Stargazing in January: A true epic playing out across the sky

Orion and his entourage represent a palimpsest of human stories that stretch back to the earliest civilisations, writes Nigel Henbest

The Orion constellation (iStock / Eerik)

As the glowing curtains of daylight fade, to reveal the darkened cosmic stage behind, we’re treated this month to a legendary cast of characters. Centre-stage is the familiar figure of Orion, a humanoid shape formed from seven bright stars each around 50,000 times more luminous than our sun.

Orion and his entourage represent a palimpsest of human stories that stretch back to the earliest civilisations. It’s a cosmic drama that unfolds in several distinct acts, spanning not only time but the entire globe.

Act one began under the sable skies of the Australian outback, some 40,000 years ago, when the Aboriginal people saw the bright stars Betelgeuse and Rigel as the prow and stern of a canoe. The three prominent stars we now call Orion’s Belt were three fishermen out to catch their daily meal.