ज़ेटा ओरायोनिस तारा vs Mintaka
Spectroscopy puts them in the same box — O-type for ज़ेटा ओरायोनिस तारा as for Mintaka — so the differences lie elsewhere. Intrinsically the balance shifts: ज़ेटा ओरायोनिस तारा carries an absolute magnitude of −5.03 against −4.38 for Mintaka, making it about 1.8 times more luminous once distance is removed from the comparison. Both lie at a comparable distance from the Sun — 736 light-years for ज़ेटा ओरायोनिस तारा and 692 for Mintaka. Apparent magnitudes of +1.74 and +2.25 place ज़ेटा ओरायोनिस तारा some 1.6 times brighter in the sky than Mintaka.
Property comparison
| Property | ज़ेटा ओरायोनिस तारा | Mintaka |
|---|---|---|
| पदनाम | 50Zet Ori | 34Del Ori |
| नक्षत्रमंडल | Orion | Orion |
| वर्णक्रम वर्ग | Class O — O-type (Blue) | Class O — O-type (Blue) |
| आभासी परिमाण | +1.74 | +2.25 |
| निरपेक्ष परिमाण | -5.03 | -4.38 |
| दूरी | 736 ly | 692 ly |
| द्रव्यमान | N/A | N/A |
| त्रिज्या | N/A | N/A |
| तापमान | N/A | N/A |
| दीप्तिमानता | N/A | N/A |
Full data for each star: ज़ेटा ओरायोनिस तारा · Mintaka
Key differences
Key Differences
- ◆ Both are O-type stars in Orion's Belt, but Alnitak is the eastern star and Mintaka the western.
- ◆ Alnitak is the brightest O-type star in the night sky; Mintaka lies almost exactly on the celestial equator.
- ◆ Alnitak is near the Horsehead Nebula and Flame Nebula which it illuminates with its intense UV radiation.
- ◆ Both are multiple star systems containing O-type primaries.
- ◆ Alnitak is somewhat more massive and more distant than Mintaka.