Is Orion missing a hand-- or is it just me?

Question

At my home in Sherrills Ford, NC, I can see Orion on winter evenings. He seems to be missing a hand. From wherever you stand, you have to tilt your head sideways in order to see him. If you look at him as he was a real person standing up, tilting your head sideways, he looks sort of strange to be missing his left hand.

So-- is it me, or am I right????? Does this have something to do with the earth rotating, or the fact that stars move at about ten miles per second in space? Please answer if you can! Thanks so much!

Answer 1

Constellations are just random arrangements of stars, so their resemblance to the things they supposedly depict is a matter of applied imagination. Orion was traditionally depicted with a club in one hand and either a shield or an animal skin in the other.

Answer 2

Amateur astronomer here. Right at this moment, Orion should be in your East/Northeast sky above the horizon. Take a look. I was puzzled by this last night, Jupiter is in Orion, and it looks really odd.
But...to answer your question......no, you won't be able to detect any change in the constellation due to the motion of the stars in space. The distances are so vast that in your lifetime they won't have moved visibly at all. Also doesn't have anything to do with the earth rotating.
My best guess is that the "left hand" is a variable star. I don't know about that star in particular, but I do notice some stars are brighter sometimes than others, and they are called variable stars. Usually their brightness varies periodically, and is predictable. Some variables appear that way because they are eclipsing binaries. I don't know the status on this particular star, just keep watching it for a pattern and see if it's there and visible with binoculars and then it gets brighter and see if there is a pattern.
If you're interested in Orion, take another look at the dagger in the sheath of his belt. The middle "star" in the dagger is not a star at all. It's the Orion nebula, and in binoculars or a telescope it looks really cool. That's what I usually pay attention to when I look at Orion.
Cheers! If you ever want to talk astronomy, email me at
[e-mail]

Answer 3

I don't know why you're seeing part of Orion missing, but at last count all the stars the make up that constellation are in place.

Answer 4

Orion seems to be missing everything except his left and right shoulders, his belt, and his Scottish kilt.