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Rigel

The brightest star of Orion, yet called Beta Orionis, is a system of a blue star and two white stars.
The two very similar whites are close together, but far away from the bigger blue one. Rigel A starts expanding to become a red supergiant. Rigel is in the constellation Orion the left knee (from our point of view right).

The star lights a reflection nebula famous as Witch Head Nebula, IC 2118.

Constellation: Orion
Distance: 733 light-years
Radial velocity: 20.7 km/sec
Orbit period of Rigel B and C: 9.85992 days

Rigel A

Spectral class: B8
Visual magnitude: 0.14
Luminosity: 38 679 * Sun
Mass: 17 * Sun
Diameter: 62 * Sun
  

Rigel B

Spectral class B/C: B9
Visual magnitude: 7.45
Luminosity: 46 * Sun
Mass: 4 * Sun
Diameter: 3.5 * Sun
  

Rigel C

Spectral class B/C: B9
Visual magnitude: 7.45
Luminosity: 46 * Sun
Mass: 4 * Sun
Diameter: 3.5 * Sun

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Rigel and the Witch Head Nebula
Photo: Robert Gendler
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