Orion Coloring Pages

The Brave Hunter Shining in the Winter Night Sky! Orion

Orion is one of the most famous constellations you can find in the winter night sky. You can easily spot it because it looks like a big hourglass or a ribbon. Its main feature is three stars lined up in a straight row right in the middle, and these are called the "Three Stars." People say Orion shows the shape of a strong hunter named "Orion" from Greek myths.

The Stars That Make Up Orion

Orion has several stars that are super bright and cool. Each one has a different color and brightness!

• Betelgeuse: This is a big star at Orion's right shoulder that shines with a reddish light. It is a giant star, way, way bigger than our Sun!
• Rigel: This is a bright star at Orion's left foot that shines blue-white. It is super hot and sparkles just like a diamond.
• Three Stars: These are the three stars lined up at Orion's belt. Their names from left to right are Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka.
• Orion Nebula: This is a slightly fuzzy patch of light below the Three Stars. New stars are being born here one after another!

The History and Myth of Orion

A long time ago, people connected the stars to make all kinds of shapes. People passed down the story of Orion as a strong and skillful hunter. The story says that even though Orion was very strong, he did not like poisonous scorpions. That is why people say that even today, when the summer constellation Scorpius rises into the sky, the winter constellation Orion quietly sets and hides away.

How to Choose Your Colors

When you color the Orion coloring page, look closely at the star colors to bring out the cool, mysterious feel of space!

• Colors for Betelgeuse: Try coloring the big star on the top right in orange or red. Giving it a warm, burning color makes it look real.
• Colors for Rigel: We recommend using light blue or soft blue for the star on the bottom left. Try to show its cold, sharp, and strong light.
• The Three Stars and Other Stars: Make the three stars shine bright with white or yellow. It gets really lively if you change the colors a little bit for the small stars around them, too!
• The Orion Nebula: For the fuzzy spot below the three stars, try lightly layering pink and purple. That makes it look just like a nebula made of gas!

Show the Depth of the Night Sky!

Try these background ideas to make your stars stand out even more!

• Space Shades: Instead of making the background plain black, try mixing in dark blue and purple. If you color it darker at the top and a little lighter at the bottom, it will look like it goes deep into space!
• Glowing Stars: If you softly shade a little yellow or white around the stars, they will look like they are glowing gently. It looks super pretty!

Add Fun Details to the Background

Where are you looking at Orion from? Is it from a snowy mountain top, or the balcony at your house? If you add shadows of trees or buildings at the bottom, it will really feel like a quiet winter night!

Hints for Enjoying Your Coloring Page!

It is also fun to connect the stars with lines to draw the constellation, or draw a cool club and shield for Orion to hold. Finish making your very own legendary hunter!

The end of a star: A sign of a "supernova explosion"

The red star on the right shoulder, "Betelgeuse," is said to be coming to the end of its life soon. If it explodes (a supernova explosion), it will be so bright that you could even read a book at night. You might even get to see it while you are alive!

A guide in the winter night sky: The "Winter Triangle"

Betelgeuse is one corner of an equilateral triangle made by connecting it with other bright winter stars, "Sirius" and "Procyon." This is called the "Winter Triangle," and it is an important guide when you look for winter stars.

A cradle where stars are born

The "Orion Nebula" below the three stars is a place where gas and dust floating in space gather together. Right at this very moment, baby stars are being born there! When you look through a telescope, it looks like a bird spreading its wings.