Star lore
Alnilam
Direct answer
Alnilam is Epsilon Orionis, a luminous blue supergiant forming the central star of Orion's Belt.
Alnilam is the brilliant middle jewel in Orion's three-star Belt.
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At a glance
- Found in
- Constellations & Star Lore
- Related
- Bellatrix, Elnath, Alnitak, Mintaka
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The story behind Alnilam
The Arabic-derived name refers to the string of pearls represented by Orion's Belt.
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The Road of the Sun
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Why Alnilam matters
Alnilam’s central placement makes it an immediate orientation star, while its luminosity demonstrates the power of massive evolved suns.
How to read Alnilam
Identify the straight Belt line; Alnilam lies between Mintaka to the west and Alnitak to the east.
Alnilam in practice: an example
Although the three belt stars look like a neat row, Alnilam lies at a different distance from its neighbors.
Where readings of Alnilam go wrong
The Belt is an asterism, not a compact physical triple-star system.
Sources and editorial method
Research references used for this entry include:
- IAU Division C Working Group on Star Names - Official IAU working group responsible for standardizing star names used in international astronomy.
- CDS SIMBAD Astronomical Database - Professional astronomical database for stellar identifiers, positions, classifications, and bibliography.
- Source
- The Great Almanac Dictionary
- Category
- Constellations & Star Lore
- Last updated
- 2026-09-26
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Common questions
What is Alnilam?
Alnilam is Epsilon Orionis, a luminous blue supergiant forming the central star of Orion's Belt.
What do people get wrong about Alnilam?
The Belt is an asterism, not a compact physical triple-star system.
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