikUnicorn

Comments (38)

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Faemike55

5:24PM | Sat, 16 November 2013

Very cool image and great information thanks for sharing

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sharky_

5:41PM | Sat, 16 November 2013

Nice work.....the sky reminds me of the animals or figures associated with the stars. Great info especially that ISON is around if it turns and survive the sun, it will be around that direction....I think? Aloha

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jeroni

5:59PM | Sat, 16 November 2013

Elegant and beautfiful composition

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mgtcs

6:02PM | Sat, 16 November 2013

Very beautiful Magik, amazing lighting, lovely work!

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Jay-el-Jay

6:16PM | Sat, 16 November 2013

It looks like the end of a nice quiet day in this creation.

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eekdog

6:22PM | Sat, 16 November 2013

peaceful beauty.

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drifterlee

6:23PM | Sat, 16 November 2013

This is stunning! I love it!!!!

ronmolina

6:29PM | Sat, 16 November 2013

Beautiful!

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brycek

6:39PM | Sat, 16 November 2013

Very Beautiful!!

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RodS

8:13PM | Sat, 16 November 2013

A beautiful render, Real, and fascinating information as well. NASA recently announced that well over 800 planets have been discovered in the habitable zone of their host stars - most are rocky planets less than twice the size of Earth. Scientists now believe that most of the stars we can see have their own planetary systems. We are not alone.

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magnus073

8:38PM | Sat, 16 November 2013

Magik, j'ai apprécié cette présentation étonnante. Vous êtes un artiste très talentueux, et êtes capable de créer des répliques de tout ce dont vous parlez. J'ai aimé apprendre sur l'étoile (Mintaka). Visite de votre galerie est toujours une expérience éducative et amusante.

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