Rigel

Designation: β Orionis
Hemisphere: Northern
Constellation: Orion
Distance: 870 light years
Object type: Blue supergiant

Description

Rigel (Beta Orionis) is a blue supergiant lying about 870 light-years from the Sun, in the northern constellation Orion, of which is the brightest star. It is estimated to be between 18 and 24 times as massive as the Sun and 47,000 times as luminous.

Rigel is a variable star that has exhausted its core hydrogen fuel, expanded, and cooled to become a supergiant. With an age estimated between 7 and 9 million years, astronomers believe Rigel will explode into a a type II supernova, leaving behind a neutron star or a black hole

Equipment

Mount: Celestron Evolution
Main Telescope: William Optics ZS73EDii
Main camera: ZWO ASI183MC-Pro
Main camera filter: Optolong UV/IR Cut

Acquisition details

Total integration time: 15 minutes
Acquisition software: SharpCap Pro
Processing software: PixInsight
Location: Luxembourg

Full size image