Orion over Castlerigg

Description

A regular stop off for me, this is the beautiful stone circle at Castlerigg, near Keswick.  Put there an estimated 3-5 thousand years ago this is a very special place to spend some time.  I love to go at night, especially in winter to spend some time and look up at the heavens. I also have a sense of history when visiting and like to imagine the view the folk who put it there looks up at too. Here you can see the full constellation of Orion in the skies above the stones.  Looking south down St John in the Vale to Helvellyn with clouds wisping from the summit, this was a beautiful night at the stones.  To the top left of Orion you can see the 9^thbrightest star in the sky, Betelgeuse.  This is a supermassive Red Giant 750 times the mass of our own sun. Also, in the sword of Orion lies the Orion nebular.  The brightest nebular in the sky this is where stars are born.