Orion is the herald of winter.  When I look up at the night sky and see Orion, I know we have passed through autumn and have entered wintertime.

Orion is a magnificent constellation which can easily be found by the three stars which form his belt. The belt stars point towards Sirius, the brightest star in the constellation of Canis Major, situated SE of Orion.

Orion is one of the most ancient named constellations, among the few star groups known to Greek writers such as Homer and Hesiod.

In Greek mythology, Orion was a giant and a great hunter. One legend tells how Artemis, the goddess of the Moon and the hunt, fell in love with Orion. 

Her twin brother, Apollo, saw Orion swimming far out to sea. He challenged his sister to hit the faint dot among the waves. Artemis shot an arrow, hitting and killing Orion.

Inconsolable, she placed his body in the heavens where he now hunts eternally with his two dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor.