When Orion rises in the east, his raised arm carrying the magnificent shield is the first thing that strikes you. If you are born under the Orion Shield then your lifestyle is outstanding. In this blog post I am etching out for you few details of the Orion Shield in terms of its astronomy and cosmics.
Astronomy
1. Orion Shield
The shield is located on the upper right of the Orion constellation where the mighty Orion carries it in his raised arm. Pliny considering the significance of Orion Shield described it as a separate constellation. Besotted with great stars in a vertical string the shield is the first to rise in the east when Orion appears after his daily slumber. There are six stars: Bayer classified these as Pi 1 to Pi 6 Orionis. Out of these six stars Pi 3 Orionis is in the west most direction, hence is the first to rise in the east followed by Pi 2, Pi 4, Pi 5, Pi 1 and finally Pi 6 with all of them having the name Orionis behind the respective numbers. It is not surprising that Pi 3 Orionis became the focus of the Orion Shield and subject of study by astronomers for centuries.
2. Common Name: Tabit
Pi 3 Orionis the lead star in the Orion shield was named as ‘Tabit” from Arabic” Al-Tabit” meaning “Endurer”. In Persian the title “Al-Taj” meaning a “Crown” is alluded to this star. Al-Sufi, Tenth century Persian-Arab astronomer ascribed the name “Al- Manica” a corruption from Latin “Mantle” meaning the cloth covering the gauntlet that Orion holds. Other aliases in Arabic are “Al-Kum” (Sleeve of the Garment) and Al-Dhawahib (Pendant). Many later day astronomers described the string of stars as a trophy of the Lion’s hide Orion holds in his right hand. A picture of Orion constellation in Urania’s Mirror published in 1825 shows this presentation. The name Orion Shield, however, has struck as the popular name for the widely scattered group of stars. Moreover, the name Tabit given to Pi 3 Orionis turned out to be the common name for all of the six stars in the Orion shield.
3. Component Stars
The six components stars can be traced between Right Ascension (Celestial Longitude) at 4 hours 50 minutes 24 seconds to 4 hours 59 minutes 5 seconds to the east and Declination ( Celestial Latitude) at North 1 degree 43 minutes 44 seconds to 10 degrees 9 minutes 59 seconds towards the north. I am not giving individual tracing locations for these stars due to want of space.
Let me give you some details of the six component stars:
Pi 1 Orionis: Located top most in the north, Pi 1 Orionis is a main sequence white dwarf star with a spectral type of “A0V” with a visual magnitude of 4.60 and located 120 light years away
Pi 2 Orionis: Located second most from the north, Pi 2 Orionis is a main sequence white dwarf with a spectral classification of “A1Vn” with a visual magnitude of 4.35 and located 194 light years away
Pi 3 Orionis: Located third most from the north, Pi 3 Orionis is a main sequence yellow-white dwarf star with a spectral type of ‘F6V” with a visual magnitude of 3.15 and located 26 light years away. It has 1.3 times of the mass of our Sun and is about 3 times luminous than our Sun. It is the brightest among the six stars in the shield. Reflected by the surface temperature at 6,400 Kelvin and rotating 2 miles per second the star gives out tepid orange hue
Pi 4 Orionis: Located fourth most from the north, Pi 4 Orionis is a blue to white giant binary star with a spectral type of B2III _ SB and with a visual magnitude of 3.65 and located some 1,260 light years away. Its companion star is a sub giant as hot as the main star rotating in close orbit. The combined effect of both main and companion stars make Pi 4 Orionis about 27, 000 times luminous than our Sun. The surface temperature about 21,000 Kelvin together with its distance from earth makes the star giving us a faded blue hue
Pi 5 Orionis: Located fifth most from north, Pi 5 Orionis is similar to Pi 4 in terms of spectral type but varies only in terms of visual magnitude a little bit higher at 3.70 and distance much farther at 1342 light years away. The surface temperature of the main and companion stars may be about 21,000 Kelvin. Combined mass is equal to about 12 Suns. The main and companion stars rotate very closely to each other, giving us on earth faded blue illumination
Pi 6 Orionis: Located at the bottom of the Orion shield Pi 5 Orionis is the odd man out among the six stars. It is an orange bright giant with a spectral type of ‘K2II Var” indicating the giant star has variable luminosity. At around 4.45 visual magnitude it is almost a faint star like Pi 1 Orionis. Located some 954 light years away it has double distinction: it rises as the last star in the Orion shield; it is also the only orange star just giving orange hue.
Cosmics
You are considered as coming under the influence of the Orion shield if at the time of your birth any one of the six stars is seen in the eastern horizon or culminates overhead in the sky cast over at the time and place of your birth. If a component star in the Orion shield rises in the eastern horizon at the time of your birth Orion Shield is your rising star and if it culminates at the time of your birth Orion shield is your culminating star. In rare cases, one of the component stars can move in the line of sight of the Moon at the time and place of your birth; if this happens Orion shield is your birth star as well.
Positive Cosmics
1. Orion Shield makes you a giant in the field of your choice: career, business or vocation
2. Orion shield gives you dignity reinforced by strength of character together with physical prowess
3. Great degree of self-confidence marks you as an achiever against all odds
4. You are blessed with two boons: a mind that remains alert and a body that remains agile
5. You have the tenacity to endure tests and tribulation in your family life and business life ultimately achieving the goals you have set for yourself
6. You will do extremely well in any career and business that borders on trading of goods irrespective of size and value
7. As Manilus in his Atronomica says you will have “unflagging energy” to meet with any situation.
Negative Cosmics
1. Over-confidence is your Achilles heal; you will be downed by this quality
2. The significant tendency to use violence against colleagues, friends and team mates is observed
3. Pride and prejudice are two aspects that harangue you throughout
4. The chances of others using you for their own benefit is more than the other way around
5. Improving your life requires that you have an ever doubting partner in the family; that can work as check and balance.
Muthu Ashraff
Cosmic Adviser
Mobile : +94 777 265677
E-mail : cosmicgems@gmail.com
