Meissa

Meissa (λ Orionis) is a blue giant star in the constellation Orion. With an apparent magnitude of 3.54 it is the 302nd-brightest star in the night sky.

Finder chart showing where Meissa is in the constellation Orion
Meissa (circled) in Orion, with the surrounding constellations and bright stars.
Download:PNG

Free to use with credit: Atlas of the Sky (constellationmap.org), CC BY 4.0 · More

Embed this image on your website

Paste this HTML into your page. It shows the image and credits the source as the license requires.

Facts

ConstellationOrion
Designationλ Orionis (Lambda Orionis), HR 1879
Apparent magnitude3.54 (302nd brightest)
Spectral typeO8III((f))
Colorblue (B−V -0.18)
Distance—
Right ascension5 h 35.1 min
Declination+9.93°
Best monthJanuary (at about 9 pm)

Sources: star positions, magnitudes and colors from the Yale Bright Star Catalogue; constellation boundaries and star names from the IAU; areas and distances from Wikidata; stick figures by M. van der Sluys. How the maps are made.

How to find Meissa

Meissa is in Orion. From 40° N it is highest in the south in January evenings, about 60° above the horizon. From 35° S it reaches about 45° in the north. Nearby bright stars: Bellatrix (4° away), Betelgeuse (6° away) and Mintaka (10° away).

Orion constellation →

Other named stars in Orion

RigelBetelgeuseBellatrixAlnilamAlnitakSaiphMintakaHatysaTabit

Report a mistake on this page