Orion had come to love the divine huntress Diana, but was unintentionally slain by an arrow from her bow, at the instigation of her brother Apollo. In another version, Orion was killed by the sting of the deadly scorpion sent by Juno to punish him for his arrogant pride.

In Greek myth Orion was simply a great and powerful hunter, a son of Neptune, and possibly of a somewhat boastful disposition, as he is said to have claimed dominion over every living creature. Homer refers to him as the tallest and most beautiful of men.

That foremost authority on Hobbit-lore, J.R.R.Tolkien, tells us that the constellation was known in the Third Age of Middle-earth as Menelvagor, 'The Swordsman of the Sky.'

The origin of the name Orion is obscure, though some scholars have suggested a connection with the Greek Arion or more probably the Greek word that means 'warrior.' Ovid & Hyginus refer to it as Urion which might suggest the mighty Hunter was regarded as some variety of star-god.

65. My prayer was answered. As I watched, Clouds drifted clear of the peak, And the great summit stood radiant In a shaft of sunlight.

64. My candle is fading with the dawn: One last star Shining in my window.

The 'Giant' in the name is of course the Great Hunter or Celestial Warrior Orion, most brilliant of the constellations, and visible from every inhabited part of the Earth, and has been associated in virtually all ancient cultures with great national heroes, warriors, or demigods.

Betelgeuse is the 11th brightest star in the sky. Opposition date (midnight culmination) coincides closely with the date of the Solstice on December 21.

63. If I could fly with those high, wild geese, Would they lead me to the lands of Wisdom? Perhaps, I say, standing here, Silent, waiting...

Betelgeuse is usually described as golden orange or deep topaz; although one of the most famous of the red giants, the color is actually more orange than truly 'red.' The exotic word padparadschah, used in India for the rare orange sapphire, might be an appropriate name.

Alpha Orionis: BETELGEUSE or BETELGEUX. The name of the star is usually translated 'The Armpit of the Giant' or the 'Arm of the Central One'; is has also been called 'The Martial Star,' evidently for its ruddy color.

62. The crescent moon, between scudding clouds; Phantom, galleon, sailing To the far lands of the west.

Although the expansion rate of the cloud has not been accurately measured, a comparison with the Veil Nebula seems to suggest that S147 is the older of the two objects, and probably dates back well over 50,000 years. [ https://t.co/JEX5Ymb8If]

S147: One of the strangest nebulae in the sky, a huge, nearly circular cloud composed of many slender thread-like filaments forming a great ring about 2 degrees by 3 degrees in size. The major portion of the cloud lies in Taurus; the northern edge crosses the border into Auriga.

61. White mist hovers in the streets; Lanterns glimmer, muffled footsteps approaching In the autumn fog.

Both the Merope and Maia clouds are very remarkable for their fine structure, resembling in their wind-torn appearance the typical streamers of a high-altitude cirrus cloud on the earth. [ https://t.co/vOJevOg81k]

60. Come, we will sail with the clouds; They know the way To far-away lands.

A remarkable fact about the Pleiades Cluster is that the entire star-swarm is enveloped in a faint and vast nebulosity which appears to shine by reflected light. The light is apparently star-light, reflected from dust and perhaps larger solid particles. [ https://t.co/A61qLBZuy9]

The Pleiades Cluster is drifting SSE at a rate of about 5.5" per century. Though this corresponds to an actual velocity of about 25 miles per second, the cluster will require over 30,000 years to drift a distance equal to the apparent width of the Moon.

59. My little hut: Beggar's shelter in the glare of day; Celestial palace now Under the summer moon.