Eta Orionis is a star

Star

A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...

 in the constellation

Constellation

In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....

 Orion

Orion (constellation)

Orion, often referred to as The Hunter, is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the most conspicuous, and most recognizable constellations in the night sky...

. Other names are Saiph, Algjebbah, and Ensis (Latin for "sword", since the star is taken to represent Orion's sheathed weapon).

It is a star system

Star system

A star system or stellar system is a small number of stars which orbit each other, bound by gravitational attraction. A large number of stars bound by gravitation is generally called a star cluster or galaxy, although, broadly speaking, they are also star systems.-Binary star systems:A stellar...

 at a distance of 900 light years from Earth

Earth

Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...

 and part of the Orion Arm

Orion Arm

The Orion–Cygnus Arm is a minor spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy some 3,500 light years across and approximately 10,000 light years in length. The Solar System is within the Orion–Cygnus Arm...

. Eta Orionis lies a little to the west of Orion's belt

Orion's Belt

The term Orion's Belt or the Belt of Orion may refer to:* Orion's Belt, an asterism consisting of three bright stars in a row in the constellation Orion* Orion's Belt, a 1985 film* Orion's Belt, a browser game...

 between Delta Orionis

Delta Orionis

Delta Orionis , traditionally known as Mintaka , is a star some 900 light years distant in the constellation Orion. Together with Zeta Orionis and Epsilon Orionis , the three stars make up the belt of Orion, known by many names across many ancient cultures...

 and Rigel

Rigel

Rigel is the brightest star in the constellation Orion and the sixth brightest star in the sky, with visual magnitude 0.18...

, being closer to Delta Orionis than to Rigel. It is an eclipsing binary system

Binary system (astronomy)

A binary system is an astronomical term referring to two objects in space which are so close that their gravitational interaction causes them to orbit about a common center of mass. Some definitions A binary system is an astronomical term referring to two objects in space (usually stars, but also...

 consisting of two blue star

Blue star

A blue star is a type of star.Blue star or bluestar may also refer to:The Blue Star Is Kind Of Shiny It Is All Of Stars To Protect The Moon-Music:* Bluestar Entertainment, record label* "Blue Star" , first recorded 1955...

s orbiting one another in a regular pattern.