Bellatrix

Its story

Bellatrix, «the female warrior», marks the left shoulder of Orion with a fierce blue heat, 252 light-years from the Earth. Its Latin name travelled through the Renaissance linked to amazons and women of arms; in modern astronomy it remains one of the few stars carrying a traditional feminine name, which gives it a recognisable identity even for those who do not know the sky well. The light now crossing European winter nights left the star when Galileo first turned his telescope toward this very constellation.